NCAA Release

List of Nominees

Staten Island, NY – Recently graduated women's swimming and diving standout Amanda Lucia has been nominated for the NCAA's prestigious Woman of the Year Award. Lucia is one of two Northeast Conference (NEC) student-athletes nominated for the award along with LIU Brooklyn volleyball player Adriana Vinas Joy.
 
The NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership. Lucia becomes one of 517 student-athletes nominated for the award, 231 of which come from other Division I institutions. The top 10 nominees per division will be selected in September, with the winner being announced at the awards dinner in Indianapolis on Sunday, October 16.
 
"We are extremely proud of Amanda and her accomplishments as a student-athlete at Wagner over the past four years," said Wagner Senior Associate Athletic Director Peg Hefferan. "Her achievements in academics, athletics and in the community set her up to be very successful and I know she will represent the Seahawk family well in her future endeavors." 
 
Lucia was previously named NEC Female Student-Athlete of the Year and graduated cum laude this past May with a 3.55-GPA as a nursing major. She was a four-year member of the NEC Academic Honor Roll, the 2014-15 NEC Swimming & Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and finished with a 4.0 GPA in her final semester as an undergraduate. Additionally, Lucia was an active member of Sigma Theta Tau, the Honor Society of Nursing.
 
In the pool, Lucia won the 200 Butterfly and 400 IM at the 2016 NEC Championships and added a second place in the 100 Fly. She currently holds the NEC record in the 400 IM and 200 IM. In four seasons, Lucia compiled seven NEC individual gold medals, including four straight titles in the 400 IM. Lucia also qualified and swam at the AT&T US Winter National Championships her junior and senior seasons and produced a qualifying NCAA B-cut time her junior campaign in the 200 Fly.
 
"Amanda was an outstanding athlete and a pleasure to coach for four seasons," said Wagner Head Swimming & Diving Coach Colin Shannahan. "She is very deserving of this nomination and represented our team well both in and away from the pool."
 
Lucia's dedication to community service is just as impressive as her other achievements. Together with teammate Erin Malone, the two Seahawk swimmers co-founded the local chapter of "Love Your Melon," an organization that raises awareness about Children's Cancer and looks to provide children who are fighting cancer with comfortable and warm hats. Her efforts positively impacted patients at Long Island's Cohen Children's Medical Center, as well as families here on Staten Island who are battling cancer.
 
The Easthampton, MA native also assisted the CHAD foundation, volunteering as a student nurse providing EKGs to local high school student-athletes from low-income areas in the New York City Area. Lucia, who served as a three-year volunteer at the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Run and the Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Fundraiser hosted by the Wagner Women's swimming & diving team, also positively impacted the community by taking part in Wagner Cares, a Hurricane Sandy relief effort at Midland Beach in Staten Island.
 
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