McCormack Nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year
GREENSBORO, N.C. – University of Miami diver Kara McCormack was selected by the Atlantic Coast Conference as one of two nominees for the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
Now in its 26th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year program honors graduating female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership. From the group of nominees, the top 10 will be chosen from each NCAA division in September. The selection committee will then determine the top three from each division to make up the final nine finalists. The national winner will be announced during the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year awards event on Sunday, October 16 in Indianapolis.
Duke’s Lauren Blazing (field hockey) was the other ACC nominee.
McCormack was one of three Miami women’s divers to qualify for the 2016 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships. A three-time All-American and the 2013 ACC Women’s Diver of the Year, McCormack competed in 1-meter (258.75) and 3-meter (282.75) dives at the 2016 NCAAs after missing all of last season while recovering from surgery.
The Austin, Texas, native represented Miami at the 2012 United States Olympic Trials for diving and became the first diver in program history to win the high point award at the 2014 United States Diving Winter Nationals.
A mathematics major who holds both graduate and undergraduate degrees from Miami, McCormack is now pursuing her Ph.D with a focus on medical field research. A four-time member of the All-ACC Swimming & Diving Academic Team and the ACC Honor Roll,
McCormack has served as Miami’s ACC Student Athletic Advisory Council representative and a USA Diving Rule Committee athlete representative. Her other activities include the “pen pal” program at a local elementary school and work with the National Parks Service.
Blazing and McCormack emerged as the ACC’s 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year candidates following a vote of the league’s 15 member schools. The strong list of ACC nominees also included Boston College’s Haley Skarupa (ice hockey), Duke’s Megan Clark (track & field), Florida State’s Hannah Acton (track & field), Louisville’s Kelsi Worrell (swimming & diving), Miami’s Stephanie Wagner (tennis), North Carolina’s Paige Neuenfeldt (volleyball and basketball), NC State’s Alexis Perry (track and field) and Kaitlyn Kramer (cross country and track & field), Notre Dame’s Molly Seidel (cross country and track & field), Pitt’s Amanda Orchard (volleyball), Syracuse’s Kayla Treanor (lacrosse) and Virginia’s Courtney Bartholomew (swimming & diving).
Of the nominees for the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year Award, 231 competed in Division I, 117 competed in Division II and 169 competed in Division III. The 517 total nominees are the most in the history of the award. The nominees represent 21 different women’s sports, and 127 of the nominees competed in more than one sport in college.
