Danielle Galyer and Aldila Sutjiadi Named NCAA Woman of the Year Nominees

INDIANAPOLIS – Recent Kentucky graduates Danielle Galyer and Aldila Sutjiadi have each been selected as nominees for the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year, the organization announced.

The NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership.

Galyer, a four-year standout from the women’s swimming and diving program, became Kentucky’s first swimmer to win a national championship when she took the 200-yard backstroke crown at the 2016 NCAA Championships. A four-time First Team All-American, three-year All-Southeastern Conference selection and two-year member of the USA National Team, she finished fifth overall in the 200-meter backstroke at the 2016 US Olympic Trials.

Double majoring in psychology and political science, Galyer maintained a flawless 4.0 grade-point average in her time as a student-athlete. The Greenville, S.C., native was selected Southeastern Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year for both her sophomore and junior campaigns and was awarded the NCAA Elite 90 Award in 2016 and 2017. Galyer also served as Kentucky’s SAAC president for two years and was a member of the SEC Community Service Team in 2016. 

Sutjiadi played a vital role in the women’s tennis team’s success in her four years as a Wildcat. A two-time doubles All-American and two-time All-SEC member, Sutjiadi recently completed her collegiate career at the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships, representing the Wildcats in both events. She earned a final individual ranking of No. 25, the highest final ranking of her career, and was named to the All-SEC Second Team after leading the team in ranked singles wins.

The Jakarta, Indonesia, native wrapped up her academic career with an impressive 3.920 GPA, graduating in May with a degree in mathematical economics. The Elite 89/90 award winner in both 2015 and 2016, Sutjiadi was named this season’s Southeastern Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was the third-runner up for the 2017 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year award.

Next, each conference will select up to two conference nominees each from the pool of school nominees. The Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will then choose the top 30 honorees — 10 from each division.

From the top 30, the selection committee determines the top three honorees from each division and announces the nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics then chooses the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year from those nine.

The top 30 honorees will be recognized and the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced at the annual award ceremony Oct. 22 in Indianapolis.

For a full list of NCAA Woman of the Year nominees and official release from the NCAA can be found here.