Kristin Lewicki Nominated for the Prestigious 2016-17 NCAA Woman of the Year Award
INDIANAPOLIS--The National Collegiate Athletic Association Committee on Women's Athletics Tuesday announced that recent Adrian College graduate Kristin Lewicki (Moundsville, W. Va./Pittsburgh Seals) is on the list of nominees for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year award.
The NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the four pillars of excellence in academic achievement, athletics ability, service and leadership. Student-athletes are nominated only once in their career by their school. There are a record 543 nominees for this year's NCAA Woman of the Year consideration, and Lewicki is one of just three ice hockey players among 197 Division III student-athletes. (There are also five D-I hockey student-athletes nominated.)
"I am honored to be nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year award," Lewicki said. "As an athlete, I learned at a young age how to balance my studies with my athletic endeavors. This has instilled in me the concept of planning ahead and scheduling my activities to achieve my commitments in a timely fashion." She says it's incredible to be recognized in the mix.
Adrian head coach Chad Davis added: "I am proud to call Kristin Lewicki a Bulldog alum. She embodies everything we look for in a student-athlete. She is humble, hard-working and the most skilled player in our program's history. Off the ice she is kind, gives back to community and leads through actions."
In March, Lewicki completed a decorated career as a four-year member of the Adrian women's hockey team which compiled a 92-15-6 record for an .841 winning percentage, went 60-7-5 (.868) in conference play, won five Northern Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season and tournament championships, and twice appeared in the NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Championship during her tenure. She earned five All-America citations and was named to the all-conference team every year, while leaving with 15 school records under her belt.
Lewicki saved her best season for last as the senior led the Bulldogs to the 2017 national title game. She led the nation with 66 total points on 32 goals and 34 assists, scored 11 power-play goals, and had nine game-winning tallies--all school records. For her efforts, the forward was named the NCHA Player of the Year, U.S. College Hockey Online Division III Women's Player of the Year, and first-team All-America by USCHO.com and American Hockey Coaches Association.
"Kristin excelled in high pressure situations and carried the team to a National Championship run. She was one of the most dynamic players in the country," stated Davis.
Lewicki was instrumental in the Bulldogs' perfect 18-0 worksheet in NCHA play this season, the first unbeaten and untied conference record in league history. She scored 44 points in 18 conference games for a NCHA record. She scored the game-winning, overtime goal against Gustavus Adolphus to put the Bulldogs into the title game.
With school bests of 90 goals and 89 assists, Lewicki is the NCHA's all-time leading scorer with 179 total points to finish her career as the sixth-leading scorer in D-III women's hockey history.
Lewicki graduated this spring with a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice with a minor in business administration. She's a member of the criminal justice Alpha Phi Sigma Honor Society.
Lewicki and her Adrian teammates were very involved with their community by volunteering their time to help others in need and partnering with charitable organizations. Some of their community service included Graze to Raise 5-Kilometer Walk, Taste for Cancer charity, Katherine Cobb Domestic Violence Awareness and Lenawee County Humane Society Drive. On the ice, the Bulldogs held Learn to Play sessions to help local kids develop their hockey skills, Skate Like a Girl clinics to serve as role models for aspiring young female hockey players, hosted Boys and Girls Club Day (invited youth to Bulldog hockey games for free), and conducted a Pink the Rink game (collected donations and auctioned items for cancer awareness). They also mentored children at Lincoln and Prairie elementary schools. She also helped lead efforts to clean apartments around campus.
Lewicki has big plans for her future after putting up big numbers and achieving impressive credentials as a student-athlete.
"My goal is to work in Federal Government. I want to make an impact by showing that women can be as successful in this field as men. I plan to work hard to work my way up the ladder to protect our country. I also hope to (have the opportunity to play professionally and) be a member of the National Women's Hockey League," she said.
The selection committee will choose the top 10 honorees in each division, and announced in early September. From among those 30 candidates, the selection committee will determine the top three in each division to be released later that month. Finally, the members of the Committee on Women's Athletics will vote from among the top nine finalists to determine the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year.
The top 10 honorees from Divisions I, II and III, including the nine overall finalists, will be honored, and the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year winner announced, at a dinner Oct. 22 in Indianapolis.
#NCAAWOTY #AdrianBulldogs #BulldogProud #GoDawgs