Navy breaststroker/IM’er Ellen Bradford has been nominated for the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year award.
Bradford, who recently finished up her senior year with the Navy swim program, graduated in May first in her class on the Academic Order of Merit (22nd on Overall Order of Merit) with a 4.00 cumulative GPA. She majored in engineering, and earned an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship that she’ll use to help her earn a master’s in engineering at the Naval Postgraduate School. Once she finishes her graduate degree, she’ll serve as an nuclear submarine officer.
Bradford won First-Team All-Patriot League honors in all four years with the Mids. In her senior season, she finished 2nd in the 100 breast (1:01.83), 200 breast (2:13.87) and 200 IM (2:02.29) at the Patriot League Champs. That capped off her collegiate career, where she swam in the A final of every single individual event that she swam at the conference champs level, and won two Patriot League individual titles. She also slid under NCAA ‘B’ cuts in her sophomore, junior, and senior years.
To finish off her swimming career, Bradford will compete in the 100 breast at the upcoming U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha.
Each NCAA member is able to nominate one female student-athlete who has completed their eligibility to the conference level, and then each conference office reviews and submits its nominee to the NCAA. The NCAA then narrows the field to a Top 30 (10 from each of the NCAAs three divisions), and then to a top 9 (3 from each of the NCAAs three divisions). A winner is announced at the NCAA Woman of the Year awards dinner each fall.
The award is given based on criteria of academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership.
Clarion University diver Kristin Day was the 2015 recipient of the honor. The award have been won by swimming & diving athletes 11 times since it began in 1991, more than any other sport.
Past winners of the award: