NCAA Woman of the Year Conference Listing
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- North Dakota State University second baseman
Cheyenne Garcia is one of 142 student-athletes nominated from NCAA conferences and independent schools for the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year award. Garcia and South Dakota State soccer player Diana Potterveld are representing The Summit League.
These women, selected from a record 517 school nominees, represent college athletes from 17 different sports spanning all three NCAA divisions. Of those recognized, 54 nominees competed in Division I, 37 in Division II and 51 in Division III.
Two of the honorees also will represent the United States at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Garcia, a native of Vista, Calif. (Rancho Buena Vista H.S.), graduated this May with a bachelor's degree in human development and family science. She maintained a 3.397 grade-point average. Garcia will be the graduate assistant manager at NDSU this season and attend graduate school.
Garcia batted .335 with 20 doubles, five home runs, two triples and 40 runs batted in this season. She scored 48 runs, stole 20 bases, and added four sacrifice flies and a pair of sacrifice bunts. Garcia earned all-Summit League honors four straight years including the league's 2015 Player of the Year award. She was a three-time NFCA All-Midwest Region pick including first team honors in 2015, and a three-time Summit League all-tournament selection.
Starting in all 213 games during her career, Garcia ranked among the top 30 active NCAA career leaders in doubles (4th / 61), runs scored (12th / 198), total bases (24th / 402) and at bats (27th / 695).
North Dakota State finished with a 39-15 record including 17-0 in the Summit League to claim its fifth straight regular season championship. The Bison won their third straight Summit League tournament title to advance to the NCAA tournament for the seventh time over the past eight seasons. The Bison reached 30 wins for the 10th straight year.
In early September, the Woman of the Year selection committee will name the Top 30 honorees, representing the top 10 women in each division. The selection committee will then choose and announce the nine finalists, with three from each division, at the end of September. Then, from the pool of nine finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will determine the 2016 Woman of the Year.
The Top 30 honorees will be celebrated and the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year will be named at the annual banquet Oct. 16 in Indianapolis.
The NCAA Woman of the Year program has recognized graduating female student-athletes for excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership since its inception in 1991.
