Mackie named a top 30 honoree for NCAA Woman of the Year

PROVO, Utah – BYU women’s track national champion Nachelle Mackie has been selected as a top 30 honoree for the 2013 NCAA Woman of the Year award. Ten women from each of the three divisions make up the top  30, spanning various NCAA sports.

“It’s very exciting for me to receive this honor,” Mackie said. “It has allowed me to reflect back on my career and to remember all that I accomplished as a student-athlete at BYU. It’s a great honor and I’m very grateful to the NCAA.”

The Spanish Fork, Utah, native had one of the most successful individual seasons in BYU history in 2012 as she was the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor 800-meter national champion. At the Indoor Championships in Nampa, Idaho, she won with a school record time of 2:03.30.

At the Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, Mackie won with a time of 2:01.06, the second-fastest outdoor 800-meter mark in BYU history. She is the only Cougar to win national championships in the same event at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the same year.

In addition to her national championships in 2012, Mackie earned All-America honors in the distance medley relay and was the 800-meter champion at the MPSF Indoor Championships.

Following her stellar season, Mackie was named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America® Division I Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Team. Mackie majored in elementary education and graduated with a 3.98 GPA.

“Nachelle has always been an example of what a student-athlete is all about,” said longtime BYU track coach Patrick Shane. “Her athletic performance – winning two national championships – was remarkable. Academically, she maintained a nearly perfect GPA. She represents our university very well. I’m very proud of her and happy that she’s been given this honor by the NCAA.”

In September, three finalists from each division will be selected to form the nine finalists for the award. The 2013 Woman of the Year will be announced at an annual ceremony in Indianapolis on Oct. 20.

The top 30 honorees reflect the pillars of the Woman of the Year award, with outstanding achievements in academics, athletics, community service and leadership.

• Cumulatively, the top 30 earned a 3.79 grade-point average and nearly 50 Academic All-America honors.
• The top 30 earned 12 national championships (individual and team) and more than 80 All-America honors.
• The top 30 volunteered for 365 organizations during their college careers.
• Many served as team captains and held leadership positions in various campus and community organizations.

About the award

The NCAA established the Woman of the Year Award in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics. Now in its 23rd year, the award is unique because it recognizes not only the athletic achievements of outstanding young women, but also their academic achievements, community service and leadership.

NCAA member institutions from all three divisions nominated their own woman of the year. To be eligible, these women must have competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport and must have completed eligibility in their primary sport.

More than 450 female student-athletes, spanning NCAA Divisions I, II and III, were nominated for the 23rd annual NCAA Woman of the Year award.

In July, more than 140 NCAA female student-athletes representing multiple sports across NCAA Divisions I, II and III were selected as 2013 Woman of the Year honorees by their conferences and by independent schools.

Past Winners of NCAA Woman of the Year