MOSCOW, Idaho – Former Idaho soccer standout
Kelly Dopke has been selected as the university's 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year nominee.
Next, conferences will select up to two nominees each from the pool of school nominees. Then, the Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will choose the Top 30 honorees — 10 from each division.
Dopke brought in a number of high-profile accolades during her time with the Vandals. Earlier this year, she became the first Vandal soccer player and just third female Vandal ever to earn Google Cloud Academic All-America First Team honors, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Dopke was an All-Big Sky First Team selection and was named the 2018 Big Sky Defensive Most Valuable Player. She also earned United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Second Team honors.
Dopke appeared in 78 games as a Vandal, missing just one start due to injury. Her class leaves Idaho as the winningest class in program history, having won 41 games in four years. Her academics were equally impressive, as she graduated with a 4.00 GPA in the medical sciences.
A record 585 female college athletes have been nominated by NCAA member schools for the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year award.
Established in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year award recognizes graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
The NCAA encourages member schools to honor their top graduating female student-athletes each year by submitting their names for consideration for the Woman of the Year award.
The nominees competed in 23 different sports across all three NCAA divisions, including 262 from Division I, 131 from Division II and 192 from Division III. Multisport student-athletes account for 144 of the nominees.
Idaho soccer kicks off the regular season in the Dome on Friday, Aug. 23 against Boise State.
Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho soccer by following the team on Twitter and Instagram, @VandalsSoccer, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals Women's Soccer.
For more information on Idaho Athletics, visit GoVandals.com. Fans can also find Idaho on Twitter and Instagram, @Idaho_Vandals, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals.
