CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 26, 2019 – Recent graduates Gorana Bogdanovic and Jakeyah McNeil excelled both on and off the field while at Johnson C. Smith University and have been honored as nominees for the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year Award following outstanding careers as Johnson C. Smith student-athletes.
Bogdanovic, a former member of the Golden Bull bowling team, graduated with honors, with a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management. Her experiences as a scholar-athlete, and a leader has influenced her life and empowered her to have a positive impact in the campus community. She has been on the Dean's List for the Fall of 2017, Spring of 2018, Fall of 2018 and Spring of 2019.
Bogdanovic, was inducted into the Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society, in March of 2018, and was awarded the JCSU Certificate of Achievement for Highest Grade Point Average in Business Administration and Economics.
McNeil, a four-year letterman on the women's basketball team, graduated with honors, with a degree in Sports Management with a minor in Sports Medicine. McNeil's experiences as a scholar-athlete and a leader on campus and in the community has influenced her life greatly. She was awarded the James B. Duke Academic Scholarship and was inducted into the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor's Society during her tenure at Johnson C. Smith University.
McNeil, maintained a high GPA all four years, making an appearance on the Dean's List once and the President's List six times. Due to her outstanding academic success, she was accepted to attend the U.S. Olympic FLAME Diversity & Inclusion Program in Colorado Springs, CO.
Established in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year award recognizes graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
The NCAA encourages member schools to honor their top graduating female student-athletes each year by submitting their names for consideration for the Woman of the Year award.
The nominees competed in 23 different sports across all three NCAA divisions, including 262 from Division I, 131 from Division II and 192 from Division III. Multisport student-athletes account for 144 of the nominees.
Next, conferences will select up to two nominees each from the pool of school nominees. Then, the Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will choose the Top 30 honorees — 10 from each division.
The selection committee will determine the top three honorees from each division from the Top 30 and announce the nine finalists in September. From those nine finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then will choose the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year.
The Top 30 honorees will be celebrated, and the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year will be named at the annual award ceremony Oct. 20 in Indianapolis.
