ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – Maggie Riermann was among the 535 student-athletes from all divisions nominated for the 2021 NCAA Women of the Year Award. The women's tennis standout is one of 177 nominees from Division III.
Established in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year award is rooted in Title IX and recognizes graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their NCAA eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
A 2021 graduate and Stillwater, Minn. native, Riermann departs Bethel as one of the most decorated women's tennis athletes to wear the Royals' uniform. She capped out an amazing career, which saw her surpass the 100-career win mark, with Doubles All-American honors after making a run with her sister
Grace Riermann in the NCAA Championship doubles semifinals. The run made her a three-time doubles All-American while also becoming a three-time All-MIAC honoree in singles and doubles.
A two-time Academic All-Conference honoree, she was awarded the Elite 22 Award for women's tennis in 2019 and was CoSIDA Academic All-District in 2020. In addition to her academic achievements, she was a contributing writer for Bethel's student newspaper The Clarion, a tutor to Japanese and Vietnamese students teaching them English as well as being a tutor in the writing center. Riermann graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors earning a degree in secondary education, communication arts & literature while also obtaining a minor in Spanish. She finished with a 3.96 cumulative GPA.
Conferences will select up to two nominees each from their pool of member school nominees. Then, the Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will choose 10 women from each division to make up the Top 30.
The selection committee will determine the top three honorees in each division from the Top 30, and the nine finalists will be announced this fall. From those nine finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will choose the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year later this fall.
