Decatur, TX Resident Rebecca Bradford Wins the First Ever Northwestern Mutual NCAA® Division I Women's Softball Bracket Contest

MILWAUKEE, June 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Rebecca Bradford, 52, from Decatur, TX won the Northwestern Mutual NCAA^® Women's College World Series^® bracket contest, the company announced today. Bradford will receive a $500 gift card to the NCAA Shop, while one additional randomly selected participant will receive a $100 gift card to the NCAA Shop. 

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"Congratulations to Rebecca on her successful bracket picks to come out on top in our women's softball bracket contest," said Conrad York, vice president of marketing at Northwestern Mutual. "We share her passion for college athletics, and thank her for participating."

In May, Northwestern Mutual gave fans the opportunity to fill out their brackets to predict the winners of the 2013 NCAA Women's College World Series. The contest was the fourth in a series by the NCAA partner to extend the excitement normally associated with Division I men's basketball to other key championships.

"I'm a huge fan of college softball and couldn't be more excited to win this bracket challenge," said Bradford. "This was the first contest I've ever won, so when I received the good news, it made that moment even more special."

Bradford, a diehard Arkansas fan, shares her affinity for college sports with her daughter, Jennifer, who plays competitive softball at her local high school.

The Decatur resident believes her daughter's dedication to the sport may go beyond high school, to the collegiate level, where Jennifer would love to eventually join the team lineup at Baylor in hopes of one day competing in an NCAA Women's College World Series of her own. For now, her mom is delighted to spend a portion of her $500 NCAA Shop gift card on Baylor gear, so Jennifer can at least dress the part until she graduates next year.  

About Northwestern Mutual

Northwestern Mutual is among the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2013 according to FORTUNE® magazine and has helped clients achieve financial security for more than 156 years. As a mutual company with $1.4 trillion of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual has no shareholders. The company focuses solely and directly on its clients and seeks to deliver consistent and dependable value to them over time.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI, and its subsidiaries. Northwestern Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a holistic approach to financial security solutions including: life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability income insurance, annuities, investment products, and advisory products and services. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC, broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company, limited purpose federal savings bank; Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company; and Russell Investments.

About the NCAA

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 450,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaa.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes. 

NCAA and Women's College World Series are trademarks owned of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

SOURCE Northwestern Mutual