Indianapolis, Ind. - University of Wisconsin-La Crosse senior Elizabeth Frick of Eagan, Minn. (H.S.) has been nominated for the 2017 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Woman of the Year Award. NCAA member colleges and universities have nominated 544 student-athletes, the most ever in the history of the program.

Now in its 27th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year Award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership.

Of the nominees, 239 competed in NCAA Division I, 117 competed in Division II and 198 competed in Division III athletics.

The NCAA encourages member schools to honor its top graduating female student-athletes each year by submitting their names for consideration for the Woman of the Year Award. Then, conferences assess each nominee's eligibility and select up to two conference nominees. All conference and independent/associate member nominees are forwarded to the Woman of the Year selection committee.

The selection committee will choose the top 10 honorees in each division. From among those 30 candidates, the selection committee will determine the top three in each division. Finally, the members of the Committee on Women's Athletics will vote from among the top nine finalists to determine the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year.

All school and conference honorees receive an NCAA certificate and will be recognized on ncaa.org. The top 10 honorees from Divisions I, II and III, including the nine overall finalists, will be honored, and the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year winner announced, at a dinner October 22 in Indianapolis.

An exercise sport science and fitness major and Spanish minor, Frick possesses a 3.96 grade point average.  She is a two-time member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Scholastic Honor Roll and U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team.  Named the 2016 WIAC Cross Country Scholar-Athlete, Frick has been on UWL's Dean's List every semester while earning academic scholarships.  She was selected to the 2016-17 Academic All-District™ Six Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Team.

Frick was voted the 2016 WIAC Cross Country Athlete of the Year after earning NCAA Division III All-America honors with a 21st-place finish at the national championships.  She was a 2016 NCAA Division III All-Midwest Region selection with a sixth-place finish at the regional championships. 

Frick earned 2016 All-WIAC First Team accolades after finishing third at the league championships and helping lead UWL to the team title for the ninth time in school history.  She secured 2015 All-WIAC Second Team honors with a 10th-place finish while earning all-region honors with a 16th-place finish. Selected to the 2014 All-WIAC Sportsmanship Team, Frick finished sixth at the 2014 league championships to garner first team honors.  She is a three-time NCAA Division III cross country qualifier. 

She captured the 5,000-meter title at the 2017 WIAC Indoor Track & Field Championships.  Frick placed second at the Phil Esten Challenge April 21 to qualify for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships. She finished 15th in the 10,000-meter run in Thursday's first day of action at the national championships. 

She is involved in numerous organizations at UWL, including Campus Crusade for Christ, Athletes in Action, Exercise Sport Science Club and Concert Choir.

Frick is one of four nominees from the WIAC, joining Megan Marotz of UW-Platteville, Jessica Reineck of UW-Eau Claire and Taylor Schmidt of UW-Oshkosh.