Franklin & Marshall's Eileen O'Reilly has been selected as the Centennial Conference's nominee for the 2011 NCAA Woman of the Year award in balloting by Conference administrators.  The senior forward from Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. led the Diplomat field hockey team on the field, in the classroom and in the community.

The NCAA Woman of the Year Award honors graduating student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership.

The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics (CWA) selection committee will choose the top 10 honorees in each division. From among those 30 candidates, the selection committee will determine the top three in each division. Finally, the members of the CWA will vote from among the top nine finalists to determine the 2011 NCAA Woman of the Year.

In the past four years, 522 student-athletes were nominated by their conference or independent institutions, representing multiple ethnicities and all NCAA-sponsored sports within Divisions I, II and III. In 2010 alone, 452 student-athletes were nominated by their institutions. From 1998 through 2005, an average of 410 female student-athletes per year were nominated for the award; and since the program’s inception in 1991, 1729 women have been recognized as state or conference honorees.

The top 10 honorees and the nine finalists from Divisions I, II and III will be honored and the 2011 NCAA Woman of the Year winner announced at a dinner in Indianapolis October 16, 2011.

Click here for the list past winners of the NCAA Woman of the Year award.