TEMPE, Ariz. – Sun Devil Triathlon's Charlotte Ahrens and Sun Devil Swimming & Diving's Silja Kansakoski were selected as NCAA Woman of the Year conference-level nominees, the NCAA announced earlier this week.
The Sun Devil pair make up two of the 161 college athletes that were named conference-level nominees, 59 of which come from Division I. Representatives from 21 different sports spanning all three NCAA Divisions have moved on to the next round of consideration. Having two conference-level nominees puts the Sun Devils in elite company. Arizona State is the only school in Division I to have multiple student-athletes make this stage of the voting process. ASU is one of only three NCAA schools regardless of Division to earn the distinction.
The NCAA Woman of the Year program is a Title IX initiative that has recognized graduating female college athletes for excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership since its inception in 1991. Conferences can recognize two nominees if at least one is a woman of color or international student-athlete.
Swimming & Diving's Silja Kansakoski is one of two nominees from the Pac-12 Conference, joined by Oregon State Women's Basketball's Mikayla Pivec. The Oulu, Finland native is the conference's international representative. Triathlon's Charlotte Ahrens is the only student-athlete out of 161 to earn nomination status from an Independent affiliate, as the Pac-12 does not sponsor Triathlon.
This is the second significant off the field honor for both individuals. Back in April, Kansakoski was selected as the female winner of the Kajikawa Award, presented to one female graduating senior Sun Devil student-athlete based on their demonstrated academic excellence, athletic accomplishment, leadership and service in the community. This past Fall, Ahrens was the recipient of the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, becoming the 34th Sun Devil to earn the distinction.
Ahrens is one of the foundational pieces of Sun Devil Triathlon, helping the Maroon & Gold win four consecutive team national championships. The CTCA and USA Triathlon All-American was a mainstay in the lineup during her first three seasons in Tempe. She finished second behind teammate Hannah Henry at both the 2017 & 2018 USAT Collegiate National Championship, as the Sun Devils dominated both races. Thanks to her outstanding performance, she was twice named to the CTCA West All-Region Team. The Nuremberg, Germany native also excelled in the classroom, twice being selected as a CTCA Scholar Academic All-American.
The Woman of the Year Selection Committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will now choose the Top 30 honorees — 10 from each division — from the conference-level nominees. The Top 30 honorees will be announced in September. From there, the selection committee will narrow the pool to three finalists from each division. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will select the 2020 Woman of the Year from the nine finalists.
The Top 30 honorees will be celebrated and the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year will be named this fall.
HOW TO FOLLOW
For the latest updates and information on the Sun Devil Triathlon program, follow our Twitter/Instagram accounts (@SunDevilTri), like our Facebook page (facebook.com/sundeviltri), and visit our website (thesundevils.com). Make sure to also follow @ASUSwimDive on Twitter, @sundevilswimdive on Instagram, and like the Sun Devil Swim & Dive Facebook page (facebook.com/ASUSwimDive).
The Sun Devil pair make up two of the 161 college athletes that were named conference-level nominees, 59 of which come from Division I. Representatives from 21 different sports spanning all three NCAA Divisions have moved on to the next round of consideration. Having two conference-level nominees puts the Sun Devils in elite company. Arizona State is the only school in Division I to have multiple student-athletes make this stage of the voting process. ASU is one of only three NCAA schools regardless of Division to earn the distinction.
The NCAA Woman of the Year program is a Title IX initiative that has recognized graduating female college athletes for excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership since its inception in 1991. Conferences can recognize two nominees if at least one is a woman of color or international student-athlete.
Swimming & Diving's Silja Kansakoski is one of two nominees from the Pac-12 Conference, joined by Oregon State Women's Basketball's Mikayla Pivec. The Oulu, Finland native is the conference's international representative. Triathlon's Charlotte Ahrens is the only student-athlete out of 161 to earn nomination status from an Independent affiliate, as the Pac-12 does not sponsor Triathlon.
This is the second significant off the field honor for both individuals. Back in April, Kansakoski was selected as the female winner of the Kajikawa Award, presented to one female graduating senior Sun Devil student-athlete based on their demonstrated academic excellence, athletic accomplishment, leadership and service in the community. This past Fall, Ahrens was the recipient of the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, becoming the 34th Sun Devil to earn the distinction.
Congratulations to Silja Kansakoski for receiving ASU Athletics Student-Athlete of the year award! pic.twitter.com/itRDxOOlmQ
— Sun Devil Swim/Dive (@ASUSwimDive) May 12, 2020
Kansakoski made an impact both in the pool and in the classroom while at Arizona State. The Fin excelled while completely rewriting the record books at Arizona State, now claiming nine of the top-10 fastest times in Sun Devil history in the 100 breast and eight of the top-10 times in the 200 breast with the completion of her eligibility. The six-time career All-America and two-time Pac-12 Champion will go down as one of the most decorated female swimmers in school history. The well-rounded Kansakoski was also named a CSCAA Academic All-American and earned multiple nods to the Pac-12 All-Academic team as well.Tremendous honor for Charlotte Ahrens ??????
— Sun Devil Triathlon (@sundeviltri) May 12, 2020
She earned the 2020 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, awarded to select student-athletes in their final year of eligibility who excel both academically and athletically ?? pic.twitter.com/box237WQgt
Ahrens is one of the foundational pieces of Sun Devil Triathlon, helping the Maroon & Gold win four consecutive team national championships. The CTCA and USA Triathlon All-American was a mainstay in the lineup during her first three seasons in Tempe. She finished second behind teammate Hannah Henry at both the 2017 & 2018 USAT Collegiate National Championship, as the Sun Devils dominated both races. Thanks to her outstanding performance, she was twice named to the CTCA West All-Region Team. The Nuremberg, Germany native also excelled in the classroom, twice being selected as a CTCA Scholar Academic All-American.
The Woman of the Year Selection Committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will now choose the Top 30 honorees — 10 from each division — from the conference-level nominees. The Top 30 honorees will be announced in September. From there, the selection committee will narrow the pool to three finalists from each division. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will select the 2020 Woman of the Year from the nine finalists.
The Top 30 honorees will be celebrated and the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year will be named this fall.
HOW TO FOLLOW
For the latest updates and information on the Sun Devil Triathlon program, follow our Twitter/Instagram accounts (@SunDevilTri), like our Facebook page (facebook.com/sundeviltri), and visit our website (thesundevils.com). Make sure to also follow @ASUSwimDive on Twitter, @sundevilswimdive on Instagram, and like the Sun Devil Swim & Dive Facebook page (facebook.com/ASUSwimDive).