Graddy nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year Award

Eatonville High grad Machaela Graddy was selected earlier this month as Pacific Lutheran University’s nominee for the 2018 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.

A two-sport athlete at PLU (women’s soccer and track & field), Graddy graduated in May with a degree in Kinesiogloy and minors in psychology and sport & exercise psychology. She excelled on the field, earning All-American honors this past fall in soccer (in addition to being a two-time Northwest Conference offensive player of the year and three-time All-Region honoree), and took home a conference title and NCAA Division III national title in javelin this spring.

Off the field, she served as Vice President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and was involved with several volunteer efforts, including Feed My Starving Children, Winterfest, and the Special Olympics Basketball Clinic.

Graddy is one of a record-setting 581 nominees across all three NCAA divisions. The award, which honors graduating female college student-athletes that have distinguished themselves in not only athletics, but academics, service, and leadership as well, will be handed out at the NCAA Headquarters in Indianapolis in October. Before that, the Northwest Conference Woman of the Year will be announced in August.

PLU student-athletes have taken home the conference honor five times in the past seven years.