NCAA Release
BLACKWELL, GILBERT NAMED NCAA WOMAN OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
ATLANTA-Following a pair of storied four-year careers at Georgia State, softball stand-out Mandy Blackwell and track and field star Ravin Gilbert have been named the Panthers NCAA Woman of the Year nominees.
Now in its 26th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership. Blackwell and Gilbert are among 229 nominees at the Division I level and a record 544 overall nominees.
Blackwell's distinguished career included All-Sun Belt Second Team honors and being recognized on the 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-District 4 Team. While helping Georgia State to a 36-25 record and postseason appearance this year, Blackwell batted .263, making 55 starts to go along with an impressive .992 field percentage.
As a junior, she batted a career-best .283 with two home runs, 31 RBI and nine doubles. She has been named to the President's List nearly every semester at Georgia State.
Gilbert graduated from Georgia State has one of the most successful track and field stars in program history. She was a 12-time All-Sun Belt Conference honoree and qualified for the NCAA East Outdoor Regionals all four years as a member of the squad.
During her time at Georgia State, she won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m at the Sun Belt Outdoor Track and Field Championship. Gilbert was also recognized as the 2015 Sun Belt Most Outstanding Track Performer and was a two-time Sun Belt Track Athlete of the Week. She has earned multiple Athletic Director's Honor Roll and Dean's List recognitions during her four years at Georgia State.
Blackwell and Gilbert will now be considered among the Sun Belt nominees for the annual award. Each conference is allowed to select up to two conference nominees. All conference nominees are forwarded to the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee, which chooses the top 30 honorees – 10 from each division.
From the top 30, the selection committee determines the top three nominees from each division and announces the top nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then chooses from among those nine to determine the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year.
The 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced, and the Top 30 honorees celebrated, at the annual award ceremony in Indianapolis.
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Hayden, Montoya Nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year
Both are now eligible to be chosen by the Sun Belt Conference as the conference's nominee that will be forwarded to the Woman of the Year selection committee
LAFAYETTE – Softball senior outfielder Haley Hayden and soccer senior midfielder Yazmin Montoya represented the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Athletics Department among the distinguished group of female student-athletes nominated for the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
Now in its 27th year, the Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership.
Hayden and Montoya are among a record 543 female student-athletes nominated nationwide across all NCAA divisions.
Of the nominees for the national award, 229 competed in Division I, 117 competed in Division II and 197 competed in Division III athletics. The nominees competed in 21 different women's sports, and 122 were multi-sport athletes.
The Ragin' Cajuns duo will now be considered among the Sun Belt Conference's nominees for the annual award. Each conference is allowed to select up to two conference nominees from the pool of school nominees. The Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will then choose the top 30 honorees — 10 from each division.
From the Top 30, the selection committee determines the top three nominees from each division and announces the top nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then chooses the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year from those nine.
The Top 30 honorees will be recognized and the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced at the annual award ceremony Oct. 22 in Indianapolis.
Hayden graduated in May with a bachelor's degree in exercise science and has been accepted to Palmer (Fla.) College's chiropractor school. The West Monroe native was a four-time All-Sun Belt Conference and four-time NFCA All-Central Region choice, three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District™ recipient and first team member on the 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division I softball team.
Hayden produced at least 40 runs, hits and RBI all four years and her career totals exceeded the 200-mark in each category. This season she became the Ragin' Cajuns all-time runs scored leader, scoring the record-breaking 244th career run on April 30. In her final campaign wearing a Cajuns uniform, Hayden posted a career-best .382 average and eclipsed 50 RBI (career-high 57) and double digit home runs (12) for the first time since sophomore season.
Montoya, the UL Female Student-Athlete of the Year, was a magna cum laude graduate in exercise science after the Fall 2016 semester and is currently enrolled in graduate school at UL. A four-year letterwinner and three-time team captain for the Ragin' Cajuns, the West Covina, Calif., native finished her career as the all-time leader in goals (26), assists (15), points (67), shots (227) and shot on-goal (98).
She earned first-team All-Sun Belt Conference and All-Louisiana honors as both a freshman and senior while being named to the SBC Commissioner's List and the UL Dean's List.
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Van Ord Nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year
INDIANAPOLIS - Appalachian State University women’s track and field student-athlete, Tristin Van Ord, has been nominated for the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year award, as announced by the NCAA on Wednesday.
The Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership.
Van Ord, a standout star in both cross country and track and field, finished her four-year career at Appalachian as one of the most distinguished runners in school history. The Chapel Hill, N.C. native, carries a 3.91 cumulative grade-point-average in the major of sustainable development. With her nomination to the first team, Van Ord is now eligible for CoSIDA Academic All-American status.
Van Ord, most recently, competed in the 2017 NCAA East Region Preliminaries and finished 36th in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 35:33.28 and took 38th in the 5,000-meters with a time of 17:14.60.
She claimed the silver medal in the 10,000-meter race at the Sun Belt Championships with a time of 36:41.96. In the 5,000-meter race, Van Ord picked up her third-consecutive title with a time of 16:55.29.
During the season, Van Ord topped her own program record in the 10,000-meters with a time of 34:04.64 at the Raleigh Relays. She also earned Sun Belt Track Athlete of the Week during the season.
This marks the 27th year of the Woman of the Year program, which was established in 1991. NCAA member colleges and universities have nominated a record 543 female student-athletes for the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year award. Of the nominees, 229 competed in Division I, 117 competed in Division II and 197 competed in Division III athletics.
The Sun Belt Conference will assess each nominee’s eligibility and select up to two conference nominees. All conference nominees are forwarded to the Woman of the Year selection committee, which chooses the top 30 honorees – 10 from each division.
From the top 30, the selection committee determines the top three nominees from each division and announces the top nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics then chooses from among those nine to determine the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year.
The 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced, and the Top 30 honorees celebrated, at the annual award ceremony on Oct. 22 in Indianapolis.
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A-State's Schaedig Named NCAA Woman of the Year Nominee
JONESBORO, Ark. (6/27/17) – Former Arkansas State volleyball two-time All-American Markie Schaedig has been selected as a nominee for the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year award in an announcement made by the organization Tuesday.
Schaedig, who collected Honorable Mention All-American honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association in 2014 and 2016, is one of 543 total nominees and just one of nine representatives from the Sun Belt Conference. She is the third candidate from Arkansas State in the last four years joining Sharika Nelvis (2014) and Aundrea Gamble (2016).
A native of Little Rock, Ark., Schaedig became the second player in Sun Belt Conference history to win the league's Defensive Player of the Year award and was a First-Team All-SBC selection in each season from 2014-16. She earned 12 Defensive Player of the Week awards to tie for the most in league history.
Additionally, the libero/defensive specialist finished her career with 2,153 digs, which represents the third most in school history. Schaedig is also responsible for the most digs in a single season in school history back in 2014 with 762 for a 6.68 per set average, both of which led Division I. Her senior season in 2016 saw her pick up 609 digs for a 5.30 per set average with both marks ranking in the top 20 of NCAA Division I.
Schaedig's run of impressive individual accolades also coincided with one of the best stretches in A-State volleyball history. A-State tallied a 25-8 record in 2016 and won the SBC West Division with a 15-1 mark in league play a season after the team went 28-2 and made its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1999. The back-to-back 25+ win seasons were the first for Arkansas State since the 1994 and 1995 seasons.
Established in 1991 and now in its 27th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
Schaedig is no stranger to the four areas outlined by the award as she's put together a strong academic record during her time at A-State. She was named to the SBC Commissioner's List three times for earning a 3.5 or higher GPA and has made the both the Chancellor's List and Dean's List.
She's volunteered at a number of events including the St. Bernards Health Expo, St. Bernards Health and Wellness 5K, St. Bernards Senior Prom, and has coached Junior Olympic volleyball in the area. Her leadership has been on display as evidenced by her serving as a team captain for the Red Wolves. She was also one of a select group of A-State student-athletes to get the chance to travel to England for the study abroad program.
The school nominees represent all three NCAA divisions, with 229 from Division I, 117 from Division II and 197 from Division III. The nominees competed in 21 different women's sports, and 122 were multisport athletes during their time in college.
The Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will then choose the top 30 honorees — 10 from each division.
From the top 30, the selection committee determines the top three honorees from each division and announces the nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then chooses the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year from those nine.
The top 30 honorees will be recognized and the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced at the annual award ceremony Oct. 22 in Indianapolis.
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BECCA HARTLEY NOMINATED FOR NCAA WOMAN OF THE YEAR
TROY, Alabama – Troy University standout softball student-athlete Becca Hartley has been nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award, the NCAA announced Tuesday afternoon.
Hartley, a four-year letterwinner for the Troy softball program, was the epitome of a student-athlete on the field, in the classroom and in the community during her career. As a result, she was presented the Trojan Way Leadership Award, the highest award bestowed to a Troy student-athlete, in May.
A native of Troy, Ala., Hartley was a two-time All-Sun Belt selection, including earning first team honors this past season. A versatile player, Hartley started games behind the plate, at shortstop and in the outfield for the Trojans.
Hartley led Troy in every major statistical category this past season, including a .329 batting average and 16 home runs. Her home run total was the third most in a single-season in Troy history and tied for 22nd nationally in 2017.
Additionally, Hartley was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District Team after posting a 3.82 grade-point-average in accounting. Hartley, who served as Troy's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee President in 2016-17, graduated from Troy in May and is currently serving as a graduate assistant in Troy's athletic compliance office.
A record 543 female college athletes were nominated from all three NCAA divisions, including 229 from Division I, 117 from Division II, and 197 from Division III. The award, which was established in 1991, honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
Next, conferences will select up to two conference nominees each from the pool of school nominees. The Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will then choose the top 30 honorees -- 10 from each division.
From the top 30, the selection committee determines the top three honorees from each division and announces the nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then chooses the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year from those nine.
The top 30 honorees will be recognized and the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced at the annual award ceremony Oct. 22 in Indianapolis.
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Also nominated:
Kerianne White (Coastal Carolina, Lacrosse)
Kaitlyn Beans (South Alabama, Indoor Track & Field/Outdoor Track & Field)
Julie Lange (Texas State, Indoor Track & Field/Outdoor Track & Field)