The NCAA recently announced the top 30 honorees for the 18th annual NCAA Woman of the Year Award.

This year’s top 30 honorees represent 11 different sports, including basketball, cross country, gymnastics, lacrosse, rifle, softball, soccer, swimming, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, and volleyball.

The honor recognizes outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled academically and athletically in addition to demonstrating strong community service and leadership. To be eligible, the female student-athlete must have earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport and competed during the 2007-08 academic year. In addition, each individual must have completed intercollegiate eligibility in her primary sport by the end of the 2008 spring season and must have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.5.

A committee composed of representatives from NCAA member schools and conferences chose the honorees – 10 from each NCAA division – from 130 conference and independent nominees. From the group of 30, the top nine finalists – three from each division – will be selected and announced early next month. The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics will choose a national winner from among the nine finalists. The 2008 Woman of the Year will be announced during the awards dinner October 19 in Indianapolis.

Whitney Myers, a former swimming student-athlete at Arizona, was the 2007 Woman of the Year.

The conference nominees

Link to WOTY Web page