BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alabama State track and field standout Desiree Horn has been named the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s 2018 Woman of the Year
Horn, who graduated Magna Cum Laude from Alabama State University earlier this year, was a vital member of what is currently one of the most dominating runs of success by a single program, regardless of sport, in conference history.
The SWAC Woman of the Year is selected by league committee members using numeric scoring defined by guidelines and specific criteria during the candidate review. The selection process includes a review of the student-athletes’ service and leadership, academic achievement, athletics excellence and personal statement. The candidates nominated must have a minimum of a 2.5 GPA and participate in one of the member institutions sponsored sports.
With her selection as SWAC Woman of the Year, Horn is also the league’s nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year.
The Houston, Texas native garnered all-conference honors 11 times during her stint with the Lady Hornets track and field program, competing in the long jump, 100-meter dash, 60-meter dash, and 4×100-meter relays. She qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Regionals in each of her four years as well. She was a part of eight conference championship winning teams and most recently concluded her collegiate career with an appearance in the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, during which the Lady Hornets’ 4×100-meter relay team finished 20th in the nation.
Away from the track, Horn was one of the SWAC’s most active student-athletes with her community service. She volunteered for multiple hours at the KaBoom! Playgrounds, Toys for Tots, Salvation Army, Tyson Manor Health Facility, American Red Cross, The Learning Tree and The Children’s Center.
The epitome of a true scholar-athlete, Horn was a four-time member of the Dean’s List, a 2016 inductee into Psi Chi — the International Honor Society in Psychology — and was a Psychology club member.
The NCAA Woman of the Year program honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions. To be eligible, a nominee must have competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport, must have completed eligibility in her primary sport, and must have earned her undergraduate degree by Summer 2018.
This year marks the 28th year of the NCAA Woman of the Year, with 581 nominees this year (the most ever in the history of the award). Honorees this season make up 20 different NCAA sports, with 170 multi-sport athletes recognized – including 109 two-sport athletes. There are four pillars for the NCAA Woman of the Year award: academics, athletics, service and leadership.
Courtesy: SWAC
