(Enlarge) Britt Woodfield, a South Carroll High graduate, was one of the top scorers this season as Towson won its second straight title in the CAA. This week she was named as a nominee for the 2009 NCAA Woman of the Year award. (Photo courtesy of Towson Athletics)

She was an eighth-grader at a basketball practice when her stepfather, Patrick Molloy, died at age 46.

"He coached me when I played basketball in middle school and elementary school," Woodfield said. "He actually got me into sports. He was always supportive of me."

"He was coaching," she recalled. "He was on the sidelines when he died of a heart attack."

That incident is burned in her memory, but it didn't deter her from setting goals for herself — and achieving them — as a three-sport athlete at South Carroll High School.

For the Cavaliers, she was a captain for the field hockey, basketball and lacrosse teams as a senior. She helped the field hockey squad win a state title her sophomore year and was a three-time all-conference player in lacrosse.

A New Windsor resident who graduated from South Carroll in 2005, Woodfield was also a state finalist for the Wendy's High School Heisman Award.

Four years later, she just completed an equally impressive college lacrosse career at Towson University by being named the school's Tiger Athletic Fund Scholar-Athlete of the Year in May.

Then, this past Thursday, June 18, the NCAA announced Woodfield has been named as one of the nominees for the 2009 NCAA Woman of the Year award. The winner will be announced in October.

"She has been a great player, student and athlete for four years here," said Missy Doherty, the Towson head coach and a former University of Maryland standout. "She is the person you look up to either in class, as a leader or to make the big play.

"She is really the whole package."

The 5-foot-3 Woodfield had three goals and an assist against William and Mary when Towson won the Colonial Athletic Association title in 2008.

As a junior, she was honored with the Zaleski Scholarship, bestowed upon a women athlete in lacrosse, basketball or volleyball at the school who excels academically and athletically, and was a second-team all-CAA player. That year she started all 19 games and was second on the team in goals (37) and third in assists (16) as the Tigers finished 13-6 overall.

Her senior season brought challenge, namely in the form of injuries to a key member of the team. Woodfield's friend and roommate, Hillary Fratzke, played in just three games due to a knee injury.

It was a huge loss; Fratzke had been player of the year in the Colonial Athletic Assocation in 2008 and was an All-American as well.

"She is my best friend," Woodfield said. "It was hard for all of us. All of our seniors stepped up."

Fratzke remained with the team through the season. Towson rallied around its senior class and advanced to the NCAA tournament after beating Delaware for the CAA crown. The Tigers lost in the first round to the University of North Carolina, 15-4, on May 10 in North Carolina. Despite the loss, it was a great experience, Woodfield said.

"We were really excited to draw (UNC). We had never played them before," Woodfield said.

UNC advanced to the semifinals and faced Maryland on May 22 at Towson -- the day after Woodfield graduated.

Woodfield carries more than sports accolades from her time at Towson University. She was the president of the Student-Advisory Council at Towson, took part in a mentoring program and was named to the dean's list several times.

She had a grade-point average near 3.9 and graduated with a degree in exercise science and pre-nursing. She's not planning to take off much time following graduation, either -- this month she's beginning a 13-month accelerated nursing program at Johns Hopkins.

"She is definitely high energy," Doherty said. "She is a kid that leads by example."

Woodfield began playing lacrosse in a Gamber youth league when she was in sixth grade, and joined a club team in a Baltimore league when she was a sophomore at South Carroll. She decided on Towson after also considering Hofstra and Old Dominion.

"I like how it was close to home," she said of Towson.

That bond was important to Woodfield. Even with the loss of her stepfather, Woodfield had strong family support through her four years at Towson. Her mother, JoAnn Molloy, attended nearly every game and her grandparents were also on hand for many contests.

"Her family has been one of our best supporters of the program," Doherty said. "She is surrounded by such good parents. Her stepfather was such a good influence on her."

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