INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The NCAA revealed its 30 final candidates for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year award on Thursday and Naval Academy graduate Victoria Tran was at the forefront of that announcement as one of the exceptional high achievers. Tran's selection makes her the first Navy student-athlete to reach this round of the award process since Courtney Davidson in 2004 and just the third all-time as only Nicole Aunapu was recognized previously in 1999. Davidson (basketball) and Aunapu (soccer) were noted as Maryland state representatives as the process transitioned from state candidates to top-30 candidates in 2006.

Tran was selected from an original pool of 577 school nominees. That group was eventually narrowed to 156 selections at the conference level. These 30 honorees include 10 from each of the three NCAA divisions. Each honoree has demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership. The honorees represent 14 sports and include nine multi-sport student-athletes. They have a variety of majors, including biological and biomedical engineering, psychology, business, digital communications, education, nursing, law and policy, and robotics.

"As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX, we recognize the impact of women on college sports and are honored to select 30 incredible student-athletes who have played instrumental roles on their campus, in their community and on their teams," said Renie Shields, chair of the Woman of the Year Selection Committee and senior associate athletics director/senior woman administrator at Saint Joseph's. "This accomplished and diverse group of women represent the millions of student-athletes who have participated in the strong history of women's sports."

During her four-year career with the Navy women's soccer team, Tran was a two-time United Soccer Coaches All-Region selection, earning a spot on the 2020 All-North Region First Team after initially garnering a third team accolades in 2019. The 2020-21 Patriot League Midfielder of the Year, Tran was a four-time All-Patriot League honoree and led her team to two league championship titles, scoring the game-winning goal in the 2019 Patriot League Championship over Army. The Clarksville, Md., native was a four-year starter and finished her career in Annapolis with 18 points on seven goals and four assists over 68 games as a standout two-way midfielder.

Tran was the Naval Academy Class of 2022's recipient of the Cheryl Dolyniuk Carlan Trophy, given to a female midshipman who excelled in athletics, leadership and academics throughout her four years. Tran was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, with first-team honors in 2020 and a nod on the third team in 2019. The Patriot League Women's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2020 and 2021, Tran graduated with a degree in honors robotics and engineering and ranked 11th in her class for Overall Order of Merit and sixth in Military Order of Merit. She served as an operations officer and a supply/wardroom officer for Navy's 12th Company (2021-22) and as a platoon sergeant and an academics sergeant with Navy's 2nd Platoon (2020-2021). Tran volunteered with Athletes for Hope for two years, and she was a three-year volunteer with Special Olympics and Mids for Kids. 

Commissioned as an ensign in the United States Navy in May of 2022, she is currently working on a post-graduate degree at the University of Saint Andrews in Scotland.

Tran becomes the 11th all-time Patriot League student-athlete to reach the heights of state winner or top-30 honoree.

Patriot League Woman of the Year State Winner/Top-30 Honorees
2022 Top-30: Victoria Tran, Navy (Soccer)
2021 Top-30: Kaelyn Long, Bucknell (Field Hockey)
2016 Top-30: Emily Tillo, Boston Univ. (Golf)
2006 Top-30: Keira Carlstrom, American (XC/TF)
2004 State Winner: Courtney Davidson, Navy (Basketball)
2004 State Winner: Karla Kucerkova, American (Volleyball)
1999 State Winner: Nicole Aunapu, Navy (Soccer)
1997 State Winner: Sara A. Bloom, Bucknell (Rowing)
1996 State Winner: Jill Atshuler, Lehigh (Lacrosse)
1995 State Winner: Jennifer Smith, Colgate (Basketball)
1991 State Winner: Kelly Marsh, Bucknell (XC/TF)

Later this year, the selection committee will select three honorees from each NCAA division, for a total of nine finalists. From those finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will choose the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year. 

For the first time in the award's history, the NCAA Woman of the Year will be named and the Top-30 will be celebrated at the NCAA Convention, which will be held in January in San Antonio.

Established in 1991, the award recognizes female student-athletes who have completed their undergraduate studies and distinguished themselves in their community, in athletics and in academics throughout their college careers. 

Personal Statement from Tran ...
"I never thought of myself as a leader growing up; I was a student and an athlete. I grew very familiar with how to balance academics with a rigorous soccer schedule, so when the time came to look at colleges, the lifestyle nuances of being a 'student-athlete' was a rhythm I was comfortable with. But I decided to be a student-athlete at the United States Naval Academy, and that was an entirely new battle rhythm to adjust to.

"Even in this new environment as a midshipman student-athlete, I found my athletic experience continued to teach me vital lessons. I got a new appreciation for what service is, spending free moments with my team engaging with the Annapolis community on Honor Flights, Special Olympics, Gigi's Playhouse and Athletes for Hope. Surrounded by driven, competitive and unbelievably resilient teammates and female student-athletes, I found role models and inspiration to not only continually develop myself but to do so in a way that elevates others. When the COVID-19 pandemic restricted our lifestyles in unprecedented ways, I found myself investing more time and energy into my teammates, setting up small group calls and virtual social events to maintain team spirits. I am convinced those actions in the midst of COVID-19 to maintain and forge strong relationships among my team directly correlated to our success that year, culminating in our second straight Patriot League title. Meeting young players at games, engaging with the underclassmen on my team, and volunteering to coach summer soccer camps, I learned the power of my own example and voice.

"I realized the lessons I learned on the field - perseverance, cooperation and discipline - directly applied to my academic pursuits. Spending hours in the lab for my research on robotic conformal additive manufacturing, I learned how to communicate more effectively and how to adapt to unforeseen challenges, which also aided me on the field.

"Becoming a tutor for my company and team, I enhanced my communication skills and learned how to best instruct individuals and convey problems. In my military experiences on summer trainings aboard an amphibious assault ship, training with Marine Corps platoons, deployed with a submarine crew and the billets I've had as platoon sergeant, supply officer and operations officer, I've developed my organizational skills, professional knowledge and competency, and learned a lot about how I deal with stress. The most important lesson I learned, is that these lessons and experiences I've had are not separated into lessons learned in the classroom, on the field, or as a midshipman. They intertwine, reinforce and emphasize each other, and the culminating experience has developed me holistically.

"Looking back on my experience, now as an Ensign in the United States Navy, I can attest that my four years with the Severn River as the backdrop has given me the belief that I can be a leader and incite positive change. But most importantly, it has taught me to value service, whether that be to one's family, community, or country."