Robinson Receives NCAA Top VIII Award

Jan. 14, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS -- Oklahoma's Danielle Robinson was among the several former student-athletes called to the stage Friday at the NCAA Honors Convention.

Robinson was one of the NCAA's Top VIII Award recipients, for students who used the remainder of their athletic eligibility in 2011 and were recognized for bringing pride to their schools through athletic success and positioning themselves for success by flourishing in the academic arena.

"I feel honored and extremely blessed," Robinson said. "I enjoyed all of my time at Oklahoma both on and off the court. The people of Oklahoma wished the best for me and provided an environment for me to thrive. The opportunity I was given to showcase my talents on the court and give back to the community made my four years truly extraordinary."

The other recipients for the Top VIII Award included football player Sam Acho (Texas), softball player Kelsey Bruder (Florida), runner Shannon Gagne (New Haven), gymnast Kayla Hoffman (Alabama), runner Lee Ellis Moore (Mississippi), Kendra Stern (Amherst) and diver Brittany Viola (Miami, Fla.).

Robinson was drafted by the WNBA's San Antonio Silver Stars in 2011 and is playing professionally in Israel during the American offseason. She's undaunted by being thrust into a foreign culture, crediting her college experience for preparing her to handle new challenges.

“I was taught to compete at the highest level,” Robinson said. “The diverse atmosphere and venues that we played at (in college) helped me to adapt to anything."

Robinson is the second straight Top VIII winner and fourth in OU's history. Amy Backel (track and field) was a recipient of the award last year and football players Keith Jackson (1988) and Anthony Phillips (1989) earned the honor when it was formerly the Top VI.

"Danielle wore her enthusiasm for all to see and applied it to every aspect of her life," Joe Castiglione, OU vice president of intercollegiate athletics programs and director of athletics, said, "She absolutely defines the Top VIII Award, which is among the most prestigious honors presented by the NCAA. She excelled in every facet of her student athlete experience at Oklahoma, and our department benefitted many times over from her efforts. Danielle truly exemplified the Sooner Spirit and became an inspiration for countless people of all ages. We congratulate her for this extraordinary recognition of her academic, athletic and leadership skills."

The two-time All-American point guard completed one of the most prolific careers ever at Oklahoma.

"Danielle Robinson led us to back to back Final Fours," OU head women's basketball coach Sherri Coale said, "and her competitive personality left an indelible mark on both the University of Oklahoma and the women's basketball landscape at large. This is a tremendous honor that is being bestowed upon her, and yet it is so fitting because Danielle did impact completely--on the court, in the classroom, in the community--whatever she was involved in got better because she was there.

"It's also fitting that the awards would continue to roll in after her collegiate playing career has ended. That is the nature of Danielle Robinson. She stays with you, her influence continues."

Robinson led the Sooners to back-to-back Women's Final Fours in 2009 and 2010. She won a gold medal as a member of Team USA during the 2009 World University Games. The three-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection was named to the All-Big 12 Championship Team in 2010 and 2011 and was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2008. Robinson is the school record holder for career games started and played. The top-scoring guard in school history, Robinson is one of just four players all-time to pass the 2,000-point, 700-assist and 300-steal benchmarks in a career.

Robinson was also a 2011 Lowe's Senior Class Award finalist, a three-time first-team Big 12 All-Academic honoree and was named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll eight times. She was OU's female recipient of the Big 12 Conference Medal.

The 1987 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown (Notre Dame), current ESPN commentator Doris Burke (Providence), former NBA All-Star and current mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson (California), New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton (Eastern Illinois), director of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics Amy Perko (Wake Forest) and Basketball Hall of Fame member David Robinson (Navy) were each recognized with the Silver Anniversary Award.

Also at Friday evening's ceremony, the NCAA also bestowed its most prestigious honor—the Theodore Roosevelt Award, upon former University of Miami basketball star Will Allen. The current CEO of the nonprofit Growing Power has helped spread sustainable practices to underserved communities.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Related News

Related Videos

Sponsors