2015 NCAA Woman of the Year School Nominees

INDIANAPOLIS -- Following decorated collegiate careers as artist-athletes, two Urban Knights have been nominated by Academy of Art University for this year's NCAA Woman of the Year award. Former softball outfielder Elyse Cordova and former women's tennis athlete Jenny Johansson are, for the first time ever, ART U's dual nominees for one of the most prestigious annual awards the NCAA has to offer. 

Now in its 25th year, the 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. Previous Academy of Art nominees include women's golfers Crystal Superal (2013) and Andrea Nieto (a top finalist in 2014).

Cordova, owner of a 3.41 cumulative GPA in the School of Acting over her four years of competition, was the softball program's only two-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-West Region Team selection (2011, 2012) as well as a member of the 2012 All-PacWest First Team and All-PacWest Second Team in 2011. She garnered four PacWest weekly honors along with four PacWest Academic All-Conference awards in her career.

"I was very blessed to have the opportunities in my life to grow in all aspects of myself," said Cordova. The lessons I learned as a student-athlete will forever be a part of the foundation that I build my life upon. While in school and playing softball, I wasn't thinking about what it would all mean or even if it would lead to this nomination. I was just trying to get through the day giving the best I could give. To be nominated is an amazing acknowledgment. Very unexpected, but it's enough just to be recognized. I thank my school for the honor!"

In the record books, Cordova still holds the second-highest career batting average (.395) in program history. She also set numerous records during her time including the most career runs scored, hits, triples, total bases, and stolen bases. She was a team captain as a senior in 2014 and led by example as a three-year member of the Urban Knights' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Johansson, who completed her career with a cumulative 3.53 GPA in the School of Fashion Design this past spring, goes out as the winningest individual tennis player ART U has seen to date. Over the course of her four-year career, she made a name for herself as the quintessential artist-athlete with the most career wins in singles and doubles matched with numerous academic honors. She was one of the program's first two Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar Athletes in 2014 while helping Academy of Art earn its first ITA All-Academic Team award.

"It is truly an honor to represent Academy of Art University in, to me, an important area of the NCAA," said Johansson. "I have gotten a chance to fulfill my dreams and I have tried my hardest to give back to the people who made it possible for me. Both in the classroom and on the court, I feel like my hard work has been seen and I feel like my efforts mattered. It is incredibly humbling to be chosen to represent the school in this way."

As team captain this past season, Johansson added an All-PacWest Third Team (Doubles) selection as well as one of her three career PacWest weekly honors to an extensive resume. She is the only Urban Knight with double-digit wins in three different singles positions and holds ART U's longest singles win streak (14) which came in 2013. Like Cordova, Johansson was also a three-year member of SAAC, contributing mightily to the department's back-to-back Community Engagement Awards.

The NCAA Woman of the Year nominations are now under review by each school's conference office and one individual will be submitted as the conference nominee to the NCAA. A selection committee then selects the Top 30 – 10 from each division and, lastly, three finalists from each division. The Committee on Women's Athletics selects the winner from the Top 9. The 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced, and the Top 30 honorees celebrated, at the annual award ceremony Oct. 18 in Indianapolis.