West Alabama softball senior Anna Shartzer has been nominated for the 2014 NCAA Woman of the Year award. NCAA colleges and universities nominated 446 female student-athletes for the honor.

The Woman of the Year award honors graduating female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership.

Of the nominees, 205 competed in Division I, 75 competed in Division II, and 166 competed in Division III athletics.

The NCAA encourages each member school to honor its top graduating female student-athletes each year by submitting their names for consideration for the Woman of the Year award.

Each conference then selects up to two women from the nominees to represent the conference. The Woman of the Year selection committee selects the top 30 honorees – 10 from each division – from the conference nominees.

From among those 30 candidates, the selection committee determines the top three in each division and announces the top nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics will then vote from among the finalists to determine the 2014 NCAA Woman of the Year.

The top 30 honorees will be honored, and the 2014 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced, at the annual ceremony in Indianapolis on Sunday, Oct. 19.