Le Maitre Selected as CACC's NCAA Woman of the Year Nominee

Shania Le Maitre (Champs Fleurs, Trinidad & Tobago/Holy Name Convent) of women's cross country and track & field program has been selected as one the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference's (CACC) two 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year nominees.

She is one of 164 women in the NCAA, and one of just 39 at the Division II level, to be nominated at the conference level.

The NCAA Woman of the Year program was established in 1991 and honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions. To be eligible, a nominee must have competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport and must have earned her undergraduate degree by Summer 2023.

Eligible female student-athletes are nominated by their member school, and each conference office reviews the nominations and submits its conference nominee(s) to the NCAA. Conference offices can recognize two nominees if at least one is a woman of color or an international student-athlete.

In October, the Woman of the Year Selection Committee, made up of representatives from NCAA membership, choose the top 30 honorees — 10 from each division — from the conference-level nominees. From the top 30, the selection committee will determine the top three in each division, and the nine finalists will be announced in November.

From the nine finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics selects the NCAA Woman of the Year, who is named during a luncheon at the NCAA Convention.

Le Maitre won a total of 13 medals at track & field conference championships during her career, 10 gold, one silver and two bronze, highlighted by helping lead HFU to its first two East Coast Conference (ECC) indoor titles in 2022 and 2023. She won gold in all five events she competed in at those two championships and would go on to be named the ECC Women's Indoor Track & Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year for both seasons.

Le Maitre has also helped the Tigers to back-to-back second place finishes at the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Outdoor Championship, new program records, with four gold and six total medals.

The six total medals she won in 2023, five of which were gold, led to her being named the 2022- 23 PhillySIDA Academic All-Area Women's Track & Field Performer of the Year.

Le Maitre has earned U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Outdoor All-Region honors in each of the last two years, as well as USTFCCCA Indoor All-Region accolades in 2023.

A 12-time track & field All-Conference nominee, she ran to her first All-CACC Cross Country laurels at the 2022 CACC Championship.

Le Maitre excelled academically during all of this, earning Dean's List honors in all eight of her semesters. She graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Biology in May after compiling a 3.97 grade-point average.