Rafter Named NEC Nominee For NCAA Woman Of The Year

The NCAA and Northeast Conference announced Monday that Central Connecticut State University cross country and track and field standout Angie Rafter has been selected as the conference's NCAA Woman of the Year Nominee.

"Angie Rafter is an incredible person, student, competitor and leader," said Noreen Morris, Commissioner of the Northeast Conference.  "She has not only consistently excelled in the classroom and on the track, but she has been an active supporter of her local community and has become a strong advocate for student-athlete mental health. We are thrilled to have Angie represent the NEC as its NCAA Women of the Year nominee." 

This year's conference nominees include 53 student-athletes from Division I, 39 from Division II, and 59 from Division III. Of the 151 nominations from conference offices, 17 sports are represented, with 42 student-athletes competing in multiple sports. The average GPA of this year's nominee pool is 3.8.

"I am so incredibly honored to be the nominated for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year Award, Rafter said, "I can truly say a nomination such as this one would not have been possible without all the trailblazing women in the NEC and at CCSU, like Commissioner Morris, President Toro, Amy Strickland, and Molly McCarthy, who inspire me every day. CCSU and the NEC have been home to me the past five years—the experiences I've had and the people I've met have embraced and encouraged me to be the best possible version of myself. This nomination feels so special, and I thank all of those who have molded me into the woman I am today."

Rafter, a 15-time All-NEC performer, has combined to win 12 conference championships in track and field, including seven on the indoor side and five on the outdoor circuit. Leading Central Connecticut to a pair of track and field titles, she has racked up five lifetime NEC major awards in the process. In the 2021-22 campaign alone Rafter was named the cross country NEC Most Outstanding Performer, the 2022 Indoor NEC Most Valuable Performer and the Most Valuable Performer and Most Outstanding Track Performer (Distance) at the outdoor championship.

In cross country, Rafter led the Blue Devils to four straight NEC titles. Most impressively, she became just the second runner in NEC history to win three individual cross-country titles.

A Danielson, CT native, Rafter excels in the classroom as well, a NEC-record eight Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards over the course of her career. She graduated in May 2021 with a degree in Health Psychology and posted the highest GPA for a graduating female student-athlete at Central Connecticut (3.96). She currently holds a 4.00 GPA in her Master's courses.

Rafter, who will compete for the Blue Devils during the indoor track and field season this year, was selected to serve as the president of the CCSU SAAC for the 2022-23 seasons, and she has devoted countless hours to mental health initiatives on her campus.

"All of us at Central are thrilled that Angie is garnering the recognition that she so richly deserves," said CCSU Director of Athletics Tom Pincince. "Her dedication to her sport and her studies, coupled with her willingness to work to make her surrounding community a better place, are inspirational. We are so proud of her and her accomplishments."

The 151 conference-level nominations will be forwarded to the NCAA Woman of the Year Selection Committee, which will choose the top 10 honorees in each of the three NCAA divisions. The NCAA will announce the Top 30 honorees on ncaa.org in October. From those 30 candidates, the selection committee determines the top three finalists in each division. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will select the Woman of the Year from the nine finalists. The 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced during an award ceremony at the NCAA Convention in January.

This marks the 32nd year of the Woman of the Year Award program. To learn more about the award, selection process and previous winners at ncaa.org/woty.