POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Marist graduate Michelle Gaye has been named a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference honoree for NCAA Woman of the Year.
Gaye is one of 147 student-athletes across Division I, II and III in contention for NCAA Woman of the Year. This field will be narrowed to 30 – 10 in each division – by the Woman of the Year selection committee, and is scheduled to be announced in early September. Nine finalists, with three in each division, will be chosen by this group by the end of September. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will vote on the NCAA Woman of the Year among the nine finalists. The top 30 will be honored and the Woman of the Year will be named at a ceremony in Indianapolis on Oct. 18.
Gaye finished her athletic career as the top distance runner in program history. In the 2014-15 school year, she became the first runner in program history to win an individual ECAC championship in cross country and qualify for NCAA Regionals in outdoor track & field. Gaye also is the first runner in program history to finish in the top 10 of the MAAC Cross Country Championships four times. She holds the school record in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters indoors, as well as the 5,000 and 10,000 meters outdoors. Gaye was named Female Sportsperson of the Year at this year's Marist Senior Awards Banquet.
In the 2014-15 school year, Gaye was named CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-District, earned U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association All-Academic honors, and was named Student of the Month by the Marist Student-Athlete Enhancement Center. Gaye was a three-year MAAC All-Academic Team selection. She graduated in May with a degree in Business Administration/Finance.
Gaye was active in community service activities in her time at Marist. She participated in the Girl Scouts Sports Sampler, Haviland Middle School Sportsmanship Day, Run for Home Charity Race, the Red Fox Trot, Teach for America Pen Pal Program, the Hunger Walk, Poughkeepsie Children's Home Halloween Night, and Nassau Spackenkill Elementary School “No Name Call Week.”
The NCAA Woman of the Year award is in its 25th year. It recognizes graduating female student-athletes for excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership.
