After being nominated by the University of Redlands, Brenna Dolen '21 (Redlands, CA) moves onto national consideration for the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year award, as one of two representatives from the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC).  She and Jessica Diaz '21 of Cal Lutheran University received the necessary votes from the athletics administrators of the nine-member institutions to advance to the next round of the selection process.

The NCAA Woman of the Year Award honors graduating student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service, and leadership. The award has been given annually since 1991. This year, more than 500 women received nominations from their institutions, with Division III accounting for 171 of them for the most in the three divisions.

As a track & field student-athlete at Redlands, Dolen made the most of her opportunities, even during a strange COVID-19-impacted end to her career.  In 2021, she was named the SCIAC Field Athlete of the Year after winning the Long Jump and Triple Jump events at the SCIAC Championships.  Her success helped the Bulldogs capture the women's team title as well. 

Dolen became an Indoor Track & Field All-American in the Triple Jump while qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2020.  Unfortunately, the pandemic sent her home from North Carolina before competing in the national meet.

In the classroom, Dolen was a three-year member of the SCIAC All-Academic Team (2019, 2020, 2021) as well as a three-time Dean's List honoree at Redlands. This Psychology major was named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team, both as an individual and as part of the Bulldogs' track & field team. As a senior, Dolen earned the distinction of being named the Frank Serrao Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year - Redlands' most prestigious award for seniors with outstanding athletic performance and a GPA above 3.5.

In her application, Dolen provided some perspective on her approach to college athletics as well as how the COVID-19 pandemic altered her path while making the most of opportunity. 

"The toughest, strangest, and most unexpected year of my life quickly turned into the most rewarding, and I am proud of my perseverance," she said. "Despite a restricted, three-meet track season this year, my unconditional commitment to the program paid off. I was awarded my school's Frank Serrao Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year; this award acknowledges the top female senior scholar-athlete who best exemplifies strong academic and athletic success at Redlands. I was also named SCIAC Field Athlete of the Year, in part for being the conference champion in both long jump and triple jump."

While at Redlands, Dolen gained wonderful insight and motivation during a study-abroad trip to Austria in the Fall of 2019.

"During the fall semester, I was able to expand my interpersonal skills studying abroad in Salzburg, Austria," Dolen noted. "There, I helped young students with their English studies, particularly in Mostar, Bosnia. I also worked briefly at a food bank in Austria, assembling meals at a youth emergency center. For two years prior, I volunteered at Redlands Community Hospital, and I am currently volunteering at a local animal shelter called the PAW Mission. I have always cherished the opportunity to volunteer."

Along with a strong commitment to developing her leadership as a student-athlete, Dolen anticipates those characteristics coming into play for her future success and career aspirations.

"Teammates know that I am supportive, positive, and inclusive," she explained. "These traits create an environment conducive to success. Athletes learn quickly that social inequity leads to dysfunction and a failure to achieve goals. I suspect the same holds true for business, which is why I will pursue a Master of Public Administration in graduate school. Overcoming every obstacle thrown at me through college has given me the confidence to succeed in graduate school and, ultimately, in my career."

As the conference representatives, Dolen and Diaz now await the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee's announcement of the top 10 honorees in each division. 

For a complete list of the all NCAA Woman of the Year nominees, please visit ncaa.org.