Aurora University's Loretta Johnson has been selected as the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Woman of the Year for the 2014-2015 academic year, as chosen by the league's Senior Woman Administrators' Standing Committee (SWASC).
 
"Being selected as the NACC Woman of the Year is an honor and privilege that I am excited and humbled to accept," Johnson said. "With the support of my family, friends, teammates, coaches and the faculty at Aurora University, I am inspired to continually work hard, help others and pursue my dreams."
 
Johnson, a four-year member of the Spartan women's track and field program, was a 2015 NCAA Division III Track All-American in the outdoor 400 meter and an All-American as part of the 4x100 meter relay. She is an eight-time champion in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference in indoor and outdoor track with four coming in 2015 (outdoor - 400 meter, 4x100 relay, 4x400 relay; indoor – 400 meter) and is the indoor and outdoor record holder in the NACC in the 400 meter and part of the NACC outdoor record holding relay in the 4x100 and 4x400.
 
Johnson (Venice, Florida/Venice H.S.) graduated in May with a degree in communication and marketing. During her time at AU, she accumulated a 3.654 GPA and was a four-year NACC scholar-athlete.
 
"Loretta is very deserving of this award and has been a wonderful example of what it means to be a student-athlete," said AU head women's track and field coach Ryan Chapman. "Through hard work and discipline, Loretta has achieved success both on the track and in the classroom. She consistently seeks out opportunities to further herself professionally, and her commitment to the track and field program and the University is a terrific example to younger student-athletes. I know that she will continue to make Aurora University and the track and field program proud to have her as an alumnus."
 
In the community, Johnson has performed numerous volunteer service projects during her collegiate career. Some of her projects include work for Feed My Starving Children and the Hesed House "Kids in the Krease" event.
 
"Loretta is a well-rounded student-athlete and embodies the goal of collegiate athletics here at AU," said Athletic Director Jim Hamad. "She is a great student, who competed at a highest level this season on the track, and had a positive influence on the AU campus and in the community. Loretta has been a leader both on and off the track and is certainly deserving of this honor."
 
"Loretta is most deserving of the Woman of the Year title. She has worked extraordinarily hard in her four years here to become the athlete she is today," said AU Assistant Director of Athletics for Student-Athlete Wellbeing and Senior Woman Administrator Nicole Pieart. "Her dedication to the university, athletics and her community has been evident from her freshman year and I have enjoyed watching her evolve over the past four years. I wish her the best of luck moving forward and know she will represent the Aurora University well in all future endeavors."
 
Each of the NACC's 12 members may nominate one female student-athlete for the annual award. The SWASC uses a combination of the following criteria in selection of the award: athletic excellence, academic achievement, service and leadership, and personal statement. As the NACC Woman of the Year recipient, Johnson moves forward as the NACC's honoree for the NCAA's Woman of the Year award.
 
Now in its 25th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership.
 
From the top 30, the selection committee determines the top three nominees from each division and announces the top nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then chooses from among those nine to determine the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year.
 
The 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced, and the Top 30 honorees celebrated, at the annual award ceremony October 18 in Indianapolis, Indiana.