Indianapolis, Ind. – There were 585 NCAA Woman of the Year nominees from all three Divisions at the beginning. Three weeks ago the list was whittled down to 30, and today, the NCAA announced Lynn University women’s golf alumna Kristina Ortiz as a Top-9 Finalist for the 2019 Woman of the Year Award. The winner will be announced Sunday, Oct. 20, at a ceremony in Indianapolis.
Ortiz is the second Top-9 Finalist in school history, the fourth for the Sunshine State Conference and first in the league since Lynn’s Ellen Chambers in 2014. The former Fighting Knight is vying to become the fifth winner from Division II, and first since Kristin Day from Clarion University (swimming & diving) in 2015. Since the award was established, 19 winners have hailed from Division I and five from Division III.
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 Ortiz from Division II are Chelsea Abreu from Adelphi (lacrosse) and athlete Hailey Tucker from Southwestern Oklahoma State University (basketball). Division I’s nominees are Virginia Elena Carta (golf) of Duke, Angela Mercurio (indoor/outdoor track and field) from Nebraska and Ginny Thrasher (rifle) of West Virginia. Division III nominees include Monica Feeley (field hockey) of Vassar, Swarthmore’s Marin McCoy (soccer) and Hannah Orbach-Mandel (swimming and diving) from Kenyon.
“I am so proud and honored to be named as one of the Top-9 finalists for NCAA Woman of the Year,” Ortiz said. “To be considered for this award with so many talented female student-athletes is very humbling. My journey to this point has included many impactful people from my family to the coaches, administrators and professors at Lynn. My time as a Fighting Knight has shaped me into the person I am today and will guide me into the future.”
The NCAA established the Woman of the Year Award in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics. Now in its 29th 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.
Ortiz graduated from Lynn in Spring 2019 with a 3.93 grade point average in international business management. Her classroom acumen earned her Google Cloud Academic All-America Third Team recognition in 2019 while she has also been honored as a two-time Google Cloud First Team All-District selection and four-time Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-American Scholar as well as SSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient.
The Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, native put forth an incredible senior season in which she was tabbed WGCA Second Team All-America, WGCA First Team All-South Region and SSC Second Team All-Conference. Ortiz posted a 74.82 stroke average with six top-10 finishes, both personal bests, and ended her career with the Blue & White as the record holder for career rounds played and fourth in scoring average.
In addition to the personal accolades, Ortiz guided the Fighting Knights to the second SSC Championship and the third NCAA South Regional title in program history. Lynn ended the year with a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championship, the team’s first national title appearance since 2015.
While her athletic and academic plaudits are impressive, her time spent promoting change within the administrative and community ranks may be her most extraordinary accomplishments. She has been an integral part of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) at the university, conference and national levels, serving as Lynn’s Co-President of SAAC since 2016, being named the SSC’s SAAC President in 2017 and representing the league as the national representative beginning in 2017. Additionally, she served on Lynn’s Athletic Council, the NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct and the Division II Management Council.
Within the South Florida community, Ortiz has been a part of many organizations to help those in need, including spearheading two Make-A-Wish Wishmaker campaigns and working with Feeding South Florida, 4ocean beach cleanup, Stratford retirement home and many others.
About the Fighting Knights
Lynn University’s national champion Fighting Knights compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, softball, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and volleyball. The university’s 19 intercollegiate teams are home to nearly 300 student athletes. Lynn is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II institution and winner of 25 national championships and 42 Sunshine State Conference titles. Representing spirit, service and strength, the Fighting Knights strive for greatness through athletic performance and academic excellence. For more information, visit: lynnfightingknights.com.
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