NCAA release
NEW YORK | The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced the list of a record 605 student-athletes who have been nominated for its prestigious Woman of the Year award, and four Skyline Conference student-athletes were cited on the list.
Mount Saint Mary College three-sport (cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field) student-athlete Diamond Onomake, along with SUNY Old Westbury softball student-athlete Amelia Cariddi, have been tabbed as the Skyline's pair of nominees to move forward in the selection process next month. Additionally, standout women's tennis student-athletes Michelle Carnovale of Mount Saint Mary, and Bailey Frohlich of Yeshiva University, were nominated for the annual accolade by their respective institutions.
Rooted in Title IX, the NCAA Woman of the Year Award was established in 1991 to recognize graduating female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
Member schools are encouraged to honor their top graduating female college athletes each year by submitting their names for consideration for the Woman of the Year Award. Schools can recognize two nominees if at least one is a woman of color or international student-athlete.
Conference offices will select up to two nominees each from their pool of member school nominees. All nominees who compete in a sport not sponsored by their school’s primary conference, as well as associate conference nominees and independent nominees, will be considered by a selection committee. 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.
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 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year, who will be named this fall.
Onomake, who served as an associate member of the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) on a national level during her time on the Newburgh campus. A native of Staten Island, N.Y., the psychology major (with a human service minor) was a team captain for all three sports in which she competed for the Knights. Onomake was a two-year president of the Mount Saint Mary SAAC, and served as an admissions ambassador throughout her time at the institution. She played an instrumental role in the Knights' community service efforts, including most recently in her leadership in the program's Thanksgiving and diaper drives this past fall.
A College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District selection this spring, Cariddi registered a 3.99 grade-point average in psychology (with a social work minor). The Seaford, N.Y., native was a 2018 first-team All-Skyline Conference selection on the diamond, helping the Panthers to a conference tourney appearance that spring. Equally as impressive are the team captain and 2020 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence recipient's community efforts. Cariddi is the Old Westbury founder/group leader for the non-profit group Love Your Melon, which donates 50 percent of net profits to charitable programming associated with pediatric cancer. The Old Westbury Honors College student has served as a special education teacher aide, and conducted scholarly research on such topics as stress, aging and disabilities.