The 25th Annual WHAM Sportswomen of the Year Awards Luncheon was a sellout on Monday, April 28 at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel in downtown Rochester with 714 people on hand to honor the area's top female athletes and contributors to women's sports programs for 2002-2003.

The highlight of the luncheon, which raises funds for the Heart of Gold Children's Foundation, was the presentation of the local high school, college, and at-large WHAM Sportswomen of the Year Awards. The criteria for their selection was athletic excellence from April of 2002 through March of 2003, overall career athletic achievements, and academic performance.

The high school recipient was senior Meghan Dahlman of Nazareth Academy. She led her 2002-03 basketball team (20-6) to a second straight State Class B Semi-Final appearance, averaging 24.0 points and 12.1 rebounds per game at center with All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year and First Team Class B All-State honors. Nazareth was 104-19 during her five-year career as she totaled 2085 points (6th all-time in Section V) and 1033 rebounds. As an outside hitter on her 2002 volleyball squad, she was a Third Team Class C All-State selection with 331 kills as Nazareth (13-1) reached the Section V Class CC Final. Dahlman, who carries an 86.0 overall academic average and lives in Spencerport, was Nazareth's first-ever winner of the WHAM Award.

Senior Melissa White of SUNY Geneseo was the recipient of the College Sportswoman of the Year Award.

The At-Large (non-high school or college participant) Sportswoman of the Year Award was won by Pittsford native Abby Wambach.

Presenting the WHAM Awards was the luncheon's featured speaker, ESPN SportsCenter anchor Linda Cohn, whose appearance was courtesy of Frontier.