INDIANAPOLIS – Recent UIC softball alum Elaine Heflin has been nominated for the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year award, the association announced Tuesday. The Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership.
 
The NCAA had a total of 543 nominees, the most ever in the history of the Woman of the Year program, with 229 coming out of Division I, 117 from Division II and 198 from Division III.
 
Heflin, who graduated in May with her Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in English, excelled both on the field and off in her four years with the Flames.
 
The string of athletic accolades for Heflin are endless. A three-time Horizon League Pitcher of the Year, All-League First Team selection and NFCA All-Great Lakes Region honoree, Heflin was a driving force in UIC's championship turnout of three regular season conference titles, one tournament crown and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2017.
 
The 10-time Horizon League Pitcher of the Week broke the 20-year-old UIC strikeout record with 18 Ks against Northern Kentucky during her senior campaign, when she also set the single-season record for saves with five. With her career totals, she made her way into several other statistical categories, placing in the top 10 in appearances (112), wins (47), saves (11), complete games (50), shutouts (13), innings pitched (539.2) and strikeouts (501).
 
The Downers Grove, Ill., native was additionally recognized for her academic success by placing on the Horizon League Honor Roll every eligible semester and earning a spot on the All-Academic Team as a junior while she carried a 3.38 cumulative grade-point-average to collect the honor of NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete.
 
When not on the field or in the classroom, Heflin took time to volunteer in the community with UIC driven SPARK (Students Performing Acts of Random Kindness) as well as with Special Olympics. She additionally served as a coach for Youth 14 Girls Fastpitch Softball and provided pitching lessons.
 
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
The nominee must have completed intercollegiate eligibility in her primary sport by the end of the 2016-17 competitive season and received her undergraduate degree no later than the summer 2017 term. The nominee must have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.50 (4.00 scale).
 
ABOUT THE NCAA WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
The NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership. Student-athletes are nominated only once in their career by their school.
 
The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics manages the nomination process and selections. In 2016, a record-number 517 female college athletes representing multiple ethnicities and all NCAA-sponsored sports within Divisions I, II and III, were nominated. The Committee on Women's Athletics encourages each member school to honor its top graduating female student-athlete(s) with a nomination.
 
Upon receiving nominations from its core member schools, each conference will be responsible for assessing each nominee's eligibility and will select up to two conference nominees based on their respective achievements in academics, athletics, service and leadership.
 
All conference and independent/associate member nominees are forwarded to the Woman of the Year selection committee. The 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 Committee on Women's Athletics will vote from among the top nine finalists to determine the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year.