Mikayla Bisignani, who in 2019 scored at both the NCAA Division III swimming & diving championships as well as the track & field championships, is one of 9 finalists. Current photo via NCAA
Johns Hopkins University swimmer Mikayla Bisignani has been named as one of 9 finalists for the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year.
Bisignani, who was scheduled to swim her senior season last year for Johns Hopkins, is also a member of the school’s outdoor track & field team.
She is the only two-sport athlete among the finalists, with three coming from each of the NCAA’s three divisions.
At 7:30 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday, Nov. 9, the finalists and Top 30 honorees will be celebrated and the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced during a virtual awards ceremony. The show will be streamed on the NCAA Twitter account and ncaa.org/woty.
The NCAA Woman of the Year Award was established in 1991 and is considered one of the highest honors a student-athlete can earn from the NCAA. A hollistic award, the honor recognizes female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and “demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.”
An excerpt from Bisignani’s personal statement:
“As a collegiate student-athlete, I was awarded several honors. However, none of these awards comprise the mosaic of who I am. While my success could be measured in times or distances, the numbers on the board were not as defining as the lessons I learned through hard training. I learned how to set high goals yet remain process-oriented and view failure as a chance to improve by learning new strategies.”
Bisignani was a two-time CSCAA All-American as a swimmer, including winning first-team honors in 2019. In 2019, in addition to First Team All-America honors in swimming, she placed 13th at the NCAA Division III outdoor track & field championships in the discus, helping her team to a program-best third place finish overall.
The Latrobe, Pennsylvania native double-majored in molecular and cellular biology and psychology while at Johns Hopkins.
Outside-of-sport honors:
In 2021, received the Johns Hopkins-awarded Dr. William Howard Award for scholarship and athletic achievement and the Robert H. Scott Award for athletics, scholarship and extracurricular participation.
2021 Division III At-Large Academic All-America Team Member of the Year.
First ever Johns Hopkins student athlete to earn three CoSIDA Academic All-America first-team selections
2019 Elite 90 Award winner as the student-athlete with the highest GPA who competed at the NCAA Championship meet.
Volunteer research assistant, helping to identify new biomarkers for improved multiple sclerosis prognosis.
Volunteer caregiver with the Johns Hopkins Medical Instute
Three-year member of the campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Served on the SAAC Women’s Gender Resources Leadership Board
Other 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year finalists
Anna Cockrell, USC, communication, track & field
Kendall Cornick, Augustana University, biology, softball
Stefanie Deschner, Notre Dame, pre-professional studies/theology, fencing
Naomi Hill, North Central College, psychology & behavioral neuroscience, triathlon
Alison Johnson, Adelphi University, childhood education/sociology, Lacrosse
Eka Jose, Washington University in St. Louis, anthropology (global health and the environment)/biology, track & field
Avery Skinner, Kentucky, communication sciences and disorders, volleyball
Irisa Ye, University of the Sciences, biomedical sciences, basketball
AST SWIMMING AWARD WINNERS, NCAA WOMAN OF THE YEAR WINNERS – SWIMMING & DIVING
2020
Asia Seidt
Swimming and Diving
University of Kentucky
2016
Margaret Guo
Swimming and Diving
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2015
Kristin Day
Swimming and Diving
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
2011
Laura Barito
Swimming and Diving, Outdoor Track and Field
Stevens Institute of Technology
2010
Justine Schluntz
Swimming and Diving
University of Arizona
2009
Lacey Nymeyer
Swimming and Diving
University of Arizona
2007
Whitney Myers
Swimming and Diving
University of Arizona
2005
Lauryn McCalley
Swimming and Diving
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
2003
Ashley Jo Rowatt
Swimming and Diving
Kenyon College
2001
Kimberly A. Black
Swimming and Diving
University of Georgia
2000
Kristy Kowal
Swimming and Diving
University of Georgia
1997
Lisa Ann Coole
Swimming and Diving
University of Georgia
1992
Catherine Byrne
Swimming and Diving
University of Tennessee
Originally posted on SwimSwam.com. Click here to Read More.