TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizona Athletics is proud to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day and to lift up the incredible female athletes within our athletic department and to inspire and empower future generations of female athletes.

Arizona has a rich legacy of success in women's sports, with some of the best female athletes across multiple sports making up some of the best teams Arizona Athletics has ever fielded. From All-Americans and national champions to Olympians and Olympic gold medalists, Arizona has been a place for women to succeed and achieve their athletic goals for decades. But their on-field success tells just part of the story. Arizona has constantly produced well-rounded female student-athletes with outstanding academic achievements, a large presence in the Tucson community and the highest character athletes. 

Arizona's history of producing versatile, prosperous student-athletes is recognized on a national level. Arizona has produced four NCAA Women of the Year, honoring the woman in the NCAA that displays excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership -- Tanya Hughes, Track and Field, 1994; Whitney Meyers, Swimming and Diving, 2007; Lacey Nymeyer, Swimming and Diving, 2009; Justine Schluntz, Swimming and Diving, 2010. In the award's 30-year history, Arizona is the only Pac-12 school to win the award, and UA has done it four times. Only five other schools (Georgia, Nebraska, Tennessee, UC Davis & Washington University in St. Louis) have had multiple award winners, with none more than Arizona's four winners.

Today, Arizona Athletics joins Inspiring Women and celebrates all women and girls in sports and their journeys, whether complete or just beginning. Arizona Athletics hopes its success in women's sports, both team and individual accomplishments, on and off the field, can serve as an inspiration to the next group of female athletes hoping to become the next Annika Sorenstam, Jennie Finch, Amanda Beard, Kim Glass, Adia Barnes, Brigetta Barrett, or so many in between.