July 26, 2006
PONTE VEDRA, FL -
Maryland field hockey player Paula Infante is the recipient of the Mary Garber award, given to the Atlantic Coast Conference's Female Athlete of the Year. Infante is the first female honoree since women's lacrosse standout, Jen Adams won the award in 2000 and 2001.
Among the many honors Infante has received, she has been voted first team All-American three times by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA), becoming only the fifth player in school history to accomplish such a feat. This season, she was selected the country's premier field hockey player, winning the Honda Sports Award, only the second Terrapin field hockey player to earn the honor. She was also selected the National Player of the Year by www.womensfieldhockey.com.
In 2005, Infante sparked the Terps to both the NCAA and ACC titles, a 23-2 overall record and a No. 1 national ranking in the final NFHCA Top 20 poll. She was selected ACC Defensive Player of the Year, while earning all-conference nods for the third-consecutive year. At the NCAA Tournament, she became the first player in school history to be named to the NCAA All-Tournament team three times.
The Mary Garber Award, named for the former Winston-Salem Journal reporter and a pioneer for women in the field of sports journalism. That award was established in 1990 to honor the league's top female athlete. Duke basketball player J.J. Redick was the Male Athlete of the Year, winning the Anthony J. McKevlin Award.
Both honorees were selected in voting by 73 members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. Infante earned 22 votes to win the honor, while Lacy Janson, Florida State's NCAA champion and record-setting pole-vaulter, was runner-up with 15 votes, while another national champion, North Carolina shot putter Laura Gerraughty, was third with 14 votes.
On the men's side, Maryland soccer player and Hermann Trophy winner Jason Garey finished third in the balloting for the McKevlin Award.
Entering her senior year in the fall, Infante is a native of Santiago, Chile, and is currently playing for her country's national team in Italy. She is also the mother of four-year son, Agustin.
"This is a great honor for Paula," Maryland field hockey head coach Missy Meharg said. "She's an extraordinary athlete, an outstanding student and an amazing mother. I speak for her teammates, the staff and the administration when I say we're very proud of her. What she has given to Maryland and the wonderful mother she is -- it is amazing."
-TERPS-
