Wednesday, August 12, 2020

INDIANAPOLIS – Emerging from a record pool of 605 nationwide nominees, Saint Martin’s women’s basketball forward Bria Thames and Humboldt State rower Amelia Wagoner have been selected as the GNAC’s conference finalists for the NCAA Woman of the Year award.

The two are among 161 student-athletes selected as conference finalists from all three NCAA division and among 39 finalists from Division II. The NCAA Woman of the Year program recognizes graduating female college athletes for excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership.

Thames, a two-year standout for the Saint Martin’s women’s basketball program, earned Second Team All-GNAC honors in 2020 before graduating in May with a degree in psychology. She led the GNAC and finished 14th in Division II with 11.3 rebounds per game. She was third in the conference with 15.2 points per game. Her senior season was highlighted by a 29-rebound performance against Concordia on January 18, setting the GNAC single-game record.

A native of Beaverton, Oregon and a 2016 graduate of Southridge High School, Thames earned Academic All-GNAC honors in 2020. Off the court, Thames has been involved with Saint Martin’s Black Student Union and has served as an intern at Reed Elementary School in Tacoma.

Wagoner was a four-year member of the Humboldt State rowing program, which joined the GNAC this season as an affiliate member. She graduated in May with a degree in history education and a minor in geography. Wagoner was among the Lumberjacks’ crew members that competed at the Head of the Lagoon regatta in November before the spring season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2019 season, Wagoner was among the members who rowed in the varsity 8+ grand finals at the WIRA Championships.

A native of Coalinga, California and a 2016 graduate of Coalinga High School, Wagoner earned Academic All-GNAC honors this season and is a two-time recipient of the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Scholar-Athlete Award. Off the water, Wagoner was active with Humboldt State’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Sexual Assault Prevention Committee. She was active in campaigning for the passage of California Senate Bill 493, which called for strengthing rules and procedures for reporting sexual harassment and sexual assault cases statewide. Wagoner was honored by Equal Rights Advocates in 2019 with its Emerging Leaders of Courage Award.

The Top 30 honorees, 10 from each division, will be announced in September. A selection committee will then narrow the pool to three finalists from each division with the overall winner announced this fall.