Lynn’s Chambers Named a Top-9 Finalist for NCAA Woman of the Year
It started with 446 school nominees from all three NCAA Divisions but now it has come down to nine. The NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee announced today Lynn University women’s golf alum Ellen Chambers has been selected as a Top-9 Finalist for the 2014 Woman of the Year Award. The winner is to be announced Sunday, October 19 at the NCAA Woman of the Year awards dinner in Indianapolis, Ind.
Chambers is the first Top-9 finalist in school history, seventh for the Sunshine State Conference and the first finalist in the league since Barry University’s Grace Collins in 2012.The former Fighting Knight is looking to become the first Division II winner. Since the award was established in 1991, three have come from Division III and 20 from Division I.
Three women from each NCAA division were selected to form the nine finalists. Their college athletics careers are marked by outstanding achievements in the pillars of the Woman of the Year award: academics, athletics, community service and leadership. Joining Chambers from Division II are Jackie Sileo, a women’s lacrosse student-athlete from Long Island University-Post and softball student-athlete Bailey Vrazel from Texas Women’s University.
“I am beyond thrilled and very honored to be selected as a finalist for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award,” Chambers said. “I attribute this recognition to the unwavering support of my coach, my teammates, the entire Lynn University athletics department and my professors over the past four years, who have allowed me to grow and develop in the spirit of service, both as a student and an athlete.”
The NCAA established the Woman of the Year Award in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics. Now in its 24th year, the award is unique because it recognizes not only the athletics achievements of outstanding young women, but also their academic achievements, community service and leadership.
“Lynn University is proud of Ellen Chambers for her resilience to overcome challenges, her commitment to better herself through all opportunities and her diligence toward her academic interests and her golf career,” said Director of Athletics Dr. Kristen Migliano. “Ellen excelled academically and athletically at Lynn University and developed a strong foundation that will serve her well in her future pursuits.”
Chambers was a member of the No. 1 Lynn women’s golf team, which won back-to-back national championships in 2013 and 2014. She also helped lead the Fighting Knights to their first-ever SSC Women’s Golf Championship in 2014.
The international relations major held a perfect 4.0 grade-point average and was named the 2014 NCAA Elite 89 Award recipient at the Division II women’s golf championship in May. She was runner-up for the same award in 2013. Chambers was also named to the Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-America At-Large First Team. Most recently, the senior was named the 2014 Lynn University Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Chambers claimed individual medalist honors at the 2014 NCAA Division II South/Southeast Super Regional after winning with a three-round score of 218 (+2). She was later named 2014 WGCA All-America Honorable Mention and to the WGCA All-South Region team.
Lynn finished the season undefeated against all NCAA Division II opponents and won a Division II record 11 tournaments. The Fighting Knights tied a SSC record with seven consecutive tournament victories during 2014.
Away from the course, Chambers was a four-year member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee joined the Lynn University College Democrats while serving Organizing for America, and served as Vice President of the International Affairs Society for two years. Chambers volunteered at the 2012 U.S. General Election Final Presidential Debate, after which she was selected to provide a number of local, national and international interviews discussing foreign policy. She also spent two years mentoring female high school students with Lynn’s Leading Ladies.
Additionally, Chambers presented research at the 20th Annual Women and Society Conference. She was inducted into the Lynn University Honors Society in 2012, and represented Lynn University at the University of Pennsylvania’s Model United Nationals conference. She presented to the Broadcast Education Association Regional Conference in 2013 and was inducted into the Lynn University President’s Honor Society.
“I am ecstatic for Ellen [Chambers] because this is an award that she truly deserves,” added Senior Woman Administrator and Assistant Athletics Director Sara Quatrocky. “She has left an amazing legacy here at Lynn University; one that she can be proud while setting the standard for future student-athletes.”
Annually, NCAA member schools from all three divisions nominate their own woman of the year. To be eligible, these women must have competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport and must have completed eligibility in their primary sport. Conferences then select a conference honoree from their list of school nominees.
Ten women from each of the three divisions make up the top 30, spanning various NCAA sports. The top 30 honorees reflect the pillars of the Woman of the Year award: outstanding achievements in academics, athletics, community service and leadership.
