Michelle Reeser spent her Alabama gymnastics career excelling in athletics, academics and community service and Saturday night, she was honored for her accomplishments in all three areas.

As a top-10 finalist for the 2005 NCAA Woman of the Year award, Reeser was honored at a banquet that introduced each of the 51 state winner. Reeser and the other nine finalists were celebrated with a video presentation of their honors and accomplishments. Tennessee diver Lauryn McCalley was named the Woman of the Year.

"When you hear the stories told about each one of these girls, and you get to know them, it is amazing," Reeser said after the banquet, held at the Indianapolis Westin.

"I think it especially says a lot about our program at Alabama. The coaches aren't just interested in our becoming great athletes, they're interested in the whole person and preparing us for the real world."

Reeser was joined at the banquet by her parents Michael and Mary Anne as well as Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson, volunteer coach Dana Duckworth, associate athletics director Marie Robbins, Director of Undergraduate Programs at the College of Commerce and Business David Heggem, athletic academic advisor Fern Hampton and athletic trainer Monica Veal. Duckworth, then Dana Dobransky, attended this same banquet as a student-athlete, representing Alabama as an NCAA Woman of the Year state winner in 1993.

"It was an exciting and wonderful night," Patterson said. "These are truly exceptional women that we honor here and Michelle fits in well among them. She has enjoyed a tremendous career at Alabama, excelling in all aspects of collegiate life and I look forward with great anticipation to the life she builds from this foundation."

For Patterson, the Woman of the Year banquet is a near annual appointment. Alabama gymnasts have been named state winners nine times now, including one each of the last four years. Of those nine, four, Reeser - 2005, Kristin Sterner - 2003, Merritt Booth - 1998 and Meredith Willard -1997, have been named top-10 finalists.

Photo Album:

• Alabama's Michelle Reeser at the NCAA Woman of the Year Banquet