UCLA softball player Grace Murray has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2010-11 John McLendon Postgraduate Scholarship as announced by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) on Thursday. The winners will be announced later this month.

The winners will each receive a $10,000 scholarship to be used towards postgraduate studies in athletics administration. The John McLendon Memorial Minority Postgraduate Scholarship Awards are presented to senior-level minority students who intend to pursue a graduate degree in athletics administration. Students were required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and have demonstrated leadership qualities on an institutional or community level.

Murray was a three-time All-Pac-10 Academic selection, earning first-team honors in 2011 and honorable mention accolades in 2009 and 2010. Awarded an NCAA Women's Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship for Careers in Athletics in February, Murray graduated last month with a degree in psychology (minor in education) with aspirations to become an athletic director.

Arizona Daily Star columnist Greg Hansen selected five Bruins in his list of Top 10 athletes in the 33-season history of the Pac-10 Conference, including four in the Top 5.

Hansen, who has covered all 33 years of the Pac-10's existence, named UCLA Volleyball and Basketball star Natalie Williams as the No. 1 athlete. Williams was the first female athlete to be named a consensus All-American in both volleyball and basketball. She was also the Pac-10 Player of the Year in both sports, the National Player of the Year in volleyball twice, and a record-setting 16-time Pac-10 Player of the Week (eight honors in each sport).

Also ranked in Hansen's Top 10 are No. 3 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (track/basketball), No. 4 Kenny Easley (football), No. 5 (tied) Lisa Fernandez (softball) and No. 8 Gail Devers (track).

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The UCLA Gymnastics and Softball teams were featured on this week's UCLA Sports Report. Members of each team talked to Fox Sports West about their trip to the White House and being honored by President Barack Obama for winning the NCAA Championship last season.

 

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement applauding the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Women's Softball Team for winning the 2010 NCAA Softball National Championship, the program's 11th NCAA title:
 
"I congratulate the UCLA Women's Softball team for winning the National Championship. The dedication and commitment they've demonstrated on the field is an inspiration to athletes everywhere, and I am proud of the great things this team has accomplished for their school and for California."

Following UCLA's victory over Arizona for NCAA Championship 106 in the Women's College World Series, Bruin Megan Langenfeld was interviewed on ESPN.

To watch the YouTube Video, click here.

Former Bruin and 2008 Olympian Andrea Duran has joined the UCLA Softball staff as the new Director of Operations. Last summer, Duran helped the United States to a silver medal at the Beijing Olympic Games. This summer, she earned three gold medals, as Team USA claimed first place at the Canada Cup, the KFC World Cup of Softball and the Pan American Qualifier. Duran was a 2006 First-Team All-American third baseman with the Bruins and is fourth in UCLA history in runs scored (172) and ninth in home runs (31) and doubles (42).