Buffalo State women’s track and field standout Sasa Vann (Mastic Beach/Bishop McGann-Mercy) has been selected as a Top 30 honoree for the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
A record 517 school nominees were submitted this year, which was whittled down to 142 conference nominees. The committee selected 30 women from that pool – 10 from each of the three NCAA divisions – representing 13 sports and a host of undergraduate majors, including biology, accounting, criminal justice, education, engineering and computer science.
The top 30 honorees have demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership.
“This year’s top 30 honorees have achieved remarkable things during their time in college,” said Sarah Hebberd, chair of the Woman of the Year selection committee and director of compliance at the University of Georgia. “They are model student-athletes for generations of young women to come, and we are immeasurably proud of their accomplishments.”
The selection committee will name nine finalists – three women from each division – in late September. From the nine finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics will select the 2016 Woman of the Year, who will be announced Oct. 16 at a ceremony in Indianapolis.
Vann completed her four-year career in track and field at Buffalo State last month. She was a two-time All-American with the 4×400-meter relay and was a six-time SUNYAC Champion, including capturing four individual titles in the 400-meter dash. She also earned an ECAC Championship in the 500-meter dash with a school-record time during the 2015 indoor season and helped the Bengals capture SUNYAC and ECAC team championships during that season.
A dual major in hospitality administration and psychology, Vann also excelled academically, graduating with a 3.81 cumulative GPA. She is an exceptional student whose career interests are focused on clinical neuropsychology and the study of posttraumatic stress disorder among women in the military. She has built an impressive record of undergraduate research, authoring an honors thesis in psychology and participating in the 10-week Summer Trainee and Research Program at the University of Maryland for students preparing for doctoral programs. She has presented her research findings in multiple academic forums, including the Buffalo State Student Research and Creativity Celebration. In recognition of her efforts, she was accepted into Psi Chi, the international honor society in psychology, and was elected chair of the college’s chapter of the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality.
Vann also logged more than 500 hours of community service, including volunteering with the Alternative Fall Break program for four consecutive years, serving as a site leader in 2015 and co-coordinator in 2016. She also coordinated a group of 130 volunteers in a cleanup of Scajaquada Creek during Bengals Dare to Care Day, worked with Weigel Health Center on its Tobacco-Free Campaign and other initiatives, and volunteered with the Anne Frank Project.
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