Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2016-17 | Hawk Talk Monthly — June 2017
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Recent University of Iowa graduate Ally Disterhoft has been nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year, the NCAA announced Tuesday afternoon.
The award, which was established in 1991, honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
Disterhoft etched her name into the Iowa women’s basketball history books this season, scoring 560 points in her senior campaign to break Iowa’s 37-year-old, all-time career scoring record. She ended her career with 2,102 points, besting the previous record of 2,059 set by Cindy Haugejorde in 1980.
The Iowa City, Iowa, native became just the fifth scholar-athlete to ever be named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year in back-to-back seasons. She ended her career ranked among the top-15 in Hawkeye history in five categories, including career points, 3-point field goals, blocks, rebounds, and assists.
Disterhoft was named Iowa’s Female Athlete of the year for 2015-16 and 2016-17, becoming the sixth Hawkeye in school history to earn the honor twice in her collegiate career. She is also the ninth Hawkeye to earn Iowa’s Big Ten Medal of Honor and be named Female Athlete of the Year in the same season.
A record 543 female college athletes were nominated from all three NCAA divisions, including 229 from Division I, 117 from Division II, and 197 from Division III.
Next, conferences will select up to two conference nominees each from the pool of school 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.
