Milwaukee School of Engineering's Carol Cayo has been selected as the
Northern Athletics Conference Woman of the Year for the 2011-12
academic year, as chosen by the league's Senior Woman Administrators'
Standing Committee.

In an excerpt from her personal statement from the award nomination,
Cayo states, "Today I am a confident, compassionate person, shaped by
my success as a student, athlete and community volunteer. Athletics,
taught me that I can work with others to achieve common success. As a
student-athlete at MSOE, I know that I can meet rigorous mental
challenges yet, attain high goals. My compassion for others has grown
through giving back to my community."

Cayo, a three-sport student-athlete for the Raiders' basketball,
tennis and outdoor track & field teams, attended Lake Mills High
School and graduated from MSOE this spring with a degree in industrial
engineering with a 3.98 GPA. She was a two-time selection on the
Capital One Academic All-America Team selected by CoSIDA, and led the
women's basketball 2012 Fist Team as the Division III Academic
All-American of the Year. Additionally, Cayo was a three-time Capital
One Academic All-District selection and a four-time NAC
Scholar-Athlete.

She earned All-NAC First Team honors in women's tennis this season as
the Raiders' No. 1 singles and doubles player, and received an All-NAC
honor all four seasons in basketball including three-straight First
Team honors. She was named NAC Freshman of the Year in her rookie
campaign, and was named both the NAC Women's Basketball Player and
Defensive Player of the Year this past season, when she became the
league's all-time leader with 1,141 career rebounds.

In addition to being named a WBCA All-American honorable mention this
season, Cayo was a finalist (final 10) for the prestigious Jostens
Trophy, an award that honors the most outstanding women's and men's
Division III basketball players of the year.

"Carol is very deserving of this award," MSOE head women's basketball
coach and SWA Jessica Ott commented. "She has really exemplified the
Division III philosophy with her commitment and success in academics,
athletics and all her service projects she has done at MSOE. Carol
truly is a student-athlete."

At MSOE's spring commencement, Cayo was honored with the Alumni
Association Award for Student Achievement as a leader in community,
and received the Fred F. Loock Outstanding Student Award -- presented
annually to the MSOE student who combines an excellent academic record
and has demonstrated leadership and professional bearing in
extracurricular or community service activities. It is the most
prestigious student testimonial MSOE bestows.

In the community, Cayo volunteers at the St. John's Cathedral Soup
Kitchen, Samn's Hope Book Drive, Our Next Generation program, and is a
peer tutor in the MSOE Learning Resource Center.

"Carol’s accomplishments and honors at MSOE have been extraordinary,"
MSOE Director of Athletics Dan Harris said. "She has represented us
with excellence, honor, dignity and intellect. We have been blessed to
have her as an MSOE student-athlete."

Each of the NAC's 13 members may nominate one female student-athlete
for the annual award. The SWASC uses a combination of the following
criteria in selection of the award: athletic excellence, academic
achievement, service and leadership, and personal statement. The NAC
Woman of the Year represents the conference in the NCAA Woman of the
Year selection process.

Website Release with Photo:

http://northernac.org/sports/wbkb/2011-12/releases/20120615jpnhn3