NCAA Release

HIGH POINT, N.C.—High Point University women's lacrosse Class of 2017 graduate Samantha Brown has been named HPU's nominee for the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year award.
 
A record 543 female college athletes have been nominated by NCAA member schools for the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year award.
 
Brown was the Big South Offensive Player of the Year and led the Panthers to the first NCAA Division I Tournament win in school history, in any sport, as well as the Big South regular season and tournament titles. In 2017, Brown set High Point single-season records for points (87) and goals (61). She scored at least two goals in 17 games, including every Big South regular season and tournament contest. She tallied at least four goals in nine separate contests. For her efforts, Brown was named to the All-Big South First Team and All-Big South Academic Team
 
Established in 1991 and 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.
 
The school nominees represent all three NCAA divisions, with 229 from Division I, 117 from Division II and 197 from Division III. The nominees competed in 21 different women's sports, and 122 were multisport athletes during their time in college.
 
The NCAA encourages member schools to honor their top graduating female student-athletes each year by submitting their names for consideration for the Woman of the Year award.
 
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.

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