Thirty-one Division III soccer players nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year

By Christan Shirk

Of the 535 total nominees for the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year award, thirty-one are Division III soccer players.

Thirty-one women’s soccer players are among the 177 Division III student-athletes nominated by their schools for the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year award. Across all three divisions there are a total of 535 nominees—the fewest since 2016 because of the widespread cancellations due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

For the 2021 award, nominees are required to graduate by the end of the 2021 summer term with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.50. Candidates are graded in the areas of service and leadership, academic achievement, and athletic excellence as well as their personal statement of no more than 500 words. The impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, including the fact that not all sports, seasons, and schools experienced the same disruptions, will be taken into consideration, but, as in any other year, the nominees are evaluated based on their achievements and involvements throughout their entire time as collegiate student-athletes, not just during their final year.

Soccer was well represented among the nominees, but unlike most years, soccer and basketball were not the most represented due to more cancellations of fall and winter sports during the 2020-21 school year.  Soccer was played by 65 nominees across the three NCAA divisions. Ten of the nominated soccer players were multi-sport athletes, nine from the Division III ranks.

Otterbein midfielder Bella Shivley, one of the thirty-one Division III soccer players nominated (see full list below), was a two-time D3soccer.com All-American: third team as a sophomore in 2018 and second team as a junior in 2019 (D3soccer.com did not name All-America teams in 2020, but Shivley's 8 goals and 11 assists in 11 games this spring reinforced her standing as a top player.).

From the list of school nominees, conferences select up to two women to represent their conference.  Those names, which totaled 161 last year, are forwarded to the Woman of the Year selection committee who pares the field down to the Top 30 Honorees—ten from each division. Then the selection committee announces nine finalists—three from each division—who are forwarded to the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics (CWA) who choose the winner.

The Top 30 honorees will be recognized and the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced at the annual awards dinner and ceremony to be held in Indianapolis on Sunday, October 17. Only five Division III student-athletes have won the award in its 30-year history, the most recent being a soccer player: Washington University's goalkeeper Lizzy Crist four years ago in 2017 after she concluded her collegiate career as a national champion and two-time D3soccer.com Goalkeeper of the Year. She was just the second soccer player from any division to receive the honor, three years after the first in 2014. More information on the NCAA Woman of the Year award can be found below.

Click to enlarge.  (source: ncaa.org)

Division III soccer players nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year

NCAA Woman of the Year Award

Process (modified due to Covid-19 pandemic)

• NCAA member colleges and universities nominate their top graduating female student-athlete (May & June due to Covid-19 pandemic).
• Conferences select up to two women from the nominees to represent the conference (early July due to Covid-19 pandemic).
• The Woman of the Year selection committee selects the top 30 honorees–10 from each division (early September).
• The selection committee determines the top three in each division; announces the top nine finalists (late September).
• The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics votes from among the finalists to determine the NCAA Woman of the Year.
• The top 30 honorees are honored and the NCAA Woman of the Year winner is announced at the annual awards dinner and ceremony (mid-October).

Eligibility (modified due to Covid-19 pandemic)

• Nominee must have competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport.
• Nominee must have received her undergraduate degree no later than the summer 2021 term.
• Nominee must have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.50 (4.00 scale).

Selection Criteria

• Personal Statement (10%)

• Based on the nominee’s own description, in 500 words or less, of how her experiences as a scholar, an athlete, and a leader on her campus and in her community have influenced her life and empowered her to have a positive impact on the world.  This year, the nominee may use a limited portion of her statement to discuss the personal impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
  Eloquently explains her experiences using poignant examples that illustrate her significant growth and development; provides insightful analysis of and appreciation for how she can have a positive impact on the world	5 pts.
  Effectively explains her experiences using appropriate examples that illustrate her growth and development; provides a perceptive understanding of how she can have a positive impact on the world	4 pts.
  Communicates her experiences using multiple examples that illustrate her growth and development; presents a clear understanding of how she can have a positive impact on the world	3 pts.
  Communicates her experiences using at least one example related to her growth and development; offers a basic understanding of how she can have a positive impact on the world	2 pts.
  Lists some of her experiences, referring in some way to how she can have a positive impact on the world	1 pt.

• Service and Leadership (30%)

• Based on the nominee's involvement in campus and leadership activities and community service as follows:
  Consistently engaged in extensive service and leadership activities that impact the campus, community and/or beyond; makes most of opportunities by taking on key roles; is creative and innovative in seeking out meaningful service and leadership opportunities	5 pts.
  Consistently engaged in service and leadership activities, and plays a significant role in impacting the campus and community in a meaningful way	4 pts.
  Consistently involved in service and leadership activities that positively affect her campus	3 pts.
  Involved in some service and leadership activities at various times during collegiate career	2 pts.
  Involved in a few one-time or short-term service or leadership activities	1 pt.

• Academic Achievement (30%)

• Based on cumulative undergraduate GPA as follows:
  3.90 - 4.00	5 pts.
  3.70 - 3.89	4 pts.
  3.50 - 3.69	3 pts.
  3.30 - 3.49	2 pts.
  3.00 - 3.29	1 pt.

• Athletics Excellence (30%)

• Based on nominee's highest athletics honor and/or accomplishment as follows:
  Team/individual national champion, 1st Team athletics All-American	5 pts.
  Athletics All-American other than 1st team	4 pts.
  Athletics All-Region, 1st Team All-Conference, team/individual conference champion	3 pts.
  Athletics All-Conference other than 1st team	2 pts.
  Multisport varsity letter	1 pt.

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