Southern Arkansas University has nominated outgoing senior student-athletes Brooke Goad and Helle Leed for the prestigious 2018 NCAA Woman of the Year award. On Thursday, the NCAA announced that Goad and Leed are among another record number of nominees as the 2018 field is comprised of 581 nominees across all three divisions of the NCAA.
Established in 1991 and now in its 28th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
Goad, a native of Waxahachie, Texas, was a consensus First-Team All-America selection this past year and was recently named as the GAC’s Female Athlete of the Year.
The D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year and GAC Softball Player of the Year, Goad established numerous single-season and career hitting records for the SAU Softball program, conference and national levels thanks to her power and plate prowess in an unforgettable 2018 season.
In her final year as a Lady Mulerider, Goad became the Division II All-Time Career Home Run leader (90) as well as the division’s All-Time Career Walks leader (210) behind single-season DII records in home runs (32) and walks (91). Additionally, Goad set the division record for consecutive plate appearances with a walk (9).
In 2018, Goad was responsible for setting nine single-season program hitting records, including slugging percentage, on-base percentage, games played, runs scored, RBI, home runs, total bases, walks, and intentional walks. That output helped her finish her career as the sole owner of nine career program hitting records.
In all, Goad concluded her 71-game senior campaign with a .393 average (68-for-173) with 80 runs scored and 72 RBI. Of her 68 hits, 40 went for extra bases including eight doubles and 32 home runs. The lefty slugged .994 and owned an on-base percentage of .613 which was highlighted by a ridiculous 91 walks and nine hit-by-pitch.
Leed, a native of Vallda Halland, Sweden, was the first women’s golfer from SAU to qualify and play in the DII National Championship Tournament after she finished tied for second overall at the Central Super Region Tournament earlier in the spring.
6065A three-time All-GAC golfer, Leed set five career program records including Scoring Average (80.1), Rounds Played (90), and Birdies (130). She also owns tournament program records in Low Round Score (70), Low Round vs. Par (-2), and Low 54-Hole Score (219). Furthermore, Leed set season records this year in Scoring Average (77.4), Rounds Played (27) and Birdies (45).
The NCAA encourages member schools to honor their top graduating female student-athletes each year by submitting their names for consideration for the Woman of the Year award. Schools are allowed to submit two nominations if the at least one of the nominees is a woman of color or international student-athlete.
Next, conferences 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 2018 NCAA Woman of the Year from those nine.
The top 30 honorees will be recognized and the 2018 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced at the annual award ceremony Oct. 28 in Indianapolis.