BOISE, Idaho – Boise State swimmer Blake Balogh is one of 517 student-athletes nominated for the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year award, the NCAA announced Tuesday.
The NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership.
Balogh concluded a decorated four-year career with the Bronco swimming and diving team this past season. Along with being part of the 2014 Mountain West champion squad, Balogh claimed a pair of Mountain West event titles as part of the Bronco 800 free relay in 2015 and 2016, and earned five All-Mountain West honors. At the 2016 Mountain West Swimming and Diving Championships, Balogh claimed three such honors, with the champion 800 free relay as well as with fifth-place finish in the 1,650 free and a sixth-place effort in the 500 free.
Outside of the pool, Balogh, a native of Lincoln, Neb., graduated summa cum laude in May with a 3.97 grade-point average and a degree in health science with a minor in American Sign Language. She will continue her education at the University of Virginia where she will work towards a master’s degree in speech-language pathology.
She also served the Boise community as a volunteer, not only with the American Sign Language Club at Boise State but also at the City Lights Women’s Home where she assisted in mentoring and supporting the resident women and children.
The pool of school honorees marks the largest in the 26-year history of the award. Of the nominees for the national award, 231 competed in Division I, 117 competed in Division II and 169 competed in Division III athletics. The nominees also represent 21 different women’s sports, and 127 of the nominees competed in more than one sport in college.
In the next step towards determining the recipient of the honor, the conferences will assess their member school nominees and select up to two conference 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 from among those nine to determine the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year.
The top 30 honorees will be celebrated and the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced at the annual award ceremony Oct. 16 in Indianapolis.
Swimming news courtesy of Boise State Swimming & Diving.