INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – And then there were nine.
The NCAA Woman of the Year process began with
585 nominees, which conference offices helped narrow to
148 before the
Top 30 was announced in September. Now, following the selection of finalists, there are nine women who remain in contention for the award, including SWOSU graduate and former Lady Bulldog great
Hailey Tucker.
Tucker is the first individual from Southwestern Oklahoma State University to advance past the conference nominee stage of the NCAA Woman of the Year process. She also becomes the second individual from the Great American Conference to be named a finalist for the award and first since Arkansas Tech golfer Rebecka Surtevall was one of the final nine honorees in 2015.
The NCAA Woman of the Year program honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions. To be eligible, a nominee must have competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport, must have completed eligibility in her primary sport, and must have earned her undergraduate degree by Summer 2019.
The nine finalists for the award include three from each division of the NCAA, with Tucker joined by Chelsea Abreu of Adelphi and Krissy Ortiz of Lynn to represent NCAA Division II. The 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year will be named at the annual award ceremony on Sunday, October 20th, in Indianapolis.
2019 NCAA Woman of the Year Finalists
• Chelsea Abreu/Adelphi lacrosse
• Virginia Elena Carta/Duke golf
• Monica Feeley/Vassar field hockey
• Marin McCoy/Swarthmore soccer
• Angela Mercurio/Nebraska track and field (indoor/outdoor)
• Hannah Orbach-Mandel/Kenyon swimming and diving
• Krissy Ortiz/Lynn golf
• Ginny Thrasher/West Virginia rifle
• Hailey Tucker/Southwestern Oklahoma State basketball
