GCU’s Lundberg, CBU’s Olaeta WAC Nominees for NCAA Woman of the Year
INDIANAPOLIS – Grand Canyon pole vaulter Madelyn Lundberg and California Baptist basketball player Ane Olaeta have been selected by the WAC senior woman administrators to represent the conference for the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year award. In its 31st year, the award recognizes graduating female student-athletes for excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership.
Lundberg, a native of Phoenix, earned her bachelor of science degree in secondary education, holding a 3.96 grade-point average, and is purusing her masters of education in educational leadership at GCU. She earned All-America status at this year's NCAA Track and Field Championship, finishing 12th in the women's pole vault after clearing 4.05-meters.
A five-time WAC champion, he helped the Lopes win their third consecutive WAC women's outdoor track and field championship. She leaves the Lopes as the school record holder in both the indoor and outdoor pole vault, clearing 4.16-meters at the 2021 WAC Indoor Track and Field Championships and 4.27-meters at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field West Prelimary Round.
Off the track, she was involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes all four years and also helped lead a bible study group at GCU. In addition, she spent the fall semester as a virtual student teacher at a school while still training under increased restrictions for her final collegiate season.
"Adversity, fatigue, and raw exertion shows you what you are made of, and I was willing to grind through the challenge, and encourage others to do so on my way through the journey," said Lundberg. "Although 2020 was a year of physical, emotional, and social strife that caused so many snags in what I thought my season was going to be, I needed those struggles to fight hard for my degree and my students, my athletic success, and my now role as captain that so many look to for leadership."
Olaeta, who hails from Gernika-Lumo, Spain, led the Lancers to one of the top seasons in WAC women's basketball while still holding a 3.83 grade-point average as an international student. She earned the 2020-21 Joe Kearney award, which goes to the top student-athletes in the WAC as voted on by school administrators.
Ane simply dominated on the hardwood as she led the Lancers to a 26-1 season, which included an undefeated WAC season, a WAC tournament title and a pair of wins in the WNIT. The WAC Women's Basketball Player of the Year led both the WAC and the nation in assists per game at 7.8 per game.
Away from the gym, she was heavily involved in Feeding America, which helps distribute meals to people and families in need, and volunteered as an elementary school tutor.
"There have been many situations as an athlete and as a student that I wanted to give up and go back home, but something in me always made me go forward with strength," said Olaeta. "Throughout the last four years, not only have I learned lots of different aspects of life, but I have also learned a lot about myself."
The Woman of the Year selection committee will next select the top 10 honorees in each division. These top 30 honorees will be announced in September. The selection committee will then choose and announce the top nine finalists (three from each division) and the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will vote from those nine finalists to determine the 2021 Woman of the Year.
The Top 30 honorees will be celebrated and the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year will be named this fall.