Three women from each NCAA division were chosen as finalists for the award, which will be announced on Oct. 14 during a ceremony in Indianapolis. The nine finalists were chosen from a pool of 30 who emerged from an initial group of nearly 430 nominees.
Preikschas (now Boga) was a three-time All-American and Academic All-American in women's tennis, a two-time CSU Stanislaus female athlete of the year, and the CCAA player of the year as a freshman. She graduated in May with a 4.0 grade-point average and a bachelor's degree in psychology, earning the university's Geiger-Metzger Award as the graduating student with the highest undergraduate GPA.
Cumulatively, the 30 semifinal honorees earned a 3.87 GPA and more than 90 Academic All-America honors. They earned nearly 20 individual and team national championships and more than 100 All-America honors. They also volunteered for more than 375 organizations during their college careers, and many served as team captains and held leadership positions in various campus and community organizations.
"Being an NCAA student-athlete takes dedication to both academic and athletic excellence," said Alecia Shields-Gadson, chair of the award's selection committee. "These women rose to that challenge and became leaders on the court, in the classroom and in their communities. The Woman of the Year honorees are excellent role models and will most certainly continue to make a positive impact on the world."