WICHITA, Kan. – Three-time All-American Sydney McKinney can add another nomination to her resume, as she has been named one of 264 nominees for the prestigious 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year.

Since 1991, The NCAA Woman of the Year program has recognized graduating female student-athletes for excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership throughout their college careers.

A Norborne, Mo. native, McKinney earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in May from Wichita State. She is a three-time American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team member and an Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete. On the field, her numbers are well documented. She holds several career and single season records at Wichita State, while also racking up 378 career hits – fifth most in NCAA history. McKinney is currently in the midst of her first professional softball season with Athletes Unlimited. She was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 AU College Draft.

A record-breaking 619 female student-athletes were nominated by NCAA member schools – across all Divisions (I, II, III) for consideration of the 2023 Woman of the Year award.

This year’s nominees represent a diverse set of well-rounded student-athletes, with 24 different sports across all three NCAA divisions.

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 — from the conference-level nominees. The Top 30 honorees will be announced in October. The selection committee will then determine the top three honorees in each division from the Top 30, and the nine finalists will be announced in November.

From those nine finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics will choose the 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year. The honorees will be celebrated at the Woman of the Year Award Ceremony at the NCAA Convention in Phoenix in January.