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Benningfield Named As Preseason Candidate For Naismith Award 11-5-03 11/5/2003 Vanderbilt senior women’s basketball player Jenni Benningfield has garnered more high-profile preseason acclaim by being named as one of 30 candidates (one of eight from the Southeastern Conference) for the prestigious Naismith Player of the Year award. The Naismith Awards program, in its 36th season and presented by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, honors the outstanding players in both men’s and women’s collegiate basketball. Candidates are selected by a vote of the Board of Selectors made up of basketball coaches, journalists and analysts.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” /> Benningfield, a Louisville, Ky., native, has already been added to the preseason watch lists for the Wooden Award and the Wade Trophy, while being chosen to the Southeastern Conference’s All-SEC first team at media day last week. The 6’3″ forward enters the 2003-04 campaign fresh off a year in which she averaged 16.5 ppg, a team-leading 7.9 rpg and became the 23rd member of the Commodore 1,000-Point Club. Following VU’s 22-10 slate, she picked up honorable mention All-America acclaim, second team All-SEC honors and this past summer served as a captain while leading the U.S. Pan Am Games team to a silver medal. Benningfield and her Vanderbilt teammates open the season next Tuesday, Nov. 11th with a 7:00 p.m. exhibition matchup against Mike White’s All-Stars, before welcoming Athletes in Action for another preseason game on Nov. 17th at 7:00 p.m. Both games will be held in Memorial Gym (14,100). 2003-04 Female Naismith Player of the Year Candidates Seimone Augustus, LSU |
