INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Central Missouri's Madi Wulfekotter has been named one of nine finalists for the 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
The Woman of the Year Selection Committee has named nine student-athletes from the Top 30 honoree pool as finalists for the 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year award.
The nine finalists consist of three student-athletes from each NCAA division. Each finalist was selected for her outstanding achievements in academics, athletics, community service and leadership.
Representing Division I, the finalists are Callie Dickinson, Georgia; Logan Eggleston, Texas; and Ellie Shahbo, Harvard. The finalists from Division II are Peyton Barnes, Fairmont State; Charlotte Richards, Missouri-St. Louis; and Madi Wulfekotter, Central Missouri. Division III finalists are Kristen Palmer, MIT; Sophia Glory Slovenski, Southern Maine; and Anika Washburn, Case Western Reserve.
"My journey as a female scholar, a female athlete, and a female leader intertwines and molds an individual into an individual capable of leaving a lasting impact on the world," said Wuflekotter. "Through academic pursuits, athletic endeavors, and leadership opportunities, I have built resilience, strength of character, and a drive to make a difference in the world as a female student-athlete at the University of Central Missouri."
Pole vaulter Madi Wulfekotter was a four-time U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association first-team All-American, with four top four individual finishes at the NCAA Division II Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She holds the sixth best indoor pole vault in NCAA Division II track and field history and the seventh best outdoor pole vault. Wulfekotter is a five-time All-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association team member and was a finalist for the Mid-America Intercol. 2022-23 Ken B. Jones Award, recognizing top student-athletes. She had five second-place conference championship finishes and was a contributor to her team's 2021 indoor conference title. The Central Missouri 2023 Dr. Peggy Martin Outstanding Senior Female Athlete Award winner holds program records in the indoor (4.26 meters) and outdoor pole vault (4.31 meters). Wulfekotter earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors five times in her career. The 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America second-team selection was also a five-time Mid-America Intercol. Scholar Athlete. Wulfekotter was on the Central Missouri Literacy Team, reading to local elementary school students, in addition to volunteering in local elementary school classrooms. She supported incoming freshmen as a mentor at Central Missouri, as well as tutoring underclass students. She also volunteered as a youth pole vault coach, as an official at track meets and at Central Missouri's Campus Cupboard.
Of 619 student-athletes nominated for this award, 164 student-athletes were selected as conference-level nominees. That pool of student-athletes was narrowed to the national Top 30 honorees.
On Jan. 11, the Top 30 honorees will be celebrated during a ceremony at the NCAA Convention in Phoenix. There, the 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year will be named.