NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Rhode Island College senior Christie Lotti (Waterford, Conn.) has been selected as the Little East Conference nominee for the 2008 NCAA Women of the Year Award, announced by the conference office this afternoon. The NCAA Women of the Year selection committee will choose the top 10 winners in each of the three divisions. From among those 30 honorees, the selection committee will determine the top three in each division. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will select the 2008 Woman of the Year.

“I congratulate Christie on her fine accomplishments as a student-athlete at Rhode Island College,” said Commissioner Jonathan Harper. “It is beyond noteworthy that Christie is a three-time Little East Conference Player of the Year in softball, and her leadership as captain helped guide the Anchorwomen to the 2008 NCAA Division III National Championship Round. Her accomplishments on the field and in the community will serve her well after graduation.”

Lotti is the first softball player in the Little East Conference history to win an end of the season award in each of her four seasons on the diamond, earning player of the year honors for the third consecutive campaign and rookie of the year accolades in 2005. Already highly decorated, she is a 2008 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American, the 2008 ECAC Division III New England Player of the Year, four-time All-New England pick, four-time All-Little East Conference first-team selection, a two-time NCAA Division III New England Regional All-Tournament honoree, and a 2005 NFCA Academic All-American.

The senior from Waterford, Conn. sat atop the conference standings in runs scored (56) and hits (66), while ranking third in batting average (.440), on-base percentage (.525), and stolen bases (23). Lotti set the Anchorwomen single-season record for runs scored and walks with 27 this past spring, raising her total to eight single-season standards. She departs Providence as the program’s all-time career leader in batting (.423), at-bats (593), runs scored (182), hits (251), doubles (43), triples (31), home runs (14), RBI (103), total bases (398), slugging percentage (.671), walks (70), stolen bases (61) and putouts (910). Lotti also earned the Helen M. Murphy Award, recognizing her as the top Rhode Island College female student-athlete.

In her four seasons as an Anchorwoman, Lotti help guide Rhode Island College to an overall record of 140-39-1 (.781), three NCAA Division III New England Tournament berths, three Little East Conference Championships, and two NCAA Division III National Championship Round appearances.

The NCAA Woman of the Year Award honors senior student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership.

Whitney Myers, a member of the swimming team at the University of Arizona, was the 2007 NCAA Women of the Year recipient.