INDIANAPOLIS – Eastern Illinois student-athletes
Jocelyne Mendoza and
Sara Teteak were named the Panthers nominees for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award presented annually. The two were among the 605 student-athletes across all three NCAA Divisions that were nominated for the award. It marks the first time since the 2016-17 academic year that EIU has had two nominees for the award.
Mendoza was member of the EIU cross country and track teams during her athletic career at EIU. She competed in the OVC Cross Country Championships three times during her career and ran in the NCAA West Regional as a freshman. On the track she earned second team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors as a member of the Distance Medley Relay team while also collecting a bronze medal in the event. Mendoza was a member of the Panthers school record setting DMR team during her career on the track and a member of two OVC Outdoor Track Championship teams. Off the track, Mendoza holds a 3.46 grade point average and served as the President of the EIU Student-Athlete Advisory Board. She has added additional hours with various charitable organizations.
Teteak was a member of the EIU soccer team during her athletic career at EIU. She ended her career ranked in the top five in several EIU goalkeeping categories including the career leader in saves and second in career shutouts. In 2019 she was a first team All-OVC selection while being named the OVC Defender of the Year. As a junior she was a second team All-OVC pick helping lead the Panthers to the OVC Tournament semifinals after posting a third place finish during the regular season. Off the track Teteak holds at 3.31 grade point average and has volunteered with several community and campus organizations.
Established in 1991 and entering its 30th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year award recognizes graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
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.
The nominees competed in 23 different sports across all three NCAA divisions, including 259 nominees from Division I, 126 from Division II and 220 from Division III. Multisport student-athletes account for 128 of the nominees.
Next, conferences will select up to two nominees each from the pool of school nominees. Then, 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.
The selection committee will determine the top three honorees in each division from the Top 30 and announce the nine finalists in September. From those nine finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then will choose the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year.
The Top 30 honorees will be celebrated and the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year will be named at the annual award ceremony in Indianapolis.
