Dani Hoover Named NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Elite 88 Award Winner

St. Louis, Mo., April 8, 2011 – Junior guard Dani Hoover of the 2011 national runner-up Washington University in St. Louis women’s basketball team was named the 2011 NCAA Division III winner of the Elite 88 Award, it was announced by the NCAA.

The Elite 88, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level, while also achieving the highest academic standard among their peers. The Elite 88 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 88 championships.

Hoover, a starting guard for Washington University, which reached its Division III record 10th Final Four before falling to Amherst College, 64-55, in the national championship game, carries a 4.0 cumulative grade point average as a systems science and engineering major. She also earned Capital One Academic All-District VII third team honors earlier in the year.

Hoover is the second Washington University women’s basketball student-athlete to pick up Elite 88 honors; Zoë Unruh was named the Elite 88 winner in 2010.

Hoover appeared in all 31 games last season, making 23 starts while averaging 6.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. She garnered honorable mention All-University Athletic Association (UAA) honors for the first time in her career after averaging 7.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game during conference play.

Washington University finished the season with a 25-6 overall record, advancing to the Final Four for the third year in a row and the fourth time over the past five seasons.