From Emory University Athetics
Emory University’s Gabrielle Clark (Chicago, IL) and
Megan Light (Atlanta, GA) are among two of the 446 nominees for the
2014 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
The Woman of the Year award honors graduating female
student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their
collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and
leadership.
Clark recently captured her second NCAA Division III women’s
tennis singles championship,becoming just the fifth player in
Division III Women’s Tennis history and the second in the
program’s history to win multiple singles titles over a
career. She was named the Senior Player of the Year by
the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), just the second Emory
player to earn that distinction, and was chosen as the University
Athletic Association’s Most Valuable Player for the third
time. She finished the year with a 24-4 singles record (19-0 vs.
D-III opposition) and posted a 25-9 slate in doubles action in
helping Emory to its sixth national title. Career-wise, she
finished with a singles mark 108-21, with her victory total the
second most in program history, while establishing herself as the
Eagles’ all-time leader in doubles wins with a 111-34
ledger.
Light helped the softball team to an overall record of 39-9 that
included a berth in the NCAA Super Regionals, socking a
school-season record 19 home runs, good for second place
nationally. Tabbed as a First Team All-American for the
second straight year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association,
she concluded the campaign as the UAA’s leading hitter with a
.463 performance at the plate, collecting a team-leading 68 hits in
147 plate appearances. In addition to her home run total, she
set school season marks in runs scored (56), RBIs (65), total bases
(145) and slugging percentage (.986). Named the UAA’s
Player of the Year for the second straight season and third time in
her career, she chalked up a team-high 22 multi-hit
contests. She closed out her four-year career ranked
among the school's all-time top 10 in 12 offensive categories
including first with 47 home runs, 230 hits, 60 doubles, 224 RBIs,
435 total bases and a .812 slugging
percentage.
Of the total number of nominees, 205 competed in Division I, 75
competed in Division II, and 166 competed in Division III
athletics. Each NCAA member institution is allowed to
nominate up to two student athletes. Each
conference then selects up to two women from the nominees to
represent the conference. The Woman of the Year selection committee
selects the top 30 honorees – 10 from each division –
from the conference nominees.
From among those 30 candidates, the selection committee determines the top three in each division and announces the top nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics will then vote from among the finalists to determine the 2014 NCAA Woman of the Year.
The top 30 honorees will be honored, and the 2014 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced, at the annual ceremony in Indianapolis on Sunday, Oct. 19.
To view the list of school nominees, click here.