University of Mary Hardin-Baylor graduate and women's soccer standout Sarah Rempe will represent the American Southwest Conference on the 2018 NCAA Woman of the Year award ballot.
Rempe (Lewisville, Texas) was selected by vote of the ASC Senior Woman Administrators from women nominated by the conference member institutions for the national award.
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 have distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers. Rempe will join conference and independent nominees from all three NCAA divisions moving forward in the Woman of the Year award process. A record 581 women were nominated by their institutions for the prestigious award, including 199 from Division III member institutions.
Rempe received her undergraduate degree in Cell Biology with a 4.00 cumulative grade point average from Mary Hardin-Baylor. She was a CoSIDA Academic All-America selection as a senior and a three-time Academic All-District honoree during her career. Rempe was also UMHB's Scholar-Athlete Medal of Honor recipient, a three-time Academic All-Conference member and made the ASC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete Team twice.
On the field, Rempe was a four-year starter at midfielder for the Cru. She was named Second Team All-America by the United Soccer Coaches and the ASC Midfielder of the Year as a senior, helping the Cru to a school record for victories and the first NCAA Division III Championship appearance in program history. A four-time All-ASC First Team selection, Rempe capped her career with six goals and five assists in 2017.
Rempe was also very active on campus and in the Central Texas community during her time at UMHB and participated in a number of volunteer and service projects.
"I am amazed at how Sarah was able to balance such a tough class load and a four-year soccer career and be able to absolutely excel at both," said UMHB head women's soccer coach Barry Elkins. "She is role model to every player in our program as she is exactly what every student-athlete should strive to be."
"Sarah Rempe maintained a high level of academic and athletic success throughout her career," said Amy Carlton, commissioner of the American Southwest Conference. "Coupled with her community service, she models the NCAA Woman of the Year, Division III and American Southwest Conference student-athlete ideals,"
Rempe is the first student-athlete from Mary Hardin-Baylor to be selected as the ASC's NCAA Woman of the Year nominee. She is the third soccer player to be nominated, joining April Johnson (2006) and Amy Kuykendall (2011) of Hardin-Simmons.
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—before narrowing to the top three honorees from each division. The 2018 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced October 28 during the celebratory dinner in Indianapolis.
Rempe, along with UT Tyler volleyball player Brieanne Brown, UT Dallas softball playerStefanie Polderman and East Texas Baptist volleyball player Abby Weaver were nominated from ASC institutions.
