MADISON, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - Former University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire track & field standout Jessie Reineck (Sr. - Greenville,WI/Fox Valley Lutheran) and UW-La Crosse track & field and cross country member Elizabeth Frick have been named the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) nominees for the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
Now in its 27th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year Award honors graduating female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership. By submitting nominations, institutions and conferences have the opportunity to recognize female student-athletes who best exemplify a commitment to these four areas.
Reineck graduated in May with a degree in athletic training and maintained a 3.92 grade point average. She is a four-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and three-time selection to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team. Reineck received the 2017 WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Awards in both indoor and outdoor track & field and been named to UW-Eau Claire's Dean's List numerous semesters.
On the outdoor track, Reineck collected four WIAC titles at this year's championship, securing the 200-meter dash, 400-meter dash, 4x100-meter relay and 4x400-meter relay. She was tabbed the Track Performer of the Meet for her efforts. At the 2015 championship, Reineck helped the 4x100-meter relay team to victory. She is a six-time All-American, including a two-time national champion with first-place finishes in the 4x100-meter relay and 4x400-meter relay in 2015.
In indoor competition, she captured league titles in the 400-meter dash and 4x400-meter relay at the 2016 championship. Reineck is a four-time All-American, including three times in the 4x400-meter relay.
She was involved with the National Athletic Trainer's Association, Wisconsin Athletic Trainer's Association, UW-Eau Claire's Student Athletic Trainer's Association, UW-Eau Claire's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Eau Claire Emergency Medical Corps.
In addition, Reineck is a two-time winner of the Super Six award.
All conference NCAA Woman of the Year nominees will be forwarded to the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee. The selection committee will choose the top 10 nominees in each division. From among those 30 honorees, the selection committee will determine the top three in each division. Finally, the members of the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will vote from among the top nine to determine the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year.
The 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced, and the Top 30 honorees celebrated, at the annual awards ceremony in Indianapolis on Oct. 22.
Frick and Reineck were chosen from a conference field that also included UW-Oshkosh's Taylor Schmidt (Algoma, Wis.) and UW-Platteville's Megan Marotz (Marshfield, Wis.).
In order to be considered for the award, nominees must complete their eligibility (or have no intent to compete further) by July 2017 and have completed their undergraduate degrees by the end of the summer of 2017. Individuals can be nominated only once in their careers.
