TACOMA, Wash. - Pacific Lutheran University women's track & field and volleyball student-athlete Lauren Wilson '21 was selected as the Northwest Conference's nominee for the 2020-2021 NCAA Woman of the Year Award, given annually to a female senior student-athlete for her collegiate achievements in service, leadership, athletics, and academics.
 
Wilson was among 535 nominees from around the nation to apply for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. As the NWC's selection, Wilson is among 152 student-athletes who remain in contention for the honor which the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee will whittle down to 30 student-athletes – 10 from each division–  in September. 
 
The Olympia, Washington native is the sixth Lute to be named the NWC Woman of the Year in the past 11 years joining women's rower Sydney Otey (2017), women's basketball and track & field's Samantha Potter (2014), Softball's Kaaren Hatlen (2013) and Stacey Hagensen (2012), and volleyball's Beth Hanna (2011).
 
Rooted in Title IX and directed by the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics, the NCAA Woman of the Year program began in 1991 and celebrates the accomplishments of female college athletes across all three NCAA divisions.

An English-literature major with minors in writing and communications, Wilson helped the Lutes to an impressive 65-24 record on the volleyball court over the past four seasons, winning a pair of NWC titles and making two trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament. 
 
As a high jumper, Wilson was a two-time NWC Champion and a three-time All-American, finishing seventh overall at the 2021 NCAA Championships. Wilson's efforts helped the Lutes place ninth overall in the team standings this spring, PLU's best finish at Nationals since the 1999 season.

This spring, Wilson was named NWC Offensive Player of the Week in volleyball twice (March 1 and March 16) while earning NWC Field Athlete of the Week on April 26. Her memorable spring season included winning the high jump at the PLU Invitational before leading the volleyball team to a 3-2 win over Whitworth University later that same day. 

Wilson was named All-Academic by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, was an NWC Scholar Athlete Award winner, a Chi Alpha Sigma inductee, and earned the PLU Athletic Department's Career Achievement Award.