RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - Arkansas Tech women's golf student-athlete Caroline Fredensborg and softball student-athlete Jalissa Gum were among a record 543 female college athletes nominated by NCAA member institutions for the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year award, the NCAA office announced Monday. 

Established in 1991 and 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 in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.

Gum and Fredensborg are two of seven nominees from Great American Conference member (or affiliate member) schools nominated joining Southern Arkansas' Maddie Dow, East Central's Carlee Henderson, Southern Nazarene's Abbey Bell, and Oklahoma Christian's McKenzie Stafford (Oklahoma Christian competes in women's track and field as an affiliate member of the GAC).

The school nominees represent all three NCAA divisions, with 229 from Division I, 117 from Division II and 197 from Division III. The nominees competed in 21 different women's sports, and 122 were multisport athletes during their time in college.

Fredensborg, a four-year letterwinner for Arkansas Tech, was the Elite 90 award winner her junior year and helped the Golden Suns advance to the Division II national championships her senior year after competing as an individual during her junior year. A three-time all-GAC selection, Fredensborg turned in two second-place finishes this season, most recently at the Great American Conference championships. 

Gum, a four-year letterwinner herself, established herself as one of the top pitchers in the nation her junior year, leading all levels of the NCAA in earned run average en route to being named an All-America pick. After leading her team to a conference title as a junior and a NCAA super regional appearance, Gum followed that up with another All-America honor after a solid senior season, posting a 21-12 record with a 1.51 ERA and ending her career as Tech's all-time leader in wins and strikeouts. 

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.

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 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year from those nine.

The top 30 honorees will be recognized and the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced at the annual award ceremony Oct. 22 in Indianapolis.

-FIGHTON-