TicketsCINCINNATI – Two University of Cincinnati student-athletes are among a record 605 women that have been nominated for the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year Award the governing body announced Tuesday. Hannah Markel of track & field and cross country and Jordan Thompson of volleyball are this year's nominees from UC and are eligible to be selected as the American Athletic Conference's nominees for the national award.
Rooted in Title IX, the NCAA Woman of the Year Award was established in 1991 to recognize graduating female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers. The nominees represent all three NCAA divisions, including 259 nominees from Division I, 126 from Division II and 220 from Division III. Nominees competed in 24 sports, with multi-sport student-athletes accounting for 128 of the nominees.
// MORE ON MARKEL
During her time with the Bearcats, Markel has been an all-around success as she excelled in and out of competition. Back in March, that was solidified as she was named the 2020 recipient of the University's C-Ring Women's Leadership Award, which is given annually to one graduating senior woman that represents a legacy of UC undergraduate women who exemplify advocacy for women and girls, a commitment to the University and the community, and academic excellence. She is believed to be the first student-athlete to receive the honor, one that dates back to 1922.
Along with her initiative – Inspire, Equip, Connect (aimed at building resiliency in female student-athletes by equipping them with the strategies they need to overcome failure – Markel carried a 3.598 GPA while also competing in both cross country and track. In her senior season that was cut short because the COVID-19 pandemic, Markel played a big role in the women's cross country team fifth-place finish at the AAC Championships – the program's best finish since 2000 – as she finished 14th overall and earned AAC All-Conference accolades. On the indoor track, she broke school record in the 3,000m run with a time of 9:40.55 that placed her seventh at the conference meet. Earlier in the season, she ran 17:26.16 in the 5,000m and 4:55.20 in the mile to record the #8 and #3 times in program history, respectively.
Markel will be back on campus this year as a graduate student and will continue to compete for the Bearcats. Outside of competition, she will once again serve on UC's Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) Executive Board, this time serving as the Diversity and Inclusion officer after serving as the Communications Officer last year.
// MORE ON THOMPSON
The 2019 season saw one of the most dominant performances in program history turned in by Thompson as the redshirt senior made a name for herself both on the collegiate and international stages. With the Bearcats, Thompson helped the team to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in program history and the #19 final ranking in the AVCA Coaches' Poll to end the season ranked for the first time ever. Individually, Thompson was named to the 2019 AVCA All-America First Team after being selected the AVCA North Region Player of the Year and the AAC Player of the Year. A CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team honoree, Thompson ended her career ranked seventh all-time in kills in the NCAA after leading the nation in kills, points, kills per set and points per set as a senior. Included in that tally was a 50-kill performance against ECU, making her just the sixth player in NCAA history to record 50+ in a match.
A member of the U.S. National Team that won the Volleyball Nations League over the summer to qualify Team USA for the Olympic Games, Thompson also was active in her community away from the court. A three-year member of SAAC (2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20), Thompson was a student leader with campus ministry and conducted student-athlete Bible studies throughout her time at UC. Following her career, she was honored with UC's Helen Norman Smith Award, which annually honors a female senior student-athlete who demonstrated over the course of her career academic achievement, outstanding contributions and/or excellence in athletic performance in their sport and documented community service.
// PREVIOUSLY NOMINATED
Dating back to 2016, UC has now nominated nine individuals for the illustrious award with many hailing from the track & field/cross country program. Previous nominees included Ericka Hurd (TF) and Emma Roberson (VB) in 2016; Juliana Madzia (TF/XC), a Top 30 selection, in 2017; Kellsa Mbah (TF) and Jordan Cotleur (WSOC), a conference nominee, in 2018; and Loretta Blaut (TF) and Annette Echikunwoke (TF) in 2019.
// MORE ON THE AWARD
Conference offices will select up to two nominees each from their pool of member school nominees. All nominees who compete in a sport not sponsored by their school's primary conference, as well as associate conference nominees and independent nominees, will be considered by a selection committee. Then, the Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will choose the Top 30 honorees — 10 from each division.
From the Top 30, the Woman of the Year selection committee will determine the top three honorees in each division and announce nine finalists. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then will choose the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year, who will be named this fall. For more information on the award, visit: http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/events/awards/ncaa-woman-year-nomination-and-award-process
Rooted in Title IX, the NCAA Woman of the Year Award was established in 1991 to recognize graduating female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers. The nominees represent all three NCAA divisions, including 259 nominees from Division I, 126 from Division II and 220 from Division III. Nominees competed in 24 sports, with multi-sport student-athletes accounting for 128 of the nominees.
// MORE ON MARKEL
During her time with the Bearcats, Markel has been an all-around success as she excelled in and out of competition. Back in March, that was solidified as she was named the 2020 recipient of the University's C-Ring Women's Leadership Award, which is given annually to one graduating senior woman that represents a legacy of UC undergraduate women who exemplify advocacy for women and girls, a commitment to the University and the community, and academic excellence. She is believed to be the first student-athlete to receive the honor, one that dates back to 1922.
Along with her initiative – Inspire, Equip, Connect (aimed at building resiliency in female student-athletes by equipping them with the strategies they need to overcome failure – Markel carried a 3.598 GPA while also competing in both cross country and track. In her senior season that was cut short because the COVID-19 pandemic, Markel played a big role in the women's cross country team fifth-place finish at the AAC Championships – the program's best finish since 2000 – as she finished 14th overall and earned AAC All-Conference accolades. On the indoor track, she broke school record in the 3,000m run with a time of 9:40.55 that placed her seventh at the conference meet. Earlier in the season, she ran 17:26.16 in the 5,000m and 4:55.20 in the mile to record the #8 and #3 times in program history, respectively.
Markel will be back on campus this year as a graduate student and will continue to compete for the Bearcats. Outside of competition, she will once again serve on UC's Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) Executive Board, this time serving as the Diversity and Inclusion officer after serving as the Communications Officer last year.
// MORE ON THOMPSON
The 2019 season saw one of the most dominant performances in program history turned in by Thompson as the redshirt senior made a name for herself both on the collegiate and international stages. With the Bearcats, Thompson helped the team to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in program history and the #19 final ranking in the AVCA Coaches' Poll to end the season ranked for the first time ever. Individually, Thompson was named to the 2019 AVCA All-America First Team after being selected the AVCA North Region Player of the Year and the AAC Player of the Year. A CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team honoree, Thompson ended her career ranked seventh all-time in kills in the NCAA after leading the nation in kills, points, kills per set and points per set as a senior. Included in that tally was a 50-kill performance against ECU, making her just the sixth player in NCAA history to record 50+ in a match.
A member of the U.S. National Team that won the Volleyball Nations League over the summer to qualify Team USA for the Olympic Games, Thompson also was active in her community away from the court. A three-year member of SAAC (2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20), Thompson was a student leader with campus ministry and conducted student-athlete Bible studies throughout her time at UC. Following her career, she was honored with UC's Helen Norman Smith Award, which annually honors a female senior student-athlete who demonstrated over the course of her career academic achievement, outstanding contributions and/or excellence in athletic performance in their sport and documented community service.
// PREVIOUSLY NOMINATED
Dating back to 2016, UC has now nominated nine individuals for the illustrious award with many hailing from the track & field/cross country program. Previous nominees included Ericka Hurd (TF) and Emma Roberson (VB) in 2016; Juliana Madzia (TF/XC), a Top 30 selection, in 2017; Kellsa Mbah (TF) and Jordan Cotleur (WSOC), a conference nominee, in 2018; and Loretta Blaut (TF) and Annette Echikunwoke (TF) in 2019.
// MORE ON THE AWARD
Conference offices will select up to two nominees each from their pool of member school nominees. All nominees who compete in a sport not sponsored by their school's primary conference, as well as associate conference nominees and independent nominees, will be considered by a selection committee. Then, the Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will choose the Top 30 honorees — 10 from each division.
From the Top 30, the Woman of the Year selection committee will determine the top three honorees in each division and announce nine finalists. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then will choose the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year, who will be named this fall. For more information on the award, visit: http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/events/awards/ncaa-woman-year-nomination-and-award-process