NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – VCU Field Hockey's Sheridan Messier and VCU Women's Track and Field's Simone Pierre are two the Atlantic 10's 17 nominees for the NCAA Women of the Year Award.
 
One of the most prestigious NCAA awards, the Woman of the Year Award was established in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics. Now in its 34th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers. 
 
Messier, a goalkeeper, graduated with a master's degree in chemistry and was named to both the All-Atlantic 10 Second Team and All-Academic Team. Messier recorded a .747 save percentage in 2023 and ranked 16th nationally in goals against average (1.23). She also ranked 26th nationally in save percentage.
 
Pierre, a sprinter, graduated with a bachelor's degree in Health, Physical Education & Exercise Science was named the 2024 A-10 Indoor Most Outstanding Track Performer. She was the A-10 Indoor Champion in both the 200m and 400m and was part of the 4x100m relay team that took home an A-10 title at the outdoor championship. In addition, Pierre also earned a silver medal in the outdoor 400m and bronze as part of the outdoor 4x400m relay.
 
A-10 member institutions have nominated a 17 outstanding female student-athletes for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year Award, equaling a league record in total number of nominees set in 2023. The nominees, which were announced Thursday by the A-10, represent nine different sports and 13 different A-10 institutions.
 
The league's Senior Woman Administrators will vote on the nominees to select two student-athletes who will be named A-10 Woman of the Year and represent the league as 2024 NCAA Woman of the Year conference finalists. 
 
The 17 institutional nominees have been recognized for exceptional athletic prowess, leadership skills, academic success, and service to the respective communities. Each candidates have noteworthy credentials, earning All-Conference awards, participation in postseason competition and academic honors, both form the A-10 and on a national scale. A complete list of the nominees, their sport, hometown and academic studies is included below. A full profile of each candidate will be shared on Atlantic10.com.
 
Per the NCAA, all conference-level nominees are advanced to the Woman of the Year selection committee. The selection committee will choose the top 10 honorees in each division. From among those 30 honorees, the selection committee will determine the three finalists in each division. Finally, the members of the Committee on Women's Athletics will vote from among the top nine finalists to determine the 2024 NCAA Woman of the Year. The top 30 honorees will be honored, and the 2024 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced this fall.