Top 30 NCAA Woman of the Year honorees announced
College Sports Information Directors of America
The NCAA Woman of the Year top 30 honorees include Capital One Division I Academic 
All-America® of the Year Brooke Pancake (Alabama golf) along with other Capital One AAA award recipients: two softball Capital One Academic All-America of the Year selections, Minnesota State Mankato senior softball standout Kendra Huettl who was softball's Division II Academic All-America® of the Year and Luther College senior catcher Kelsey Kittleson, the Division III recipient. Additionally, Calvin College volleyball star senior middle hitter Rebecca Kamp, who earned 2011 Capital One Academic All-America of the Year honors for Division III volleyball, is one of the 30 NCAA finalists.
courtesy of NCAA.org
Thirty women, selected from a group of nearly 430 nominees, have been chosen as the top 30 honorees for the NCAA Woman of the Year award.
The top 30 women are composed of 10 honorees from each NCAA division and span various NCAA sports. In September, three finalists will be chosen from each division to form nine finalists for the award. The 2012 Woman of Year will be announced and the top 30 women will be honored during an Oct. 14 ceremony in Indianapolis.
The top 30 honorees reflect the pillars of the Woman of the Year award, with outstanding achievements in academics, athletics, community service and leadership. For example:
- Cumulatively, the top 30 earned a 3.87 grade-point average and more than 90 Academic All-America honors.
- The top 30 earned nearly 20 national championships (individual and team) and nearly 110 All-America honors.
- The top 30 volunteered for more than 375 organizations during their college careers.
Many served as team captains and held leadership positions in various campus and community organizations.
Alecia Shields-Gadson of Coppin State, NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee chair, described the extraordinary commitment to academics and athletics by each of the top 30 honorees.
“Being an NCAA student-athlete takes dedication to both academic and athletic excellence,” said Shields-Gadson, who will chair the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee starting next month. “These women rose to that challenge and became leaders on the court, in the classroom and in their communities. The Woman of the Year honorees are excellent role models and will most certainly continue to make a positive impact on the world.”
The top 30 honorees are listed below.
| Name | Division | Conference | Institution | Sport(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillary Bach | I | Pac-12 Conference | Arizona State University | Softball |
| Chyna Balonick | II | Independent | Humboldt State University | Cross Country |
| Sharwil Bell | III | Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference | Rhodes College | Basketball |
| Simone Childs-Walker | III | Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Carleton College | Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field |
| Christie Hope | II | Great Lakes Valley Conference | University of Wisconsin, Parkside | Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field |
| Grace Collins | II | Sunshine State Conference | Barry University | Softball |
| Margo Cramer | III | New England Small College Athletic Conference | Middlebury College | Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field |
| Margaux Farrell | I | Big Ten Conference | Indiana University, Bloomington | Swimming and Diving |
| Danielle Foxhoven | I | West Coast Conference | University of Portland | Soccer |
| Kate Griewisch | II | South Atlantic Conference | Lenoir-Rhyne University | Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field |
| Stacey Hagensen | III | N Northwest Conference | Pacific Lutheran University | Softball |
| Jazmyne Hefflefinger | I | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conf. | Delaware State University | Bowling |
| Kristin Hoffman | I | Mid-American Conference | Northern Illinois University | Volleyball |
| Kendra Huettl | II | Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference | Minnesota State University, Mankato | Softball |
| Glory Johnson | I | Southeastern Conference | University of Tennessee, Knoxville | Basketball |
| Rebecca Kamp | III | Michigan Intercol. Ath. Assn. | Calvin College | Volleyball |
| Kelsey Kittleson | III | Iowa Intercol. Athletic Conf. | Luther College | Softball |
| Lopez Mimendi Sofia | II | South Atlantic Conference | Lincoln Memorial University | Cross Country, Tennis |
| Christina Muir | II | Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Ferris State University | Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field |
| Sarah Jane Otey | III | New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference | U.S. Coast Guard Academy | Rowing, Swimming and Diving |
| Brooke Pancake | I | Southeastern Conference | University of Alabama | Golf |
| Alexi Pappas | I | The Ivy League | Dartmouth College | Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field |
| Elizabeth Phillips | III | University Athletic Association | Washington University (Missouri) | Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field |
| Verena Preikshas | II | Independent | California State University, Stanislaus | Tennis |
| Tanya Schmidt | I | West Coast Conference | Santa Clara University | Volleyball |
| Carol Cayo Smith | III | Northern Athletics Conference | Milwaukee School of Engineering | Basketball, Tennis, Outdoor Track and Field |
| Neely Spence | II | Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field |
| Alisa Vereshchagin | III | North Coast Athletic Conference | Kenyon College | Swimming and Diving |
| Rebecca Wade | I | Conference USA | Rice University | Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track |
| Anne Wethe | II | California Collegiate Athletic Association | University of California, San Diego | Soccer |
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Calendar
Important Dates
- 06/23/26 / 11:59 P.M. M/W At-Large Academic All-America National Ballot Voting Deadline (NCAA, NAIA, College Division)
- 06/30/26 / 11:59 P.M. M/W Track & Field/Cross Country Academic All-America National Ballot Voting Deadline (NCAA, NAIA)
- 07/07/26 / 12:00 P.M. W At-Large Academic All-America Announced (NCAA, NAIA, College Division)
- 07/08/26 / 12:00 P.M. M At-Large Academic All-America Announced (NCAA, NAIA, College Division)
- 07/14/26 / 12:00 P.M. M Track & Field/Cross Country Academic All-America Announced (NCAA, NAIA)
- 06/07/26 / All Day 2026 CSC Unite Convention in Las Vegas
- 06/08/26 / All Day 2026 CSC Unite Convention in Las Vegas
- 06/09/26 / All Day 2026 CSC Unite Convention in Las Vegas
- 06/09/26 / 11:59 P.M. Baseball Academic All-America National Ballot Voting Deadline (NCAA, NAIA)
- 06/10/26 / All Day 2026 CSC Unite Convention in Las Vegas
- 06/16/26 / 12:00 P.M. Softball Academic All-America Announced (NCAA, NAIA)
- 06/16/26 / 12:00 P.M. M/W At-Large Academic All-District Released; National Voting Begins (NCAA, NAIA, College Division)
- 06/16/26 / 11:59 P.M. M/W Track & Field/Cross Country Academic All-America Nomination Deadline (NCAA, NAIA)
- 06/23/26 / 12:00 P.M. M/W Track & Field/Cross Country Academic All-District Released; National Voting Begins (NCAA, NAIA)
- 06/23/26 / 12:00 P.M. Baseball Academic All-America Announced (NCAA, NAIA)
- 06/23/26 / 11:59 P.M. M/W At-Large Academic All-America National Ballot Voting Deadline (NCAA, NAIA, College Division)
- 06/30/26 / 11:59 P.M. M/W Track & Field/Cross Country Academic All-America National Ballot Voting Deadline (NCAA, NAIA)
- 07/07/26 / 12:00 P.M. W At-Large Academic All-America Announced (NCAA, NAIA, College Division)
- 07/08/26 / 12:00 P.M. M At-Large Academic All-America Announced (NCAA, NAIA, College Division)
- 07/14/26 / 12:00 P.M. M Track & Field/Cross Country Academic All-America Announced (NCAA, NAIA)
- 06/07/26 / All Day 2026 CSC Unite Convention in Las Vegas
- 06/08/26 / All Day 2026 CSC Unite Convention in Las Vegas
- 06/09/26 / All Day 2026 CSC Unite Convention in Las Vegas
- 06/09/26 / 11:59 P.M. Baseball Academic All-America National Ballot Voting Deadline (NCAA, NAIA)
- 06/10/26 / All Day 2026 CSC Unite Convention in Las Vegas