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Blazing an ACC Nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year
DURHAM, N.C. – Duke University graduate Lauren Blazing has been selected by the ACC as one of the conference’s two nominees for the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
Now in its 26th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year program honors graduating female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership. From the group of nominees, the top 10 will be chosen from each NCAA division in September. The selection committee will then determine the top three from each division to make up the final nine finalists. The national winner will be announced during the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year awards event on Sunday, October 16 in Indianapolis.
Blazing, who hails from Durham, N.C., wrapped up her collegiate career on a high note in 2015, earning first team All-America distinction from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA). She was also a first team NFHCA All-South Region and All-ACC selection while anchoring Duke to the NCAA semifinals for the second time in three seasons. Over her four years in goal, Blazing compiled a 49-29 ledger and became just the seventh player in program history to earn All-America accolades on three or more occasions. She rounded out her career ranked third at Duke in career saves (385) and goals against average (1.46). She has also represented the program on the international level as a member of the U.S. women’s national team, earning her first international cap in February.
Blazing’s numerous academic laurels include garnering first team Academic All-America distinction from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) this spring. It marked the third consecutive year Blazing was a first team selection to the Division I Women’s At-Large Team. She also received a Heidrick Family Postgraduate Scholarship from Duke and an ACC postgraduate scholarship, in addition to being named the ACC Field Hockey Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second straight season. At last fall’s NCAA Field Hockey Championship banquet, Blazing was named the recipient of an Elite 90 Award, presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average participating in the finals of each of the NCAA’s championships.
Blazing and Miami diver Kara McCormack emerged as the ACC’s 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year candidates following a vote of the league’s 15 member schools.
Of the nominees for the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year Award, 231 competed in Division I, 117 competed in Division II and 169 competed in Division III. The 517 total nominees are the most in the history of the award. The nominees represent 21 different women’s sports, and 127 of the nominees competed in more than one sport in college.
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