FMU's Driggers named NCAA Woman of the Year nominee

FMU’s Emma Driggers was one of just 605 female college athletes nominated for the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.

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.

The nominees represent all three NCAA divisions, including 259 nominees from Division I, 126 from Division II, and 220 from Division III. Nominees competed in 24 sports, with multisport student-athletes – including Driggers – accounting for 128 of the nominees.

Conference offices will select up to two nominees each from their pool of member 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.

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.

Driggers, a native of Mauldin, S.C., was named a first-team Academic All-America by the College Sports Information Directors of America after graduating with a perfect 4.00 grade point average as a history and French double major.  She earned her degree summa cum laude with University Honors.

A four-year letterwinner in cross country, she was the third Patriot finisher in four of five meets last fall.  She posted a season-best 5,000-meter time of 21:57 at the Sand Shark Invitational and placed 67th at the Peach Belt Conference Championship Meet.  In the only track meet of the shortened 2020 spring season, Driggers placed 20th in the 1500-meters at the Braves Track Classic

The recipient of numerous University awards, she was inducted into four national honor societies. She will attend Florida State University this fall seeking a Master of Arts degree in Museum & Cultural Heritage Studies thanks to a tuition-fee fellowship.

Driggers is a graduate of Mauldin High School.