PITT-BRADFORD'S ALI RINFRETTE NAMED AMCC HONOREE FOR NCAA WOMAN OF THE YEAR

Ali Rinfrette of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford women's basketball team has been named the 2018 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference honoree for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award.

"Ali Rinfrette is one of the best that Pitt-Bradford has ever had, period," Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Bret Butler said. "She is absolutely deserving of this award, and I couldn't be prouder once again. Good for Ali Rinfrette, and good for Pitt-Bradford."

For her accomplishments on the court, Rinfrette leaves Pitt-Bradford as one of the most accomplished student-athletes in the university's history. The guard is the women's basketball program's all-time leading scorer with 2,099 career points – the lone 2,000-point scorer in the history of the program. She assisted 374 buckets during her career while pulling in 767 rebounds and 246 steals in 3,777 total minutes on the floor.

During her senior year this past season, she finished fourth in NCAA Division III and first in the AMCC in scoring at 22.5 points per game.

Rinfrette helped lead the Panthers to a successful 2017-18 season that resulted in a trip to the conference semifinals and stayed on the court more than just about everyone in the country, finishing second in NCAA Division III with 39.54 minutes played per game. 

"I am extremely proud of Ali to bring home yet another honor and accomplishment," head women's basketball coach Sharay Hall said. "This Woman of the Year Award credits not only her athletic accomplishments but also her academic achievement and active engagement in the community. She embodies the whole package roll for our program, and I am proud of her for this award."

Excelling in the rigorous and prestigious Pitt-Bradford nursing program, Rinfrette graduated with a 3.719 GPA. She was named to the AMCC's Academic All-Conference team all four years as a student-athlete and the University's Dean's List all eight semesters as a Panther. 

Her excellence on the court, in the classroom and in the community resulted in national recognition as she was voted a College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-American. She was also one of 10 finalists for the Josten's Trophy – one of the highest honors in Division III hoops awarded to one men's and one women's player who most exemplifies the ideal of a well-rounded NCAA Division III student-athlete in basketball ability, academic prowess and community service. 

Each year, the AMCC awards one student-athlete as its Woman of the Year, and then conference nominee moves on to be voted on at the national level.

The NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee will identify the Top 30 – 10 from each division – and from there select three finalists from each division. The Committee on Women's Athletics then selects the winner from the nine finalists.

All 30 Woman of the Year honorees will be recognized, and the 2018 Woman of the Year announced, at an awards dinner at the Westin Indianapolis on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018.