NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Recent Saint Joseph's women's soccer graduate Emily Gingrich '17 has been nominated for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
One of the most prestigious NCAA awards, the NCAA established the Woman of the Year Award in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics. Now in its 27th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
Gingrich made her mark as one of the top players in SJU soccer history, finishing her career as the Hawks' all-time leader in goals (43), points (103) and shots (307), while ranking second in career assists (17). She is one of just two players in SJU history to earn Atlantic 10 All-Conference honors all four seasons, and capped her career by being named the A-10's Midfielder of the Year in 2016.
A team co-captain, the senior helped Saint Joseph's achieve a best-ever 18-2-2 record this year and capture its first-ever Atlantic 10 regular-season title.
Gingrich, from Shillington, Pa., was selected to the 2016 Philadelphia Academic All-Area Team and has received mention on the SJU Athletic Director's Honor Roll. She received her degree in criminal justice and hopes to pursue a career in law enforcement.
The 2017 Atlantic 10 institutional nominees are recognized for being standout citizens with robust academic success, complimented by competitive athletic resumes, while sustaining dynamic leadership in their communities. The 13 candidates have noteworthy credentials, including All-American and Academic All-America honors, conference championships and All-Conference award winners, NCAA Championship success, and campus involvement, including serving as student-athlete leaders.
The league's Senior Woman Administrators will vote on 12 of the nominees to select two who will represent the Atlantic 10 Conference in the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year finalists. One nominee, gymnast Chelsea Raineri of George Washington, competes in a sport which is not sponsored by the Atlantic 10, and will be considered from among a national pool of candidates.
After the Atlantic 10 and all other leagues have selected up to two conference nominees, the Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will then choose the top 30 honorees — 10 from each division. From the top 30, the selection committee determines the top three honorees from each division and announces the nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then chooses the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year from those nine. The top 30 honorees will be recognized and the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced at the annual award ceremony Oct. 22 in Indianapolis.
