Gianna Yurchak Nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year Award
7/21/2022 10:39:00 AM | Women's Soccer
BUFFALO, NY – University at Buffalo women's soccer standout Gianna Yurchak has been nominated for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
Yurchak led the Bulls to the Mid-American Conference Tournament in each of her five years, including two straight MAC Tournament semifinal appearances. She finished her career in the blue and white ranked in the top 20 in program history in career goals (15) and points (41). She made an immediate impact as a rookie as she earned MAC All-Freshman team honors and then continued her stellar play as a sophomore, setting career-highs in goals and shots. Yurchak was then named Second Team All-MAC as a senior and was named a 2021 United Soccer Coaches College Player Award of Distinction Recipient.
Off the pitch, Yurchak was heavily involved in school leadership and always made it a priority to serve the community that supported her throughout her five years in Buffalo. For her dedicated efforts, she was UB's National Women and Girls in Sport Day Senior Award Recipient, given to a female student-athlete who has made a significant contribution of community service and leadership. Yurchak held several roles on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), including the role of president as a graduate student, in which she represented 350 student-athletes and facilitated weekly executive board meetings along with monthly SAAC meetings. She represented UB at the conference level as well as she participated in the MAC Transformative Leadership Program and the MAC Mental Health Summit. She was also involved in several service projects in the Buffalo and Western New York communities, including volunteering in local schools, organizing food and clothing drives and working with local organizations to clean up parks and plant trees.
In the classroom, she earned a master's degree in occupational therapy and was a three-time Academic All-MAC selection, made the Dean's List three time, was a four-year member of the MAC Honor Roll and was a two-time recipient of the MAC Commissioners Award. As a senior, she was named to the United Soccer Coaches Division I women's Scholar All-East Region Second Team and was named a MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete and then earned the MAC Presidential Award in her final year in the blue and white.
"Selfless is always the first word that comes to mind when I think of Gianna," said head women's soccer coach Shawn Burke. "For three straight years Gianna led our team in community service hours and took on leadership roles to make a difference, not only within athletics but in the Buffalo community. As team captain, she always put her teammates first, even when she found herself on the bench, beaten out by a teammate, and that team first mentality is what also brought her back to personal success. I have been fortunate to coach some amazing women in my time here at UB but what sets Gianna apart is her collective story over these past five years and the impact she has had on everyone's lives. She makes a difference everywhere she goes and will continue to leave her mark on this world."
One of the most prestigious NCAA awards, the Woman of the Year Award was established in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics. Now in its 31st year, it honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service, and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
Conferences will select up to two nominees each from their pool of member school nominees and then the Woman of the Year selection committee, comprising representatives from the NCAA membership, will choose the top 10 honorees from each of the NCAA's three divisions. Later, the committee selects the top three individuals from each division, and the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics chooses the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year from those nine student-athletes, with the winner announced in the fall. You can learn more about the award program, next steps, and previous winners by visiting ncaa.org/woty.
Yurchak led the Bulls to the Mid-American Conference Tournament in each of her five years, including two straight MAC Tournament semifinal appearances. She finished her career in the blue and white ranked in the top 20 in program history in career goals (15) and points (41). She made an immediate impact as a rookie as she earned MAC All-Freshman team honors and then continued her stellar play as a sophomore, setting career-highs in goals and shots. Yurchak was then named Second Team All-MAC as a senior and was named a 2021 United Soccer Coaches College Player Award of Distinction Recipient.
Off the pitch, Yurchak was heavily involved in school leadership and always made it a priority to serve the community that supported her throughout her five years in Buffalo. For her dedicated efforts, she was UB's National Women and Girls in Sport Day Senior Award Recipient, given to a female student-athlete who has made a significant contribution of community service and leadership. Yurchak held several roles on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), including the role of president as a graduate student, in which she represented 350 student-athletes and facilitated weekly executive board meetings along with monthly SAAC meetings. She represented UB at the conference level as well as she participated in the MAC Transformative Leadership Program and the MAC Mental Health Summit. She was also involved in several service projects in the Buffalo and Western New York communities, including volunteering in local schools, organizing food and clothing drives and working with local organizations to clean up parks and plant trees.
In the classroom, she earned a master's degree in occupational therapy and was a three-time Academic All-MAC selection, made the Dean's List three time, was a four-year member of the MAC Honor Roll and was a two-time recipient of the MAC Commissioners Award. As a senior, she was named to the United Soccer Coaches Division I women's Scholar All-East Region Second Team and was named a MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete and then earned the MAC Presidential Award in her final year in the blue and white.
"Selfless is always the first word that comes to mind when I think of Gianna," said head women's soccer coach Shawn Burke. "For three straight years Gianna led our team in community service hours and took on leadership roles to make a difference, not only within athletics but in the Buffalo community. As team captain, she always put her teammates first, even when she found herself on the bench, beaten out by a teammate, and that team first mentality is what also brought her back to personal success. I have been fortunate to coach some amazing women in my time here at UB but what sets Gianna apart is her collective story over these past five years and the impact she has had on everyone's lives. She makes a difference everywhere she goes and will continue to leave her mark on this world."
One of the most prestigious NCAA awards, the Woman of the Year Award was established in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics. Now in its 31st year, it honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service, and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
Conferences will select up to two nominees each from their pool of member school nominees and then the Woman of the Year selection committee, comprising representatives from the NCAA membership, will choose the top 10 honorees from each of the NCAA's three divisions. Later, the committee selects the top three individuals from each division, and the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics chooses the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year from those nine student-athletes, with the winner announced in the fall. You can learn more about the award program, next steps, and previous winners by visiting ncaa.org/woty.
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