NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Recent Saint Joseph's graduate Kayla Flanders is among the nominees for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year Award. The women's soccer standout is one of 17 student-athletes nominated from Atlantic 10 Conference institutions.

A four-year letterwinner, Flanders appeared in 15 matches with nine starts on defense this past season, helping Saint Joseph's advance to the semifinals of the A-10 Championship and earn its eight conference postseason berth in the past nine year. Along with her success on the field, the chemical biology major flourished in the classroom as a member of Saint Joseph's prestigious McNulty Scholars' program that helps female students become leaders who reach the highest echelons of the STEM professions, while also earning A-10 All-Academic Team honors twice. A 2022 CSC Academic All-District Team honoree, Flanders was also awarded the prestigious DAAD-RISE professional scholarship.

One of the most prestigious NCAA awards, the Woman of the Year Award was established in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics. Now in its 33rd year, the NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.

Per the NCAA, all conference-level nominees are advanced to the Woman of the Year selection committee. The selection committee will choose the top 10 honorees in each division. From among those 30 honorees, the selection committee will determine the three finalists in each division. Finally, the members of the Committee on Women's Athletics will vote from among the top nine finalists to determine the 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year. The top 30 honorees will be honored, and the 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced this fall.