WASHINGTON – Saint Joseph's graduate and field hockey standout Kate Crist is among the nominees for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year Award.  Crist is one of 13 student-athletes nominated from Atlantic 10 Conference institutions, of which two will be chosen as the league's official nominees and move forward in the selection process.
 
Crist was one of the unquestioned leaders of a Hawk field hockey squad that reached new heights in 2024 as Saint Joseph's earned its highest-ever poll ranking, hosted NCAA Tournament games for the first time, reached the program's first-ever Final Four, and became the first team in school history to play in a national championship game.
 
The Limerick, Pennsylvania, native was a rock on the backline, helping guide a Hawk defense that suffocated opponents to the tune of 10 shutouts, the fourth-most in the nation, and held the opposition to five or fewer shots in 13 of 24 games and three or fewer shots nine times.  She added a career high in assists and points this season as well.
 
Crist was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team, the All-Championship Team, and the All-Academic Team in 2023 and was a two-time Philly-SIDA Academic All-Area selection (2023, 2024).  She was named to the NFHCA's National Academic Squad in each of her four years as an undergraduate.
 
A three-year team captain, Crist also served as a team representative to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for two seasons and as the organization's secretary in 2024.  She was also active in the community service sphere, joining her teammates in volunteering with the Cradles to Crayons organization and taking part in multiple SAAC initiatives at nearby Gompers Elementary School.
 
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 35th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service, and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.

Both of the A-10's final selections will be advanced to the Woman of the Year selection committee.  The selection committee will choose the top 10 honorees in each division; from among those 30 honorees, the selection committee will determine the three finalists in each division.  Finally, the members of the Committee on Women's Athletics will vote from among the top nine finalists to determine the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year.  The top 30 honorees will be honored and the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced in the fall.