Top 30 honorees named for 2024 NCAA Woman of the Year

The Woman of the Year Selection Committee has announced the national Top 30 honorees for the 2024 NCAA Woman of the Year Award. 

Established in 1991, the award is rooted in Title IX and recognizes female student-athletes who have completed their undergraduate studies and distinguished themselves in their community, in athletics and in academics throughout their college careers. 

Selected from a record-breaking 627 nominees submitted by member schools — a group that was then narrowed to 168 nominees at the conference level — the Top 30 honorees include 10 from each of the three NCAA divisions. Each honoree has demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership. The honorees represent 15 sports, including three student-athletes representing NCAA Emerging Sports for Women. They have a variety of majors, including cell and molecular biology, neuroscience, biochemistry, civil engineering, sociology, nursing, computer science, sport management and more. 

"These honorees represent the very best of what it means to be a student-athlete, and the character-building potential that is inherent in all athletic pursuits. They have distinguished themselves among the many thousands of collegiate athletes who find and surpass their limits every day on the journey to becoming their best selves, not just in sport, but in life," said Marion Terenzio, chair of the Woman of the Year Selection Committee and president of SUNY Cobleskill. "I congratulate all of the remarkable women named to the Top 30 and applaud their demonstrated ability to create positive change in themselves and in the world around them."

The selection committee will determine three honorees from each NCAA division, for a total of nine finalists. From those finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will choose the 2024 NCAA Woman of the Year. 

At the NCAA Convention in January, the NCAA Woman of the Year will be named, and the Top 30 will be celebrated. 

Below is a summary of their accomplishments.

Kendall Accetta

School: Colorado College
Division III
Conference: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
Sports: Cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field
Majors: Political sciences; English

Athletics:

• Earned multiple All-America honors in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. 
• Received SCAC Runner of the Year honors in 2023 and was named the conference's Women's Track Athlete of the Year in 2024 after winning the steeplechase and the 1,500-meter races at the league meet.

Leadership:

• Served as an admissions ambassador, a residential advisor and new student orientation leader.
• Held the captain position on her teams and led team discussions on female athlete health and performance.

Academics:

• Earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors in 2024.
• Won the Laura Golden Award as the school's top graduating female student-athlete.

Community service:

• Volunteered with TESSA of Colorado Springs to support victims of domestic violence.
• Organized outreach programs through the school's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as a co-community engagement officer and representative. Also served as president of a club to mentor high school students.

Cami Belin

School: Lees-McRae
Division II
Conference: Conference Carolinas
Sport: Soccer
Majors: Criminal justice; psychology

Athletics:

• Earned multiple all-conference honors throughout her career.
• Recorded 1,451 minutes and 17 starts for the Bobcats in her senior season.

Leadership:

• Served as vice president and president of the campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and as a co-captain and member of the soccer team's leadership council.
• Served as senior class president and vice president of the Black Diaspora Collective.

Academics:

• Received College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors twice before graduating summa cum laude and receiving the school's Fred I. Dickerson Award, presented to the male and female student-athletes with the highest academic standing.
• Completed research on the foster care system and its effects, earning the college's award as the outstanding psychology student. 

Community service:

• Participated in the NCAA Leadership Forum and organized a formal dance for students who missed important events because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• Was a member of the Order of the Tower, a select group of students who serve as leaders and ambassadors for the college.

Sydni Black

School: Loyola Maryland
Division I
Conference: Patriot League
Sport: Lacrosse
Majors: Information systems and data analytics; leadership and organizational effectiveness

Athletics:

• Named Patriot League Attacker of the Year in 2024 and was a two-time All-Conference first-team member and two-time Patriot League Championship Most Valuable Player.
• Earned Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association second-team All-America honors.

Leadership:

• Co-founded and served as co-president of Student-Athletes for Social Justice, advocating for issues affecting the Baltimore community.
• Served on Loyola's Diversity Advisory Board, working to improve campus life for minority students.

Academics:

• Graduated summa cum laude. 
• Named twice to the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll and awarded College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors.

Community service:

• Volunteered with Harlem Lacrosse-Baltimore, mentoring and coaching youth lacrosse players from underserved communities.
• Served as a Kairos retreat leader.

Margherita Calderaro

School: Temple
Division I
Conference: Independent
Sport: Fencing
Major: Neurosciences

Athletics:

• Won two National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association epee titles and earned first-team All-NIWFA honors.
• Honored twice as an All-American.

Leadership:

• Founded and led Global Owls, Temple's international student-athlete organization. 
• Earned a position as a team captain.

Academics:

• Earned the American Athletic Conference Sport Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and multiple U.S. Fencing Coaches Association All-Academic Team honors.
• Conducted research on neurological disorders in adolescents and Alzheimer's disease.

Community service:

• Volunteered with the Jewish Relief Agency and the Philly House soup kitchen to provide food and necessities to local residents.
• Volunteered at the Wills Eye Hospital, helping translate for lower-income families receiving free eye-care consultations.

Avery Campbell

School: Albion
Division III
Conference: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Sports: Soccer, indoor and outdoor track and field
Major: Biochemistry

Athletics:

• Earned multiple All-America honors in track and field and earned All-MIAA accolades in soccer.
• Won multiple conference titles in track and field and set school records in the 60-meter and 200-meter dash.

Leadership:

• Participated in community outreach and fundraising events as a member of the campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
• Served as an organic chemistry teaching assistant and research assistant.

Academics:

• Earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors, as well as U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Athlete honors and the 2024 NCAA Elite 90 award for outdoor track and field.
• Earned the Randall Award as the top senior chemistry/biochemistry student and worked as a National Science Foundation bioanalytical chemistry research fellow.

Community service:

• Participated as an Albion tour guide, admissions assistant and tour guide coach.
• Served as a vice president of Alpha Xi Delta sorority, where she fundraised and created events for the Kindly Hearts Initiative for children and teenagers experiencing foster care or homelessness.

Lindsay Cunningham

School: Winona State
Division II
Conference: Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
Sports: Cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field
Majors: Exercise science; movement science

Athletics:

• Earned U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division II Cross Country National Athlete of the Year honors in 2023, along with multiple first-team All-America honors in cross country and track and field.
• Won multiple individual championships in cross country and track and field.

Leadership:

• Assisted with athletics department initiatives and community outreach efforts.
• Carried out health and exercise rehabilitative sciences practicum to observe physical therapists in their work setting. 

Academics:

• Graduated summa cum laude and was named Winona State Athletics Female Student-Athlete of the Year and USTFCCCA Division II Scholar-Athlete of the Year in both cross country and track.
• Earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-America and USTFCCCA All-Academic honors.

Community service:

• Worked with Winona Cancer Survivors Unite to develop health and fitness plans for recovering patients.
• Took part in community student-athlete panels to talk with high school athletes and their parents about her experiences as a student-athlete.

Kinley "Lily" DeSpain 

School: Missouri State
Division I
Conference: Missouri Valley Conference
Sport: Swimming and diving
Major: Cell and molecular biology

Athletics:

• Earned All-Missouri Valley Conference first-team honors twice and set several school and conference records. 
• Won multiple gold medals at conference championships.

Leadership:

• Selected for the Bears Leadership Institute, a select group of Missouri State student-athletes working to develop and refine leadership styles and skills. 
• Served as president of both the school's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Missouri State chapter of Tau Sigma, an honor society recognizing transfer students' academic excellence.

Academics:

• Graduated magna cum laude and was named the 2024 Missouri Valley Conference Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year. 
• Earned the Biomedical Sciences Excellence in Public Affairs award and a conference postgraduate scholarship.

Community service:

• Volunteered at a hospital and served in multiple departments, including helping with patient comfort and support, as well as working as a certified phlebotomist and a nursing assistant in the dementia and Alzheimer's unit.
• Served as a peer advisor and tutor.

Sophia DiCocco

School: Tufts
Division III
Conference: New England Small College Athletic Conference
Sport: Softball
Major: International relations

Athletics:

• Earned a Rawlings Gold Glove Award two consecutive years.
• Received National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America honors twice, along with multiple NFCA All-Region selections and first-team all-conference honors.

Leadership:

• Served as an executive board member of a campus group promoting cancer outreach, organizing events and fundraisers to help further research.
• Tutored and coached middle and high school students.

Academics:

• Graduated summa cum laude and earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors.
• Received the Sidney E. Frank Memorial Scholarship, a four-year award to attend a selective college.

Community service:

• Worked as a horse caretaker for Stirrup Fun Stables Rescue to care for neglected, abandoned and abused horses and as a volunteer for the Borgen Project, advocating for policies to reduce global poverty and increase international affairs funding.
• Organized softball camps, as well as games to raise awareness and funds for various causes, and led National Girls & Women in Sports Day activities.

Amelia DiPaola

School: Fresno State
Division I
Conference: Mountain West Conference
Sports: Indoor and outdoor track and field
Majors: Animal science; preveterinary 

Athletics:

• Earned All-Mountain West honors for hammer throw twice.
• Won honorable mention All-America honors at the NCAA Division I Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 2024.

Leadership:

• Served as president and community service chair of the campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
• Partnered with a local nonprofit to organize a campus cleanup as part of NCAA civic engagement day.

Academics:

• Earned College Sports Communicator Academic All-District honors twice.
• Received multiple Academic All-Mountain West and Mountain West Scholar-Athlete honors, along with being named to the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic team multiple times.

Community service:

• As SAAC president, oversaw Spring Fest, bringing children in the community to campus.
• Served as awards coordinator at the United States Twirling Association national championship.

Chandler Eddleton

School: Marymount (Virginia)
Division III
Conference: Atlantic East Conference
Sports: Basketball, outdoor track and field
Major: Health sciences 

Athletics:

• Named a Women's Basketball Coaches Association first-team All-American and Atlantic East Player of the Year twice.
• Earned an all-conference honor in track and field and multiple first-team all-conference honors in basketball.

Leadership:

• As a captain on the basketball team, supported campus initiatives such as a Special Olympics tournament and the SaintsStrong Leadership Academy.
• Attended the Women's Leadership Development Summit.

Academics:

• Graduated magna cum laude and earned multiple Atlantic East All-Academic honors.
• Earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors twice.

Community service:

• Volunteered with the Youth Leadership Institute, spending time at local middle schools reading to students and helping them develop leadership skills.
• Worked with Reclaim Our Vote to promote voter registration and advocate for social justice.

Riley Felts

School: Charlotte
Division I
Conference: American Athletic Conference
Sports: Indoor and outdoor track and field
Major: Civil engineering

Athletics:

• Earned multiple All-America honors and was a two-time Division I national runner-up in pole vault.
• Set school records in the pole vault for indoor and outdoor track and field, winning multiple conference championships.

Leadership:

• Served on Charlotte's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, including a stint as vice president of community service.
• Led a team for a senior design project, coming up with plans for a possible future building at Charlotte. 

Academics:

• Graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree and completed a master's degree in geoenvironmental engineering.
• Earned multiple College Sports Communicators Academic All-America and All-District honors, as well as multiple merit-based scholarships. 

Community service:

• Participated in a variety of volunteer opportunities, including for the Down Syndrome Association of Charlotte's Buddy Walk and for Samaritan's Feet, which works to provide shoes to those in need.
• Received the school's Pure Gold Community Service Award and the Conference USA Spirit of Service award in 2022.

Grace Fetherstonhaugh

School: Oregon State
Division I
Conference: Pac-12 Conference
Sports: Cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field
Major: Sociology

Athletics:

• Earned multiple All-America honors in track and cross country.
• Named 2023 Pac-12 Track Athlete of the Year after winning a pair of individual conference championships in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and 5,000-meter run. 

Leadership:

• Served as a peer mentor to incoming students and taught a group of high school students how to conduct research projects.
• As an intern, organized campus events to promote student-athlete development, including a National Girls & Women in Sports Day event.

Academics:

• Earned U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic accolades in 2022 and was named Oregon State Female Scholar- Athlete of the Year in 2023.
• Presented research findings on communication barriers between program administrators on campus.

Community service:

• Served as an assistant coach for Special Olympics Oregon and conducted research that strengthened ties between student-athletes and the organization.
• Worked at Community Outreach Inc., a nonprofit short-term housing service to connect residents with resources.

London Fuller

School: Clarion
Division II
Conference: Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
Sport: Volleyball
Major: Interdisciplinary studies

Athletics:

• Earned multiple All-America honors as a setter and was the 2022 Atlantic Region Player of the Year and 2021 PSAC tournament MVP.
• Led the Clarion volleyball team to the 2021 conference title and the 2023 Atlantic region championship, sending the program to its second NCAA quarterfinal appearance.

Leadership:

• Served as the community service chair for the Black Student Union.
• Fostered inclusivity and diversity as a member of the Kudets Step Team.

Academics:

• Earned 2021 Clarion Scholar-Athlete recognition.
• Worked as a summer veterinary intern at a clinic and as a zookeeper intern at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

Community service:

• Served as a volunteer volleyball coach in Baltimore for girls who don't have the opportunity to join a club team.
• Helped coach the Clarion-Limestone High School team and volunteered as a Clarion volleyball camp counselor.  

Breanne Geary

School: Nebraska Wesleyan
Division III
Conference: American Rivers Conference
Sports: Indoor and outdoor track and field
Major: Sport management

Athletics:

• Earned indoor and outdoor U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-America honors in 2024 and earned multiple all-conference honors throughout her career.
• Set a program record in the sprint medley relay.

Leadership:

• Contributed as an active member of the school and conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committees, including a role as vice president for the campus committee.
• Won the 2024 Scott Bostwick Award recognizing leadership on the field, on campus and in the classroom and received the Student Life Leadership Award. 

Academics:

• Earned multiple USTFCCCA All-Academic honors. 
• Earned College Sports Communicators All-District recognition twice and received multiple conference all-academic honors. 

Community service:

• Volunteered with a local middle school's after-school program and assisted in outreach programs focused on ending homelessness.
• Served as chair of Nebraska Wesleyan's community service committee. 

Anna Grossheim

School: UNC Pembroke
Division II
Conference: Conference Carolinas
Sport: Soccer
Major: Sociology

Athletics:

• Earned multiple All-America honors and set program records for most assists in a game, season and career. 
• Helped her team win three consecutive conference tournament titles and was named the conference's 2021 Freshman of the Year and 2022 Offensive Player of the Year.

Leadership:

• Served as team captain for multiple seasons and created a partnership with Career and Psychological Services to encourage teammates to be proactive about mental health.
• Served as an emergency medical technician and firefighter with departments in Robeson County, North Carolina, earning multiple honors.

Academics:

• Earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors in 2022 and 2023 and was a 2022 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American. 
• Named the Conference Carolinas Scholar Athlete of the Year for women's soccer in 2022 and earned the conference's 2023 Elite 23 award for having the highest GPA of competitors at the championship site.

Community service:

• Volunteered as a stand-in athletic trainer for a local high school. 
• Served as a member of an emergency response dive team, responding to water rescues and recoveries.

Annessa Ihde

School: Bethel (Minnesota)
Division III
Conference: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Sports: Indoor and outdoor track and field
Majors: International relations; Spanish

Athletics:

• Earned multiple U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-America honors, as well as several all-conference honors.
• Set a school record in the indoor 800-meter race and was the team's 2021 Rookie of the Year. 

Leadership:

• Served as president of Pi Sigma Alpha, a political science honors society. 
• Organized and hosted an alumni panel event for Bethel's history, philosophy, international relations and political science department that connected current students with potential employers. 

Academics:

• Received an NCAA Elite 90 award, for having the highest cumulative GPA of student-athletes competing at the championship site, and earned multiple Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Elite 22 awards, for having the highest GPA at the conference championship.
• Graduated summa cum laude and earned multiple USTFCCCA All-Academic honors. 

Community service:

• Interned with Jonathan House, a nonprofit that provides housing for people seeking asylum in the U.S. 
• Worked as a legal services intern with Arrive Ministries, a local nonprofit that offers social and legal services to immigrants and refugees. 

Hannah Kassaie

School: Case Western Reserve
Division III
Conference: University Athletic Association
Sport: Tennis
Major: Nutrition

Athletics:

• Earned multiple Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-America honors in singles and doubles. 
• Named the 2024 ITA Division III Senior Player of the Year for Women's Tennis, finishing college as the program leader in singles wins, career singles winning percentage and career doubles winning percentage. 

Leadership:

• Restarted the Thai Student Association and served as president. 
• Served as an executive officer for the Case Western Reserve Ensemble (French club) and worked as a tutor for international students. 

Academics:

• Named the 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Team Member of the Year in her sport and earned multiple Academic All-America honors. 
• Won two NCAA Elite 90 awards for having the highest GPA of all competitors at the championship finals site and earned the ITA Sally Ride STEM Award.

Community service:

• Volunteered with a food recovery network, tutored local Cleveland children and taught tennis skills to Akron's middle and high school teams.
• Volunteered with Buddy Up Connections, partnering with an athlete with Down syndrome to teach tennis and fitness activities weekly and representing Buddies nationwide in board meetings.

Caitlin Lyons

School: Georgia
Division I
Conference: Southeastern Conference
Sport: Equestrian
Majors: Ecology; French

Athletics:

• Was a member of the 2021 National Collegiate Equestrian Association national championship team and earned 2021-22 NCEA All-America honors for reining.
• Named SEC Reining Rider of the Year in 2021-22. 

Leadership:

• Assumed a team leadership role with Team IMPACT, which matches children facing serious illness and disability with college sports teams.
• Served on Georgia's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, was inducted into the Georgia Athletic Association's Student-Athlete Leadership Academy, and earned the Peach of an Athlete Award from the Atlanta Area Council of Boy Scouts of America for being an outstanding role model.

Academics:

• Graduated summa cum laude, received multiple NCEA All-Academic honors and was the 2024 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for equestrian. 
• Received the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and was named an institutional winner of the SEC Brad Davis Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship.

Community service:

• Contributed to environmental efforts through the school's MLK Day of Service and Zero Waste Weekend. 
• Volunteered with various community initiatives that impacted veterans, the local homeless population, schoolchildren and shelter animals.

Cooper McKenna

School: Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
Division III
Conference: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Sport: Water polo
Major: Biology

Athletics:

• Earned multiple Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches All-America honors. 
• Led the team to back-to-back appearances in the USA Water Polo Division III National Championship and helped the program to its first 20-win season in 20 years as a senior. 

Leadership:

• Served as a cadet in the Army ROTC, which included roles as a battalion public affairs officer and as a mentor, teacher and planner of training events. 
• Served as team captain. 

Academics:

• Earned 2022-23 and 2023-24 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors and was valedictorian of the Claremont McKenna Class of 2024. 
• Conducted research on organic agriculture and on bacteriophage therapy, an approach to treating bacterial infections.

Community service:

• Tutored local low-income high schoolers in math through the nonprofit organization Uncommon Good.
• Mentored and planned events for more than 20 freshmen through their first year of college. 

Maddy Miles

School: Mount Union
Division III
Conference: Ohio Athletic Conference
Sports: Indoor and outdoor track and field, basketball 
Major: Biochemistry

Athletics:

• Earned multiple U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-America honors.
• Won multiple conference championships in the 400 meters and various relay events and set a national record and several school records in relay events. 

Leadership:

• Served on the International Education Committee as a student representative to advocate for and improve international student education and international education on campus.
• Served as president, vice president and social media chair of Mount Union's chapter of Active Minds, an organization dedicated to promoting mental health. 

Academics:

• Graduated magna cum laude and earned a pair of College Sports Communicators All-District honors and multiple USTFCCCA All-Academic honors and Academic All-OAC recognitions.  
• Participated in Case Western Reserve's Cancer-focused Summer Undergraduate Research program, researching gene silencing and its potential for cancer therapeutics.

Community service:

• Volunteered at a local domestic violence shelter, providing support for women and children.
• Tutored students on campus.

Sarah Mizel

School: Azusa Pacific
Division II
Conference: Independent
Sport: Acrobatics and tumbling
Major: Public relations

Athletics:

• Won a championship at the 2022 National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association Championships in the duo tumbling pass competition.
• Earned NCATA All-America honors in 2024 and was a member of the national runner-up team in the NCATA Championships in 2021. 

Leadership:

• Served on the Student Government Association.
• Mentored underclassmen as a residential advisor.

Academics:

• Earned two NCATA All-Academic recognitions. 
• Received Division 2 Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement Awards in 2023 and 2024. 

Community service:

• Organized events for a program that provides transitional housing for homeless women in Los Angeles County. 
• Volunteered at a local church to distribute care packages, taught chemistry to second graders, and served in South Africa with Jabulani Africa Ministries to support Christian leaders and rebuild communities.

Nanette Nikolajsen

School: Lenoir-Rhyne
Division II
Conference: South Atlantic Conference
Sports: Triathlon, indoor and outdoor track and field, cross country
Majors: Entrepreneurship; business management

Athletics:

• Contributed to Lenoir-Rhyne's Division II national titles in 2022 and 2023 at the Women's Collegiate Triathlon National Championships. 
• Received All-America honors from the College Triathlon Coaches Association in 2022 and 2023. 

Leadership:

• Served as triathlon team captain for three years. 
• Served as a Fritz Honors College member and helped shape the newly established program as a member of the Honors College Leadership Council. 

Academics:

• Earned multiple CTCA Scholar All-America honors.
• Received the South Atlantic Conference's 2024 Elite 23 award in outdoor track and field, which is awarded to the championship competitor with the highest GPA, and was a two-time winner of Lenoir-Rhyne's Wayne B. Powell Student-Athlete Award of Excellence. 

Community service:

• Spent four years as an Engaged Scholar, where she worked with community organizations and leaders to address social issues and create positive change in local neighborhoods.
• Worked as a coach at Catawba Valley Swim Club and as a business management tutor on campus. 

Samantha Pirosko

School: Gannon
Division II
Conference: Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
Sport: Basketball
Majors: Health sciences; physician assistant

Athletics:

• Recognized as the Division II Player of the Year by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and the Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association in 2023-24, was a 2024 Honda Athlete of the Year finalist for Division II, and earned multiple All-America honors. 
• Led Gannon to a 35-3 record and the Elite Eight as a senior, setting a school season scoring record of 752 points.

Leadership:

• Organized team engagement in a campuswide initiative to give back to the local community, which included cleaning up parks. 
• Coordinated a campaign for the team to send cards to local veterans and organized a food pantry drive.

Academics:

• Was named the 2024 College Sports Communicators Division II Academic All-America Team Member of the Year for all sports and for women's basketball, as well as earning Academic All-America honors the previous year. 
• Won multiple Division 2 Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement Awards.

Community service:

• Volunteered at local youth basketball camps, clinics and tournaments.
• Participated in various volunteer initiatives, including cleanups, a home restoration, and efforts benefiting children in schools, foster homes and hospitals. 

Shelby Robb

School: Metropolitan State University of Denver
Division II
Conference: Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
Sport: Softball
Major: Sports management

Athletics:

• Earned multiple all-conference and All-America honors, helping to lead her team to multiple RMAC championships.
• Became the school's all-time career batting average leader at .425, setting a single-season record with a .535 average in 2021. 

Leadership:

• Spearheaded a social media campaign for MSU Denver's Women in Sport Management Panel, which featured influential women in the Colorado sports industry.
• Mentored youth softball players through a local club program. 

Academics:

• Earned multiple College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors, including being named the CSC Academic All-America Team Member of the Year for softball in 2024. 
• Received the Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Award twice. 

Community service:

• Worked with the Miracle League of Denver, providing inclusive sports opportunities for athletes with disabilities.
• Volunteered for various community organizations and events aimed at helping senior citizens, adults with brain injuries, underprivileged youths and others. 

Morgan Salmon

School: Adelphi
Division II
Conference: Northeast-10 Conference
Sport: Soccer
Major: Nursing

Athletics:

• Named to the 2023 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship All-Tournament Team after helping lead Adelphi to the semifinals for the first time since 2004.
• Earned All-America honors and the Northeast-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023.

Leadership:

• Served as a three-year team captain and a four-year member of the campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 
• Promoted mental wellness as an ambassador for Morgan's Message, a student-athlete mental health organization, and raised funds through the group's charitable dodgeball tournament.

Academics:

• Named a College Sports Communicators Academic All-American in 2023.
• Earned two Division 2 Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement Awards and a NE10 Sport Excellence Award. 

Community service:

• Worked with TOPSoccer, creating opportunities for individuals with disabilities to participate in sports.
• Volunteered with Ronald McDonald House and various local community events. 

Madeleine Schneider

School: Minnesota-Crookston
Division II
Conference: Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
Sport: Tennis
Majors: Information technology management; software engineering

Athletics:

• Set the school record for all-time singles wins overall and wins at the No. 1 position and earnedAll-Northern Sun honors twice.
• Led the program to its most successful stretch in history, including 17 team wins in the past two seasons after going winless from 2015-21. 

Leadership:

• Served as president and vice president of the Multicultural International Club, as well as serving on student government and the campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
• Led language and cultural events for international students on campus.

Academics:

• Earned the Willis R. Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award, presented to the top female student-athlete in the conference.
• Conducted research on dementia, developing a software application for cognitive support.

Community service:

• Served as a peer mentor for Minnesota-Crookston freshmen and as a community advisor to local residents. 
• Volunteered to teach German to students in the community, served meals at churches and volunteered at the local Santa Land event. 

Natasha Subhash

School: Virginia
Division I
Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference
Sport: Tennis
Major: Commerce

Athletics:

• Earned multiple Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-America honors, represented Virginia in multiple NCAA tournaments and was named the 2020 ITA National Rookie of the Year.
• Finished her career ranked third in program history in singles victories (117), fourth in doubles wins (111) and fourth in combined singles and doubles wins (228). 

Leadership:

• Served as a mentor to first-year student-athletes in the McIntire School of Commerce, selected for Virginia's Student-Athlete Leadership Academy and served on the campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
• Received the 2023 ITA Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award. 

Academics:

• Earned multiple College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors.
• Became the first Virginia athlete to win the university's Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award three times.

Community service:

• Volunteered with Special Olympics tennis clinics.
• Served as a tutor for elementary school students, including working virtually throughout the pandemic with one student whose first language was not English.

Alexandra Turvey

School: Pomona-Pitzer
Division III
Conference: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Sport: Swimming and diving
Major: Biology

Athletics:

• Won NCAA titles in the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays, as well as earning multiple other College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America All-America honors. 
• Named SCIAC Female Swimmer of the Year three times. 

Leadership:

• Served as co-captain of the swimming and diving team.
• Served on the campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and as a prehealth liaison, supporting students in prehealth careers and leading outreach efforts in providing free and accessible study resources for all students.

Academics:

• Graduated summa cum laude and earned national awards including the Goldwater Scholarship, NCAA Elite 90 award, College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Team Member of the Year in her sport, Beckman Scholars Program award and the NCAA Walter Byers Graduate Scholarship.
• Amassed over 2,500 hours of basic science and clinical research and published three articles in scientific journals, including one as first author.

Community service:

• Volunteered as a clinical research student at the British Columbia Children's Hospital and as a Red Cross blood donor ambassador.
• Supported younger swimmers through mentorship and organized a fundraiser to prevent child drowning in Thailand.

Isabella Whittaker

School: University of Pennsylvania
Division I
Conference: The Ivy League
Sports: Indoor and outdoor track and field
Major: Communication

Athletics:

• Earned All-Ivy League and All-America honors in multiple track and field events and set Ivy League records in the indoor and outdoor 400-meter run, the outdoor 4x100, and indoor and outdoor 4x400. 
• Qualified for the 2024 U.S. Olympic team as part of the 4x400 relay pool.

Leadership:

• Was a founding member of Black Student Athletes at Penn and served as vice president and alumni relations chair. 
• Helped launch the campus Athlete Ally chapter, advocating for LGBTQ+ athletes.

Academics:

• Earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors as a senior.
• Earned multiple U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic honors.

Community service:

• Worked with the Young Quakers Community Athletics program, mentoring children and hosting youth track practices.
• Served as a team captain for the Make a Play Foundation, leading a team of student-athletes from underrepresented communities through a professional development fellowship. 

Jala Wright

School: Duke
Division I
Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference
Sport: Softball
Major: Sociology

Athletics:

• Helped Duke advance to the 2024 Women's College World Series and was named the 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year.
• Earned multiple all-conference and All-America honors during her career, as well as being named a top-26 finalist for the 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.

Leadership:

• Served as a three-year team captain and as program director for Project Preseason, a three-day orientation event for first-year Duke student-athletes.
• Served as an advocate for mental health awareness among student-athletes.

Academics:

• Earned several College Sports Communicators academic honors, including Academic All-America recognition in 2024. 
• Earned multiple National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America Scholar-Athlete honors and All-Atlantic Coast Academic honors.

Community service:

• Mentored young girls through the Chasing Greatness Mentorship program, which serves those aspiring to play college athletics, and through Purpose 4 Living, a nonprofit dedicated to overcoming adversity.
• Served as a community service liaison for Team IMPACT, organizing community service events for the softball team.