Mandarino Named NCAA Woman of the Year Top 30 Finalist

ATHENS, Ga. --- Former University of Georgia equestrian standout Emma Mandarino has been selected as a Top 30 finalist for the NCAA Woman of the Year award, the NCAA announced Tuesday.

She is one of ten from Division I, the only finalist from the Southeastern Conference, and the first nominee in the Top 30 to be from the sport of equestrian.

Mandarino, a native of Bedminster, N.J., is one of 13 all-time finalists for the Bulldogs, and the first nominee from equestrian. Georgia swimmers Lisa Coole (1997), Kristy Kowal (2000) and Kim Black (2001), as well as track and field's Keturah Orji (2018) each claimed NCAA Woman of the Year honors. Georgia was the first school to have more than one winner and has a finalist for the third consecutive year (swimming's Chantal Van Landeghem and Orji).

The Top 30 honorees were selected from an initial pool of 585 school nominees, a program record. From there, the pool was narrowed by conference offices and a selection committee to move forward 151 nominees for consideration. The Top 30 honorees include 10 from each of the three NCAA divisions, and each has demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership. The honorees competed in 13 sports — including, for the first time, equestrian and rifle — and studied a broad range of academic majors, including neuroscience, anthropology, economics, chemical engineering, political science and communication.

"I was so honored to have been nominated by Georgia for this award and now to be a Top 30 finalist is surreal," Mandarino said. "My four years as a student-athlete at UGA were driven by hard work and passion. Really it all came together because I had so many wonderful women inspiring me. From mentors to teammates to coaches, these women were striking and resilient and the reasons behind my success. It's hard to wrap my head around what a privilege it is to represent my school, my sport, and my team with this recognition, but I will forever work to honor it and inspire girls to chase their dreams."

Mandarino graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor's of Business Administration in Accounting in May and has begun her master's of accountancy, also at Georgia. She is a five-time UGA Presidential Scholar, as well as a three-time National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) First Team Academic All-American. She was the SEC Boyd McWhorter Scholarship nominee from Georgia this year and earned the Bernard Ramsey Scholarship for Academic and Athletic Excellence for having a GPA within the top 10 of all UGA student-athletes.

After walking on the team as a freshman, Mandarino grew to be a two-year captain in her junior and senior seasons. She led the Bulldogs to back-to-back SEC Championships in 2017 and 2018, and the team finished Reserve Champions at the NCEA National Championship three-straight seasons. In 2019, Mandarino contributed to the Bulldogs' Equitation Over Fences National Title.

As a constant competitor in Georgia's Equitation Over Fences lineup, she earned six Most Outstanding Performance honors as a Bulldog. She was recognized as NCEA Standout Student-Athlete of the Month (October 2017) and SEC Equitation Over Fences Rider of the Month (October 2017). She is the eighth leading scorer for Equitation Over Fences in Georgia equestrian history.

"We are thrilled to hear Emma is a Top 30 finalist for this award," Georgia equestrian head coach Meghan Boenig said. "You can see from reading Emma's bio that she is outstanding both in the arena and in academics. What you don't easily find in the stats is how outstanding she is in her leadership, passion for her team, and commitment to 'The Georgia Way'. Emma is an inspiration to us all and has always been a driver of our collective success. We are thrilled for her to represent the university in this prestigious award."

Mandarino was a member of Georgia's Student Leadership Academy (LEAD) and was named UGA's Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the equestrian team. She also earned the team's Coaches' Award, "Committed to the G", and Sportsmanship awards.

University of Georgia Athletics

Mandarino Named NCAA Woman of the Year Top 30 Finalist

Related News

Players Mentioned

Emma Mandarino

Related Videos