The NCAA Woman of the Year program was established in 1991 and 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 and must have earned her undergraduate degree by summer 2025.
The top 30 honorees (10 per division) will be announced in the fall of 2025. The selection committee will then announce the top nine (three per division) in late 2025. The 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced at the 2025 NCAA Convention in January.
The Big 12 also nominated Oklahoma State track athlete Sivan Auerbach to move on to the next round of voting for the award.
From Provo, Utah, Hunter graduated in April of 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in communications disorders. In April of 2025, the mid-distance runner graduated with a master’s degree in communications disorders, all while holding a 3.95 GPA, respectively. In June 2025, she was named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District team. Additionally, in 2024, Hunter earned Academic All-Big 12 honors and received the reputable Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award.
Hunter had a memorable senior season. She won the 800-meter at the outdoor Big 12 Championships, breaking both program and meet records in the process. Additionally, her time of 1:58.99 ranks her as the No. 3 all-time performer in NCAA outdoor track and field history.
At the 2025 Husky Classic, Hunter and teammates Carmen Alder, Tessa Buswell and Riley Chamberlain had a historic performance as they broke not only the BYU record but the NCAA record in the Distance Medley Relay, crossing in 10:37.58.
More recently, Hunter competed in one of her first meets as a professional at the USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Hunter clocked a 2:00.53 in the 800m, deeming her a fifth place finish.
Hunter’s path to success was marked by resilience. Shortly after signing her letter of intent with BYU in 2019, she was involved in a serious car accident that resulted in a broken neck, leaving doctors unsure if she would ever run again. Through intense physical and mental rehabilitation, she regained her athletic ability and became a source of inspiration for teammates and coaches alike.
Even with a busy schedule as a student-athlete, Hunter has actively served in her local congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She does motivational speaking, sharing her inspirational story. In connection with her field of study, Hunter has volunteered extensively in equine therapy, conducted hearing loss screenings, worked with elderly individuals experiencing severe mental health challenges, administered speech therapy and participated in research on dyslexia, aphasia and alternative communication devices.
This is the second season in a row that Hunter has been recognized as one of the Big 12’s nominees for this prestigious award.
