The Big 12 Conference has nominated Christina Hillman (Iowa State) and Hannah Carson (Texas Tech) for 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year.
The NCAA Woman of the Year award recognizes graduating female student-athletes for excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership. A total of 141 female student-athletes have been named candidates by conferences and independent schools.
The selection committee will choose the top 10 honorees in each division. From those 30 candidates, the top three in each division will be determined. The Committee on Women’s Athletics will then select the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year with the winner announced at a ceremony on October 16 in Indianapolis. Former Texas Tech track and field student-athlete Ifeatu Okafor earned the prestigious honor in 2013.
Hillman is a two-time national champion in the shot put, claiming gold medals in both the 2014 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships. She has earned All-America status on seven occasions with top six finishes in NCAA meets. Hillman has also won three conference titles in the shot put with the latest coming during the 2016 Big 12 Indoor Championship. She was named All-Big 12 a total of eight times with placings in the top seven.
The Dover, Delaware native was a 2015 and 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team selection and was named the 2016 Women’s Track & Field Academic All-American of the Year. Hillman has been honored four times in her career as an Academic All-Big 12 First Team honoree. Additional academic honors include the Big 12’s Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, the Iowa State Wallace E. Barron All-University Senior Award, ISU Letterwinners All-Around Award, “Women Impacting ISU” honoree and All-Cyclone Team.
Hillman has been an active participant in many community outreach and campus initiatives. She was a volunteer at St. Cecilia Preschool, a research assistant at Network Community Counseling Clinic and a drug education group leader as a Youth and Shelter Services Residential Treatment intern. She has served with Special Olympics, Food at First, Assault Care Center Extending Shelter and Support and Trans Day of Remembrance Memorial in addition to activities with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Carson was also a Big 12 track & field standout in the throws. She is a five-time All-American in outdoor competition with four honors for the javelin and one for the discus. Carson won Big 12 titles in both events in 2015 and has 14 total top 10 finishes in Big 12 Championship meets. She was the 2016 Outdoor Women’s Mountain Region Field Athlete of the Year and finished second in the Olympic Trials in the javelin, however her mark fell short of the standard to qualify for the Olympics. She placed third in last year’s U.S. Championships and second in each of the last two NCAA Championships.
The Chandler, Arizona native is a three-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection and has been named to the Texas Tech Dean’s List on four occasions. She was honored with the Techspys Excellence Award in 2015 and 2016 and was a 2014 High Merit Recipient.
Carson has spent endless hours working in the community with activities to include Drive Against Domestic Violence, Anti Bully Awareness Carnival, Pawathon 5k and Bean Elementary Career Day. She has also participated with Raider Reach at the Children’s Hospital, Wreck Hunger Food Drive, Boys and Girls Club and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.