Photo by: Steve Hockstein
Amirah Ali Nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year
Jul 19 | Women's Soccer
Rutgers star is one of 577 nominees selected from more than 220,000 women competing in college athletics
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Amirah Ali of Rutgers women's soccer has been nominated for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year Award. One of the most decorated athletes in program history and of equal stature in the classroom and community, Ali was also recently named the Rutgers Bauer Athlete of the Year for 2021-22.
Ali led Rutgers to the 2021 Big Ten Conference Championship while going undefeated at 10-0 in league play for the first Big Ten title in program and school history. The captain then guided the Scarlet Knights to the 2021 College Cup, marking RU's second appearance in the Final Four and first since 2015. She became the program's first four-time All-American while registering career single-season highs in points (30), goals (12), and assists (6) in 2021. Also the first five-time All-Region honoree in RU history, Ali posted three goals, an assist, and a game-winner during the program's 2021 run to the College Cup semifinals.
The Voorhees, New Jersey native earned All-Big Ten First Team honors for the fourth consecutive year, earning All-Conference honors for the fifth time in her career. Overall, she leads the Rutgers career charts in matches played (100), matches started (99), game-winning goals (17) and golden goals (9). She ranks third on the all-time charts in points (107) and goals (44), as well as eighth in assists (19).
Ali was named candidate for the 2021 MAC Hermann Trophy, awarded to the National Player of the Year. She earned a spot on the list for the third straight year, having been named a semifinalist in 2019 and 2020. Ali adds a fourth All-America nod to a resume of five All-Region, five All-Big Ten, two Big Ten All-Tournament Team, Big Ten All-Freshman Team, and 2017 Big Ten Freshman of the Year accolades.
In the classroom, she earned a degree in criminal justice while making Academic All-Big Ten and Dean's List. Ali also adds 2020-21 Senior CLASS Award Finalist and First Team Selection, along with a United Soccer Coaches College Player Award of Distinction, to her list of achievements.
About the NCAA Woman of the Year Award
Rooted in Title IX and directed by the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics, the NCAA Woman of the Year program celebrates the accomplishments of female college athletes across all three NCAA divisions. Over 220,000 women are competing in college sports, and the NCAA received 577 nominations for this prestigious award.
Conference offices will select their nominees for NCAA Woman of the Year. Each conference nominee will be notified by the NCAA, and all conference-round nominees will be announced on ncaa.org in August. Conference nominations are forwarded to the NCAA Woman of the Year Selection Committee, which identifies the top 10 honorees in each of the three NCAA divisions. From those 30 honorees, the selection committee then determines the three finalists in each division for a total of nine finalists.
The Committee on Women's Athletics will select the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year from the nine finalists. At an award ceremony Oct. 17 in Indianapolis, the Top 30 honorees will be celebrated, and the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year will be named. You can learn more about the award program, next steps, and previous winners by visiting ncaa.org/woty.
Ali led Rutgers to the 2021 Big Ten Conference Championship while going undefeated at 10-0 in league play for the first Big Ten title in program and school history. The captain then guided the Scarlet Knights to the 2021 College Cup, marking RU's second appearance in the Final Four and first since 2015. She became the program's first four-time All-American while registering career single-season highs in points (30), goals (12), and assists (6) in 2021. Also the first five-time All-Region honoree in RU history, Ali posted three goals, an assist, and a game-winner during the program's 2021 run to the College Cup semifinals.
The Voorhees, New Jersey native earned All-Big Ten First Team honors for the fourth consecutive year, earning All-Conference honors for the fifth time in her career. Overall, she leads the Rutgers career charts in matches played (100), matches started (99), game-winning goals (17) and golden goals (9). She ranks third on the all-time charts in points (107) and goals (44), as well as eighth in assists (19).
Ali was named candidate for the 2021 MAC Hermann Trophy, awarded to the National Player of the Year. She earned a spot on the list for the third straight year, having been named a semifinalist in 2019 and 2020. Ali adds a fourth All-America nod to a resume of five All-Region, five All-Big Ten, two Big Ten All-Tournament Team, Big Ten All-Freshman Team, and 2017 Big Ten Freshman of the Year accolades.
In the classroom, she earned a degree in criminal justice while making Academic All-Big Ten and Dean's List. Ali also adds 2020-21 Senior CLASS Award Finalist and First Team Selection, along with a United Soccer Coaches College Player Award of Distinction, to her list of achievements.
About the NCAA Woman of the Year Award
Rooted in Title IX and directed by the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics, the NCAA Woman of the Year program celebrates the accomplishments of female college athletes across all three NCAA divisions. Over 220,000 women are competing in college sports, and the NCAA received 577 nominations for this prestigious award.
Conference offices will select their nominees for NCAA Woman of the Year. Each conference nominee will be notified by the NCAA, and all conference-round nominees will be announced on ncaa.org in August. Conference nominations are forwarded to the NCAA Woman of the Year Selection Committee, which identifies the top 10 honorees in each of the three NCAA divisions. From those 30 honorees, the selection committee then determines the three finalists in each division for a total of nine finalists.
The Committee on Women's Athletics will select the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year from the nine finalists. At an award ceremony Oct. 17 in Indianapolis, the Top 30 honorees will be celebrated, and the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year will be named. You can learn more about the award program, next steps, and previous winners by visiting ncaa.org/woty.
Players Mentioned
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