A total of 14 swimmers have been selected as conference nominees for the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year award, the organization announced on Tuesday. The original list consisted of of 543 nominees, one student-athlete from each NCAA school who has exhausted her eligibility, who were each nominated to the conference level. Now, each conference has selected their nominee (up to 2 athletes across all sports) that will advance to the division level. At this point, the top 10 from each of the NCAA’s 3 divisions (for 30 total athletes) will be named semi-finalists for the annual award.
Athletes are nominated based on success in athletics, academics, leadership, and community service. MIT swimmer Margaret Guo won the award last year.
Among the most recognizable names on the list are former USC and San Diego State All-American Anika Apostalon, who was the Pac-12’s only nominee. The SEC named swimmers as both of their nominees for the award: 2016 NCAA Champion and two-time Elite 90 Award winner Danielle Galyer from Kentucky, and Chantal van Landeghem from Georgia are both on the list.
From other tangential sports, Stanford water polo player Maggie Steffens was also selected as a nominee. She has been on each of the alst two gold medal winning U.S. Olympic Teams, including leading the team in scoring at the 2016 Games in Rio.
Next, 9 finalists (3 from each division) will be named finalists before an awards ceremony in Indianapolis on Sunday, October 22nd that will select the NCAA Woman of the Year winner. Then, the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee chooses the ultimate winner on the basis of academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service, and leadership.
Full list of swimmers who were nominated:
| Name | School | Conference | Sport(s) |
| Anika Apostalon | USC | Pac-12 | Swimming and diving |
| Sara Bey | State University College at old Westbury | Skyline Conference | Cross Country, Lacrosse, Soccer, Swimming and diving, Volleyball |
| Caroline Conboy | Hobart and William Smith Colleges | LIberty League | Swimming and diving |
| Anna Corley | University of Mary Washington | Capital Athletic Conference | Swimming and diving |
| Eliana Crawford | Kenyon College | NCAC | Swimming and diving |
| Jacquelyn Creitz | Washington College (Maryland) | Centennial Conference | Rowing, Swimming and diving |
| Naomi Gaggi | College of Staten Island | CUNYAC | Swimming and diving |
| Danielle Galyer | Kentucky | SEC | Swimming and diving |
| Margaret Olock | Cedar Crest College | NEAC | Swimming and diving, Volleyball |
| Meg Stanley | Illinois Wesleyan University | College Conference of Illinios & Wisconsin | Swimming and diving |
| Valerie Urban | Connecticut College | NESCAC | Swimming and diving |
| Chantal van Landeghem | University of Georgia | SEC | Swimming and diving |
| Aerika Wieser | Urbana University | Mountain East Conference | Swimming and diving |
| Blaise Wittenauer-Lee | Seattle University | WAC | Swimming and diving |
| Maggie Steffens | Stanford | Indepedent | Water polo |
Leah Smith?
Is Katie Ledecky a bad student?
She doesn’t meet this requirement: “one student-athlete from each NCAA school who has exhausted her eligibility,”