Skip To Main Content

University of Denver Athletics

Women's Basketball

WIRTH NAMED WBCA ALLSTATE GOOD WORKS TEAM NOMINEE

Dec. 3, 2014

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - For the second year in a row the University of Denver women's basketball senior Theresa Wirth (Mesa, Ariz.) was chosen as one of 56 NCAA Division I women's basketball student-athletes to be nominated for the 2015 Allstate WBCA and NABA Good Works Teams®, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABA) and Allstate Insurance Company announced today.



This prestigious community service award recognizes a distinguished group of student-athletes who have demonstrated a commitment to enriching the lives of others and contributing to the greater good in their communities.



Wirth, a Pioneer forward on the court, spends her time off the court volunteering for a number of organizations. She has served meals at the Denver Rescue Mission, visits children at Children's Hospital Colorado and talks to students at local elementary schools about being a collegiate student-athlete. During the summer of 2013 Wirth interned with Special Olympics Colorado and volunteered at a number of their events. She cooks meals for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Charities and helped get Athletes in Action recognized as an official club on the University of Denver campus.



College sports information directors and basketball coaches across the country nominated players who exhibit exceptional leadership skills and an unwavering commitment to volunteerism. From the 93 WBCA nominees and 158 NABC nominees, distinguished voting panels will select two 10-member teams comprised of five student-athletes from the NCAA® Division I level and five student-athletes from NCAA Divisions II, III and the NAIA. The final roster of 20 award recipients will be unveiled in February.



"The accomplishments of student-athletes extend far beyond successes achieved on the court, and Allstate is proud to recognize this exceptional group of young women and men for the positive impact they are making in their communities," said Pam Hollander, vice president of marketing for Allstate Insurance Company and a member of the 2015 WBCA and NABC Good Works Teams® selection panels. "Their stories of powerful and selfless acts, shared by SIDs and coaches across the nation, represent the best of collegiate student-athletes and serve as an inspiration to us all."



For the third year, the Allstate WBCA and NABC Good Works Teams® help spotlight the off-the-court good works and service to others that often goes unnoticed and unrewarded. From creating organizations benefitting at-risk youth to volunteering overseas to help impoverished communities, there are countless remarkable stories of service among this year's group of nominees. As full-time students and athletes, these players choose to dedicate their limited free time to improving the lives of those around them.



"The Allstate WBCA Good Works Team® is a prominent award that honors those student-athletes who serve the community," said Danielle Donehew, executive director of the WBCA. "We celebrate the commitment these 93 nominees have made to their respective communities and we are grateful to Allstate for recognizing these individuals for their exceptional efforts."



Members of the Allstate NABC Good Works Team® will be invited by Allstate, an official corporate partner of the NCAA, to the 2015 NABC Convention and 2015 NCAA Men's Final Four® in Indianapolis, where they will participate in a community project benefitting the host city. Members of the Allstate WBCA Good Works Team® will be recognized during the 2015 WBCA Convention and at the 2015 NCAA Women's Final Four® in Tampa Bay, and will also participate in a local community project. Allstate is an official corporate partner of the WBCA, NABC and NCAA.



"In this third year of the Allstate NABC Good Works Team® program, we had an overwhelming response with 158 nominations for 2015," said NABC Executive Director Jim Haney. "There are so many young men and women in college basketball today who make extraordinary and selfless contributions locally, nationally and globally. This is a tremendous opportunity to not only recognize the best of the best but honor all of these student-athletes for their achievements away from the court."



Former Duke University student-athlete, two-time NCAA champion and seven-time NBA All-Star Grant Hill will headline the Allstate NABC Good Works Team® voting panel, while WNBA basketball star Tamika Catchings, who played at the University of Tennessee, will serve on the Allstate WBCA Good Works Team® panel. In addition to Hollander, Hill and Catchings, the 2015 Allstate WBCA and NABC Good Works Teams® selection panel members include: former college basketball student-athletes Greg Anthony (UNLV), Mateen Cleaves (Michigan State) and Alana Beard (Duke); former head coaches Bobby Cremins (College of Charleston), Seth Greenberg (Virginia Tech), Marsha Sharp (Texas Tech) and Nell Fortner (Auburn); current college basketball coach Coquese Washington (Penn State); and media members Seth Davis (Sports Illustrated/CBS), Dana O'Neil (ESPN), Carolyn Peck (ESPN) and LaChina Robinson (ESPN/FOX).



Since 2008, Allstate has worked with the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) as sponsor of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, which shines a spotlight on the positive, off-the-field impact college football student-athletes have on their communities. Through an arrangement with the AFCA, WBCA and NABC, Allstate has been able to expand the Good Works Team® to also recognize college basketball student-athletes at all levels who donate their time and effort to make a difference off the court.



More information about the Allstate WBCA Good Works Team® and the Allstate NABC Good Works Team® is available at www.wbca.org and www.nabc.org.



The following players have been nominated for consideration to be named to the 2015 Allstate WBCA Good Works Team®:



NCAA Division I
Arizona State University - Sophie Brunner
Bradley University - Fantasia Vine
Campbell University - Juli Osborne
Colgate University - Carole Harris
College of the Holy Cross - Raquel Scott
College of William & Mary - Kyla Kerstetter
Columbia University - Devon Roeper
Drake University - Kyndal Clark
Duke University - Elizabeth Williams
East Carolina University - Abria Trice
Florida State University - Emiah Bingley
Georgetown University - Ki-Ke Rafiu
Georgia Institute of Technology - Kaela Davis
Harvard University - AnnMarie Healy
Manhattan College - Jacqui Thompson
Marist College - Maggie Gallagher
Mississippi State University - Savannah Carter
North Carolina State University - Ashley Eli
Northwestern University - Alex Cohen
Oakland University - Elena Popkey
Penn State University - Tori Waldner
Pepperdine University - Bria Richardson
Quinnipiac University - Jasmine Martin
Rice University - Christal Porter
Rider University - Marritta Gillcrease
Seattle University - Renee Dillard-Brown
South Dakota State University - Megan Stuart
St. Francis College - Sarah Benedetti
St. Louis University - Desirae Ball
Stephen F. Austin State University - Brittney Matthew
Stony Brook University - Brittany Snow
Texas Tech University - Minta Spears
Tulane University - Jamie Kaplan
University of Alabama - Nikki Hegstetter
University of Colorado - Jasmine Sborov
University of Delaware - Stephanie Leon
University of Denver - Theresa Wirth
University of Florida - Kayla Lewis
University of Iowa - Kali Peschel
University of Kentucky - Bria Goss
University of Maine - Elizabeth Wood
University of Maryland, Baltimore County - Pandora Wilson
University of Michigan - Nicole Elmblad
University of Nevada - Julia Shelbourn
University of New Mexico - Antiesha Brown
University of Pittsburgh - Brianna Kiesel
University of South Carolina - Elem Ibiam
University of Tennessee - Cierra Burdick
University of Toledo - Sophie Reecher
University of Utah - Danielle Rodriguez
University of Virginia - Sarah Beth Barnette
University of Wisconsin - Michala Johnson
Vanderbilt University - Kendall Shaw
West Virginia University - Averee Fields
Western Kentucky University - Alexis Govan
Wichita State University - Alex Harden



About the Women's Basketball Coaches Association
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game as a sport for women and girls. For more information on the WBCA, please visit www.wbca.org.



About the National Association of Basketball Coaches
Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Forrest "Phog" Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.org.




About the NCAA
The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 460,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaa.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes.



About Allstate®
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer, protecting approximately 16 million households from life's uncertainties through its Allstate, Encompass, Esurance and Answer Financial brand names and Allstate Financial business segment. Allstate is widely known through the slogan "You're In Good Hands With Allstate®." The Allstate brand's network of small businesses offers auto, home, life and retirement products and services to customers in the United States and Canada. In 2013, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate, its employees and agency owners gave $29 million to support local communities. Allstate employees and agency owners donated 200,000 hours of service across the country.



NCAA, Final Four and Women's Final Four are trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. All other licenses or trademarks are property of their respective holders.



- JOIN THE PIONEER NATION -

Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 17 of Denver's NCAA Division I sports.


Like Denver Pioneers and DU Women's Basketball on Facebook.


Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_WHoops on Twitter and Instagram.

Print Friendly Version