Kaelyn Long Voted Patriot League Nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year
8/12/2021 11:44:00 AM | Field Hockey
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Kaelyn Long, a 2021 Bucknell graduate and former standout member of the Bison field hockey program, has been selected as the Patriot League's nominee for the 2020-21 NCAA Woman of the Year, the league announced Thursday.
Long is among the 56 Division I nominees on the ballot for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award, a program established in 1991. The nominees were selected based on four pillars, including academics, athletics, service and leadership. Long was chosen through a vote by the Patriot League's Senior Woman Administrators (SWA).
"Kaelyn was not just a great player for us on our first championship team. The way she approached life on and off the field made big contributions to making everyone around her better athletes and students as well," said said Bucknell field hockey coach Jeremy Cook. "Her grit was contagious to the rest of the group, she brought her teammates right along with her while she worked to be better every day, and her proactive positivity was inspirational to her teammates and coaches. We are all so proud of her. Her commitment to our values has set a new high bar for our program."
Long was named an NFHCA All-American in June after putting together a stellar senior campaign that helped guide the Bison to a Patriot League title and a first-round win in the NCAA tournament. Long scored the game-winning goal in overtime of the Patriot League Championship, earning her Tournament MVP honors.
A two-time All-Patriot League selection, Long missed just one start over her final two seasons and was a cornerstone of Bucknell's defense. She totaled 25 points over her career with seven assists and nine goals, including four game-winners. Elected as a team captain during her senior year, Long totaled 47 starts and 64 games played during her career.
Academically, the Hanover, Pa. native earned her bachelor's degree in early childhood education with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.93. She was a two-time Academic All-Patriot League Team member, a four-time NFHCA National Academic Squad honoree, and a two-time NFHCA Scholar of Distinction. Additionally, Long was a 2021 recipient of Bucknell's Alvin F. Jackson Award, recognizing her outstanding academic and athletic achievements.
Long's involvement in extracurriculars on the Bucknell campus and in the greater community is just as impressive as her play on the field. She served as a member of the Bucknell Athletics Leadership Institute, was a Bucknell Buddies tutor, and was a sports writer for the Bucknellian student newspaper. As part of her education qualifications, Long worked as a student teacher in third and fourth-grade classrooms during her senior year.
In other leadership initiatives, Long helped found the Bison Cares program, which involves student-athletes from each sport taking on community service projects, and coached local club field hockey teams. She was chosen by Bucknell to participate in the Naval Academy Leadership Conference and the NCAA Career in Sports Forum during winter 2020.
The NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership will choose the top 30 honorees – 10 from each division. The top 30 honorees will be recognized and the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced at the annual award ceremony on Sunday, Oct. 17 in Indianapolis, Ind.
