Buffalo State Sports Information Department

INDIANAPOLIS – Buffalo State has nominated senior track and field athlete Sasa Vann (Mastic Beach/Bishop McGann-Mercy) for the NCAA's Woman of the Year award for the 2015-16 academic year, as announced this week by the NCAA. The NCAA Woman of the Year Award honors graduating female college athletes who have completed their eligibility and have distinguished themselves in academic, athletics, service and leadership.

This year's pool of school honorees marks the largest in the 26-year history of the award, with a total of 517 student-athletes were nominated for the award, including 231 from NCAA Division I, 117 nominees from Division II and 169 nominees from Division III. 

Vann completed her four-year career in track and field at Buffalo State last month.  She was a two-time All-American with the 4x400-meter relay and was a six-time SUNYAC Champion, including capturing four individual titles in the 400-meter dash.  She also earned an ECAC Championship in the 500-meter dash with a school-record time during the 2015 indoor season and helped the Bengals capture SUNYAC and ECAC team championships during that season.

A dual major in hospitality administration and psychology, Vann also excelled academically, graduating with a 3.81 cumulative GPA.  She is an exceptional student whose career interests are focused on clinical neuropsychology and the study of posttraumatic stress disorder among women in the military. She has built an impressive record of undergraduate research, authoring an honors thesis in psychology and participating in the 10-week Summer Trainee and Research Program at the University of Maryland for students preparing for doctoral programs. She has presented her research findings in multiple academic forums, including the Buffalo State Student Research and Creativity Celebration. In recognition of her efforts, she was accepted into Psi Chi, the international honor society in psychology, and was elected chair of the college's chapter of the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality.

Vann also logged more than 500 hours of community service, including volunteering with the Alternative Fall Break program for four consecutive years, serving as a site leader in 2015 and co-coordinator in 2016. She also coordinated a group of 130 volunteers in a cleanup of Scajaquada Creek during Bengals Dare to Care Day, worked with Weigel Health Center on its Tobacco-Free Campaign and other initiatives, and volunteered with the Anne Frank Project.

Next in the process, conferences assess their member school nominees and select up to two conference 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 from among those nine to determine the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year.
 
The top 30 honorees will be celebrated and the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced at the annual award ceremony Oct. 16 in Indianapolis.