Thursday, June 18, 2015

NCAA member colleges and universities have nominated 480 female student-athletes – including track standout Lindsey Butterworth of Simon Fraser and basketball star Suzanna Ohlsen of Seattle Pacific – for the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year award. 

Now in its 25^th year, 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.

Of the nominees, 207 competed in Division I, 93 competed in Division II and 180 competed in Division III athletics.

Butterworth, who captured 10 GNAC titles and seven All-America awards during her collegiate career, was honored as the GNAC's Female Athlete of the Year in 2014-15. This past season, the health sciences major won NCAA crowns in the 800 both indoors and outdoors in addition to capturing five conference titles. At the NCAA outdoor championships last month, she clocked a winning time in the 800 of 2:02.88, just four-tenths of a second off the championship meet record.

Ohlsen, a biochemistry major who was perfect (4.00 GPA) in the classroom during her four-year academic career, was selected the women's basketball NCAA Division II Academic All-American of the Year. She also was an honorable mention All-American for her performance on the hardwood, as recognized by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and Division II Bulletin.

This past season Ohlsen finished third in the GNAC in scoring (17.7), fifth in steals (2.3), sixth in assists (3.9) and ninth in free-throw percentage (.832) to earn first team all-conference honors. 

The NCAA encourages member schools to honor its top graduating female student-athletes each year by submitting their names for consideration for the Woman of the Year award.

Then, conferences 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 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year.

The 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced, and the Top 30 honorees celebrated, at the annual award ceremony Oct. 18 in Indianapolis.

To view the list of school nominees, click here.