2014 NCAA Woman of the Year Top 30 honorees
INDIANAPOLIS – Former Cedarville University women’s soccer student-athlete Deanne Bradshaw of Troy, Mich., received prestigious status as one of 30 honorees in the running for the 2014 NCAA Woman of the Year following an official announcement on Tuesday.
Bradshaw represents the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) and advanced from the original field of 130 conference-winning nominees. She is now one of the top 30 (composed of 10 honorees from each NCAA division) eligible to become one of nine finalists in the stage of the voting process.
The 2014 NCAA Woman of the Year will be chosen among the nine finalists by the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics. The nine finalists will be unveiled later this month.
Bradshaw is scheduled to be in attendance for an awards dinner to celebrate achievements and accomplishments on Sunday, October 19, in Indianapolis.
“It’s incredible and such an honor and a blessing -- I’m really thankful for it,” Bradshaw said. “There are so many amazing and deserving female student-athletes out there; it’s very special to be in the top 30.”
An organizational communication major at Cedarville, Bradshaw was a standout four-year letterwinner for the Yellow Jackets as a midfielder from 2010-2013 and served as captain during her senior campaign.
She was a First Team All-G-MAC selection as a junior and her athletic prowess matched the relentless academic and community service drive that complement her as a person. Her career resulted in 74 games played with eight goals and six assists.
Bradshaw graduated in May with a 3.94 GPA with multiple high honors that included being an NCCAA Scholar-Athlete, G-MAC Academic All-Conference Team pick and making the Cedarville Dean’s Honor List for all seven semesters.
Her passion for serving stems from the influence of others, including staff and faculty at Cedarville, a Christ-centered institution, and a personal relationship cultivated with Jesus Christ.
Bradshaw is relocating soon to London, England, for a one-year training program with a program called XLP (Xcel Project) affiliated with Urban Ministry. This opportunity will allow her to work with a church and youth group while taking classes about urban ministry and theology while serving the community.
Her work will also involve going to inner-city London to mentor and tutor kids from different schools.
Last year, Bradshaw volunteered at the Greene County Juvenile Detention Center, an eye-opening experience that provided one-on-one interaction for two-hour intervals. She had a chance to understand, listen and teach.
“Cedarville is an amazing school and I loved being a part of the soccer team,” she reflected. “It was the best group of girls I know and there are so many opportunities for us to serve there. I think that the most beautiful way to spend your life is to give back to others.”
The NCAA established the Woman of the Year Award in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics. Now in its 24th year, the award is unique because it recognizes not only the athletics achievements of outstanding young women, but also their academic achievements, community service and leadership.
Annually, NCAA member schools from all three divisions nominate 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. Conferences then select a conference honoree from their list of school nominees.