HAVERFORD, Pa. – Jacquelyne Pizzuto '15 has been announced as a nominee for the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year. Pizzutto, a recent graduate from the women's basketball program, is one of a record-breaking 480 student-athletes that were nominated across the country. Of the record 480 entrants, 180 of these female-student athletes come from Division III schools.
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.
Pizzuto graduates as the leader of the winningest class in program history. A two-time team captain, Pizzuto guided the Fords to their first four playoff appearances in program history. She earned All-Centennial Conference accolades during each of her final three seasons, including first-team All-CC honors during her senior campaign when she led her NCAA Division III peers in assist to turnover ratio. The point guard also captained the women's basketball team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance and victory during the 2013-14 season.
Embodying the ideals of NCAA Woman of the Year representatives, Pizzuto was recently selected as Haverford's Gregory Kannerstein '63 Award recipient. That honor is awarded to a graduating senior student-athlete whose combination of outstanding athletic achievement and leadership has been a significant factor in a team's competitive success and whose level of performance has brought distinction not only to the individual but also the entire athletic program. On top of her NCAA statistical championship from this season, Pizzuto graduates as the program's leader in assists (407), three-point field goal percentage (.361), free throw percentage (.846), assists per game (3.8), minutes played (3.585), and games played (106).
Off the basketball court, Pizzuto was named to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll three times during her career and graduated from Haverford College with a degree in Psychology and minor in Neuroscience. Her volunteer activities during college include assisting with the Joe Schwartz Run, where she served on the committee to organize the race. She has also participated in the ALS Walk in Richmond during the past three years. The recent graduate has also been instrumental in organizing various Special Olympics events for the Delco Chapter and supporting the ALS Billy Lake Basketball marathon.
The NCAA encourages member schools to honor its top graduating female student-athletes each year by submitting their names for consideration for the Woman of the Year award. Then, conferences assess each nominee's eligibility and select up to two conference nominees. All conference nominees are forwarded to the Woman of the Year selection committee, which chooses the top 30 honorees – 10 from each division.
From the top 30, the selection committee determines the top three nominees from each division and announces the top nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then chooses from among those nine to determine the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year.
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.