Recent Emory University graduate Annika Urban has been selected as the University Athletic Association's representative for the 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year Award. She is the second straight Eagle to earn the honor as the conference's representative, following former swimming standout Clio Hancock.
Urban secures the honor following a senior season that etched her name in Emory and NCAA record books and stamped her legacy as one of the most accomplished runners in both Emory and NCAA Division III history.
"Emory University is proud of what Annika has been able to accomplish athletically the past four years. The progress she made towards winning national championships and being honored as UAA Woman of the Year is truly remarkable," stated Associate Vice President of Campus Life/Clyde Partin Sr. Director of Athletics Keiko Price. "Her perseverance, positive attitude, leadership skills, and commitment to Emory are what every coach and administrator desires to have on a team. Emory Athletics is better because of Annika."
She began the year with a cross country campaign that saw her crowned as the individual champion in six of the seven races she competed in. After establishing program records in both 5k and 6k disciplines at the Julius Johnson Invitational and Paul Short Run, Urban became the first Emory Eagle to be the individual champion at the UAA Championships since 2001 before going on to win the individual crown at the NCAA South Regional. She concluded the season with a sixth place finish at the NCAA Championships, earning a second straight All-America honor. Her sixth place showing was the second-best finish at the NCAA Championships in program history.
She continued to set historic feats during a landmark indoor track season, moving inside the top-10 in DIII history with her performances in the 5000m at Boston University's Sharon Colyear Danville Opener and in the 3000m at BU's David Hemery Valentine Invitational. Following an indoor season with countless race wins, her season culminated at the NCAA Championships where she became the first Emory track & field athlete to win an indoor national championship, doing so in the mile where she raced to a NCAA championship record of 4:43.17 – the second-fastest time in NCAA DIII history.
Urban continued to flourish as the calendar moved to the outdoor slate, further displaying her speed as she once again moved inside the top-10 in Division III history in two more events. She did so this time in the 1500m with her mark of 4:19.43 at the Lee Last Chance Meet moving her to seventh all-time and in the 5000m at the Bryan Clay Invitational where her time of 16:06.95 placed her fifth on the all-time list. As was the case in the cross country and indoor track seasons, Urban was tabbed as the USTFCCCA South Regional Athlete of the Year as well as the UAA's Most Outstanding Performer. At the NCAA Championships in May, Urban tacked on two more All-America honors and won her second NCAA national championship with a stellar performance in the 1500m, becoming the third athlete in Emory women's track & field history to win a national title on the track.
"It has been an absolute honor to be able to coach and be associated with Annika," said Emory cross country/track & field head coach Linh Nguyen. "She's obviously an extremely high-level student and athlete but, more importantly, she's a top-notch human being. I can't think of anybody more deserving."
Away from competition, Urban earned a degree in both Human Health and Political Science while carrying a 3.93 grade point average. She was honored as an Academic All-America First Team selection by the College Sports Communicators this past spring and was a two-time Academic All-District honoree by the organization. She landed nine times on the UAA All-Academic Team and was a three-time All-Academic Athlete by the USTFCCCA. Furthermore, she dedicated her free time as a member of several campus and community organizations, including Table Talk Emory, and acted as an editorial contributor with Emory Center for the Study of Human Health and U.S. News & World Report.
Rooted in Title IX, the NCAA Woman of the Year Award was established in 1991 to recognize graduating female student-athletes who have completed their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
All totaled, NCAA member schools nominated a record-breaking 619 female college athletes for the 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year Award with 264 nominees having competed in Division I, 128 in Division II, and 227 in Division III. Of the nominees selected, 24 different sports were represented. The average GPA of this year's nominee pool was 3.76.
Conference offices selected up to two nominees each from their pool of member school nominees. All nominees who competed in a sport not sponsored by their school's primary conference, as well as associate conference nominees and independent nominees, were considered by a selection committee. Next, 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.
From the Top 30, the Woman of the Year selection committee will determine the top three honorees in each division and announce nine finalists. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then will choose the 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year, which will be announced later this year.