FREELAND, Mich. -- Alma College's Grace Hearth and Calvin University's Hannah Chao have been named the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) nominees for the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
"In a year of such challenges that our student-athletes had in 2020-21, I am thrilled to be able to celebrate the accomplishments of Grace and Hannah," commented MIAA Assistant Commissioner Penny Allen-Cook. "They both exemplify what it means to be a true student-athlete. We wish them luck as they are considered in the next step of the NCAA Woman of the Year selection process."
The NCAA program, established in 1991, recognizes graduating student-athletes for excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership. A total of 60 women are Division III conference nominees, along with 57 women from Division I and 36 women from Division II.
Out of the 153 conference-level nominees, the selection committee will choose the top 10 honorees in each division. These top 30 honorees will be announced in September and the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced in the fall.
Grace Hearth, Alma College
Hearth, a Freeland native, competed on the Alma track and field squad throughout her four years as a Scot and served as the team captain in 2018-21. The four-year varsity letterwinner competed in the high jump, the triple jump, and as a short distance sprinter. At the 2018 MIAA Championships, Hearth placed sixth in the triple jump. In 2019-20, Hearth earned a fifth-place finish in the 4x400 MIAA Indoor Championships and a ninth-place finish in the triple jump. This season, the Scot placed sixth in the triple jump.
A Biology major with a minor in Religious Studies, Hearth recently graduated from Alma with a 3.9 grade point average. She was a four-time member of the MIAA Honor Roll during her time as a student-athlete, and was a mult-time Dean's List (2017-2021) and President's Trophy (2017-19) honoree. Hearth was also a finalist for the Barlow Trophy in 2021, which recognizes academic achievement for Alma students in the top 10 percent of their class, in addition to their contributions to the campus and community.
Outside of school and athletics, Hearth was a chapel administrator and project manager in 2020-21, worked as Alma's chapel worship student ministry coordinator, and was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Hearth participated in alternative breaks all four years. As a junior, she attended the national conference for leaders, and organized trips and managed group education on active citizenship as a senior. Hearth also served as a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) representative (2018-21).
Hannah Chao, Calvin University
Chao, a Farmington Hills native, was a standout swimmer throughout her four years at Calvin. She was a four-time First Team All-MIAA honoree, a two-time College Swim Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) All-American and a two-time national qualifier. The 2021 team captain assisted the Knights to conference titles in 2018 and 2020.
This past season, Chao posted the third-fastest time in Division III in the 200 backstroke (2:02.86), the fourth-fastest time in the 100 backstroke (56.22), and the ninth-fastest time in the 200 IM (2:06.22). She is also currently the Calvin record holder in the 100 back (56.10) and a member of the school-record 400 medley relay (1:44.19).
A Biology major at Calvin, Chao recently graduated with a 3.77 grade point average. She was a two-time CSCAA Scholar All-America recipient (2019-20), a CSCAA Honorable Mention Scholar All-American as a freshman, a two-time Arthur Ashe Sports Scholar honoree, a four-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and an eight-time member of the Calvin Dean's List. This year, Chao was also recognized by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) with both Academic All-District and Academic All-America® accolades.
Outside of the pool and the classroom, Chao volunteered with Special Olympics in 2018 and 2019, was an ESL tutor at Woodlawn CRC since 2019, led at a vacation bible school and was a volunteer at Beaumont-Botsford Hospital in the summer of 2019, and has been a youth group leader at the Chinese Gospel Church since 2020. She also served as a co-chair of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) in 2020-21.
