Bucknell University Athletics
Kaelyn Long Named 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year Top 30 Honoree
9/23/2021 2:01:00 PM | Field Hockey
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell field hockey 2021 graduate Kaelyn Long was announced as a Top 30 honoree for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award on Thursday. The Woman of the Year Award recognizes female college athletes who have distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
Long was chosen from an initial pool of 535 school nominees and was recognized as the Patriot League's nominee back in August. She was among 154 nominees by conference offices. The Top 30 honorees include 10 from each of the three NCAA divisions and represent 12 sports and an array of academic majors, including biology, psychology, mechanical engineering, education, software engineering and anthropology.
Long, who was a National Field Hockey Coaches Association Third-Team All-American last season, served as a team captain and guided Bucknell to its first-ever Patriot League title and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA tournament last spring. The Hanover, Pa. native was twice recognized as an All-Patriot League Team selection and was named the Patriot League Tournament MVP last season after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime of the league's championship game. She ended her Bucknell career with 64 games played, nine goals, seven assists and 25 total points.
As a model scholar, Long earned spots on the Academic All-Patriot League Team twice, was a four-time NFHCA National Academic Squad honoree, and a two-time NFHCA Scholar of Distinction. The early childhood education major graduated with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.93.
Long was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and the Kapp Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education. Her academic success was recognized by Bucknell in the spring when she received the Alvin F. Jackson Award as a top senior female student-athlete.
In addition to her academic success, Long was an active member in the Bucknell community and beyond through her extracurricular activities and initiatives. She was a founder of the Bison Cares program, a community service organization for student-athletes. She also served as a Bucknell Buddies tutor and worked as a student teacher throughout the 2020-21 academic year.
Long was a four-year sportswriter for the Bucknell campus newspaper and volunteered with the Lewisburg Children's Museum as well as the Ronald McDonald House. Long's leadership on the field extended into her volunteer life as she spent three years serving the Bucknell Athletic Leadership Institute. She was also selected by the Bucknell Athletic Department to attend the 2020 Naval Academy Leadership Conference.
The selection committee will determine the top three honorees in each division from the Top 30, and the nine finalists will be announced this fall. From those nine finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will choose the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year.
On Tuesday, Nov. 9, during a virtual awards ceremony, the Top 30 honorees will be celebrated, and the NCAA Woman of the Year will be named.
