Lake Forest College softball player Jenny McTague was recently listed among the nominees for the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year.
McTague, a pitcher, finished her career in May with a 50-26 record and 2.14 earned run average. She is the program's career leader with six saves and ranks second in school history with 498.1 innings pitched and 370 strikeouts. She is also third in team annals in victories and compolete games (50) and fourth in ERA, shutouts (12), and winning percentage (.658). In addition to her exploits in the circle, McTague was successful at the plate, batting .274 with seven home runs in 248 career at-bats.
McTague was named Midwest Conference South Division Pitcher of the Year in 2014 and First Team All-Midwest Conference each of the next two seasons. She was also a Second Team All-Great Lakes Region selection by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as a freshman and junior. She helped the Foresters capture three MWC championships and advance to the NCAA Division III Tournament after each title. She was named to the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team in 2014 and was selected as the Regional Tournament's Most Outstanding Player in 2015. Successful in the classroom as well, McTague is expected to receive Academic All-MWC honors for the fourth time in as many years later this month.
The NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service, and leadership.
At 543, this pool of school honorees marks the largest in the 27-year history of the award. McTague is one of 197 nominees from NCAA Division III institutions and one of four from the Midwest Conference.
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 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 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year.
The top 30 honorees will be celebrated and the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced at the annual award ceremony October 22 in Indianapolis.
To view the entire list of school nominees, click here.
