INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA has released its 154 conference finalists for its annual Woman of the Year Award from a program-record 581 school nominees. From the Sun Belt, South Alabama’s Genesis Perrymond and UTA’s Rebekah VanDijk made the list.
The NCAA Woman of the Year award looks at four pillars in regards to student-athletes who are nominated: academics, athletics, service and leadership.
There were a total of 581 nominations by programs this year. The list was trimmed down to 154 conference finalists and next the selection committee will choose the top-10 honorees in each division, before selecting the top-three finalists for each division in the NCAA. The Committee on Women's Athletics will then select the 2018 NCAA Woman of the Year and the winner will be announced at a ceremony on Oct. 28 in Indianapolis, Ind.
USA’s Perrymond helped lead the women's basketball program to a big turnaround during her athletic career. Her first year on campus the team won five games. During her senior season, she helped the team to 21 victories, including 11 Sun Belt wins, and a semifinal appearance in the Women's Basketball Invitational, all of which were done for the first time since the 2003-04 season when the program had 22 victories and made its last postseason appearance.
Perrmyond graduated from South Alabama in the spring of 2018 with a 3.42 GPA while majoring in Biomedical Sciences.
In the community, Perrymond was active with many different organizations during her four years at South Alabama. She was the secretary for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for four years, a member of the Mortar Board National Honor Society for two years, volunteered with the Mobile Special Olympics and the L'arche Maarathon for three years, along with working with various other organizations.
UTA’s VanDijk, a four-time All- Sun Belt Conference selection, finished as one of the all-time greats in UTA history. She is at the top of the all-time rebounding list with 1,117 points and was third in scoring with 1,676 - the first player in program history with more than 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
VanDijk, a native of Nazareth, Texas, is also entrenched in the program's efforts for community service. Helping the Mavericks win the SBC Community Service Initiative for three consecutive years as a member of the UTA SAAC Leadership Team, VanDijk has been active in giving back. She has accumulated countless hours in the community, serving as a part of the SAAC team as well as on her own with services that include visiting local hospitals, traveling to Africa and giving back in the Arlington community.
Having completed her playing career in March, she continues to be a part of the Lady Maverick program as a Student Coach.