Recent Seattle University graduate Ana Gutierrez (Las Cruces, N.M.), a four-year standout on the women’s soccer team, has been named one of the top 30 nominees for the NCAA Woman of the Year award, announced Tuesday morning by the national office.
Now in its 17th year, the Woman of the Year award honors exceptional female student-athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics and community leadership, and have completed their collegiate athletics eligibility. A committee comprised of representatives from NCAA member schools and conferences selected the top 30 out of 128 conference and independent nominees.
Capping a four-year span in which she helped the Seattle University women's soccer team to a 58-17-8 record, Gutierrez anchored the defense as the Redhawks finished the 2006 season with a 15-3-2 record, including an 8-1-1 record in conference games that led to Seattle University's first GNAC title since 2001. She became the third women’s soccer player in conference history to be voted First Team All-GNAC four consecutive years, and she moved on to play 11 matches for the San Diego Sunwaves of the USL W-League over the summer.
Previously named both and GNAC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Gutierrez graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and Spanish, finishing her undergraduate studies with a 3.905 cumulative GPA. She became the first student-athlete since 1985 to earn CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America honors, plus she was a three-time Academic All-GNAC selection as well as a two-time CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District honoree.
In addition to her athletic and academic accomplishments, Gutierrez was involved in numerous community services and campus activities during her collegiate career. She was a volunteer at the El Centro de La Raza Community Center and tutored at both Marshall Elementary School and at the Muckleshoot Indian Reservation at various times in her collegiate career. She was also involved in campus ministry as a Eucharistic minister.
A national winner ? the NCAA Woman of the Year ? will be selected by the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics from among nine finalists. The top nine finalists will be announced in September. The 2007 Woman of the Year will be announced during the annual awards dinner Oct. 27 in .