Nicole Wolff, Boston Area Student-Athlete, Named 2002 McDonald's® National High School Girl Basketball Player Of The Year
Future UConn Player Receives Morgan Wootten Award
PRNewswire
OAK BROOK, Ill.
Mar 21, 2002
McDonald's announced today that Nicole Wolff of Walpole, Mass., is the 2002 McDonald's National High School Girl Basketball Player of the Year and the first female recipient ever to receive this award. Wolff was presented with the Morgan Wootten Award, a recognition given annually by McDonald's to the nation's top high school girl and boy basketball senior. Both players will be will be recognized today on ESPN's SportsCenter at 6 p.m. (EST).
The Morgan Wootten Award, presented to the national McDonald's high school basketball player of the year, recognizes the nation's top girl and boy seniors who demonstrate outstanding character, exhibit leadership, and embody the values of being a student-athlete in both his/her schoolwork and community affairs.
Wolff is one of 24 high school seniors selected to play in the Inaugural McDonald's All American High School Girls Basketball Game. They will take the court at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Thursday, April 4 at 5:30 p.m. (EST). Additionally, this year marks the 25th anniversary of the McDonald's All American Game for Boys, which also takes place at Madison Square Garden on April 4 at 8 p.m. (EST).
A 5'11" guard for Walpole High School, Wolff helped lead her team to win the Division II State Championship during her senior year. She finished the season with 25-1 record -- while averaging 23 points, 16 rebounds and six assists per game. Wolff scored a total of 2,164 points during her high school career.
"We established the McDonald's National Basketball Player of the Year Award in Morgan Wootten's name to honor the top high school basketball student-athlete, and pay tribute to Morgan's unprecedented achievements as a teacher, mentor and coach," said Mike Donahue, Vice President, McDonald's U.S. Communications. "We are honored to present Nicole with this award as she truly represents the exceptional qualities of a student-athlete."
One of the keys to Nicole's success is the support she has received from her family. Wolff acknowledges her father for teaching her everything she knows about the game of basketball. Despite staying busy as the current men's basketball coach at Boston University, Wolff said her father is always there for her when she needs tips on her game or a partner to rebound for her. Nicole will join three other fellow McDonald's All Americans to play for head coach Geno Auriemma at the University of Connecticut in the fall.
In addition to all her accomplishments in basketball, Wolff is also a stand out off the court. She is a National Honor Society member who maintains an astounding 4.4 grade average. Wolff also finds time in between school and basketball to tutor students in math and volunteer at local food drives and nursing homes.
Torin Francis of Marian, Mass., was presented with the Morgan Wootten Award as the 2002 McDonald's National High School Boy Basketball Player of the Year. The first recipient of the Morgan Wootten Award in 1997 was Shane Battier from Country Day High School in Detroit, Mich., who now plays for the Memphis Grizzlies. Other past winners include Ronald Curry (North Carolina), Jason Williams (Duke), Chris Duhon (Duke) and Aaron Miles (Kansas).
During his more than 40-year career as head basketball coach at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md., Wootten has earned a reputation for being both an excellent basketball coach and mentor. He has the unique distinction of having every one of his DeMatha senior basketball players receive a four- year college scholarship for the past 30 years. Wootten has won more games than any other prep basketball coach, surpassing the 1,000-victory mark in 1993. He was voted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000, and has chaired the Selection Committee for the McDonald's All American High School Basketball Game since its inception in 1977.
McDonald's is the leading global foodservice retailer, with more than 29,000 restaurants serving more than 45 million people each day in 121 countries. Approximately 80 percent of McDonald's worldwide restaurants are owned and operated by independent, local businessmen and women.
SOURCE: McDonald's
Contact: Michon Ellis of McDonald's, +1-630-623-5508,
michon.ellis@mcd.com , or Molly Hawkins of Golin-Harris, +1-312-729-4135,
mhawkins@golinharris.com
Website: http://www.mcdonalds.com/