.png&width=16&type=webp)
University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Kayli Nichols Named 2017-18 Big South Woman of the Year
07.31.2018 | Track and Field
Big South Official Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – UNC Asheville graduate Kayli Nichols has been selected as the Big South Conference's Woman of the Year.
The conference Woman of the Year award sponsored by Big South Corporate Partner Musco Sports Lighting this year is actually being shared by Nichols with Winthrop lacrosse student-athlete Katherine Judge.
The Big South's Woman of the Year Selection Committee voted Nichols and Judge the co-honorees among the nine candidates nominated for the award. The Committee used criteria of Service and Leadership (including community services, campus activities and leadership positions), Academic Achievement, Athletics Excellence and a Personal Statement from each candidate.
As the Big South's Woman of the Year, Nichols and Judge are nominated as the conference's candidates for the national NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
"This is a very exciting recognition for Kayli to receive," UNC Asheville track and field head coach Jesse Norman said. "I can't think of anyone that is more deserving of this honor than her. She was a model student-athlete from the time she came to UNC Asheville. As her head coach, I couldn't be more excited for the opportunity that is front of her as she moves on to selection for NCAA Woman of the Year."
With degrees in German and Political Science and a minor in Spanish, Nichols graduated from UNC Asheville with a GPA of 3.974. During her senior campaign, she was named the Big South Outdoor Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the Big South Indoor Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Nichols departed Asheville as the record holder in three events -- outdoor 100mH, indoor 60mH and indoor 500m. She was also a member of two relay teams (4 x 400m indoor and outdoor relays) that own the fastest marks in program history. Individually, Nichols is ranked second in the outdoor 400mH as well.
During her senior season, Nichols finished runner-up in the women's 100mH with a time of 14.07 at the Big South Outdoor Championships to earn All-Conference honors.
Off the track, she was involved in Asheville's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Leadership Council and the German Club, as well as interning this past year for Inclusive Development International where she researched and investigated human right violations and environmental degradation in Africa and Southeast Asia.
The Raleigh, N.C. native also assisted at Belser Law Firm in Asheville. Nichols' accomplishments include distinction as a University Research Scholar, distinction in the National German and Political Science Honor Societies, membership in Sigma Delta Pi National Spanish Honor Society, a five-time Big South Track & Field All-Academic Team member and the 2016 UNC Asheville Scholar-Athlete Award.
Nichols was also a two-time winner of the UNC Asheville Bulldogs Award.
The honor for Nichols is part of a special year in the classroom at UNC Asheville with four Bulldogs garnering Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors for their sport. UNC Asheville men's basketball standout Kevin Vannatta was also chosen as the 2017-18 Big South Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
In addition to the Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors for Nichols and Vannatta, Blanton Gillespie was named the Big South Men's Outdoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year, while Catherine Allen of UNC Asheville swimming was named the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
For the 2017-18 athletic year overall, UNC Asheville student-athletes showed their commitment to the classroom by finishing the academic year with a combined grade-point average of 3.142.
Impressively, 72 percent (161 of 223) of UNC Asheville student-athletes during the 2017-18 athletic year received Athletic Director Honor Roll recognition with a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.
In addition, 90 Bulldog student-athletes owned a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher to earn Dean's List recognition.
UNC Asheville athletics had a total of 24 student-athletes collect Chancellor's List honors in the 2017-18 athletic year with perfect 4.0 grade-point averages.
The athletic year concluded for UNC Asheville with 42 athletic graduates taking part in the May 2018 Commencement exercises held at the quadrangle on the UNC Asheville campus on Saturday, May 12, 2018.
Nichols and Judge are among 581 overall nominees for NCAA Woman of the Year, which is now in its 28th year. All school and conference honorees receive an NCAA certificate and will be recognized on www.ncaa.org. The top 10 honorees from Divisions I, II and III, including the nine overall finalists, will be honored, with the 2018 NCAA Woman of the Year winner announced at a dinner Oct. 28, 2018, in Indianapolis.
To learn more about UNC Asheville track and field and athletics, please visit uncabulldogs.com.
**The Big South Conference contributed to this story**
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – UNC Asheville graduate Kayli Nichols has been selected as the Big South Conference's Woman of the Year.
The conference Woman of the Year award sponsored by Big South Corporate Partner Musco Sports Lighting this year is actually being shared by Nichols with Winthrop lacrosse student-athlete Katherine Judge.
The Big South's Woman of the Year Selection Committee voted Nichols and Judge the co-honorees among the nine candidates nominated for the award. The Committee used criteria of Service and Leadership (including community services, campus activities and leadership positions), Academic Achievement, Athletics Excellence and a Personal Statement from each candidate.
As the Big South's Woman of the Year, Nichols and Judge are nominated as the conference's candidates for the national NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
"This is a very exciting recognition for Kayli to receive," UNC Asheville track and field head coach Jesse Norman said. "I can't think of anyone that is more deserving of this honor than her. She was a model student-athlete from the time she came to UNC Asheville. As her head coach, I couldn't be more excited for the opportunity that is front of her as she moves on to selection for NCAA Woman of the Year."
With degrees in German and Political Science and a minor in Spanish, Nichols graduated from UNC Asheville with a GPA of 3.974. During her senior campaign, she was named the Big South Outdoor Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the Big South Indoor Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Nichols departed Asheville as the record holder in three events -- outdoor 100mH, indoor 60mH and indoor 500m. She was also a member of two relay teams (4 x 400m indoor and outdoor relays) that own the fastest marks in program history. Individually, Nichols is ranked second in the outdoor 400mH as well.
During her senior season, Nichols finished runner-up in the women's 100mH with a time of 14.07 at the Big South Outdoor Championships to earn All-Conference honors.
Off the track, she was involved in Asheville's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Leadership Council and the German Club, as well as interning this past year for Inclusive Development International where she researched and investigated human right violations and environmental degradation in Africa and Southeast Asia.
The Raleigh, N.C. native also assisted at Belser Law Firm in Asheville. Nichols' accomplishments include distinction as a University Research Scholar, distinction in the National German and Political Science Honor Societies, membership in Sigma Delta Pi National Spanish Honor Society, a five-time Big South Track & Field All-Academic Team member and the 2016 UNC Asheville Scholar-Athlete Award.
Nichols was also a two-time winner of the UNC Asheville Bulldogs Award.
The honor for Nichols is part of a special year in the classroom at UNC Asheville with four Bulldogs garnering Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors for their sport. UNC Asheville men's basketball standout Kevin Vannatta was also chosen as the 2017-18 Big South Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
In addition to the Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors for Nichols and Vannatta, Blanton Gillespie was named the Big South Men's Outdoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year, while Catherine Allen of UNC Asheville swimming was named the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
For the 2017-18 athletic year overall, UNC Asheville student-athletes showed their commitment to the classroom by finishing the academic year with a combined grade-point average of 3.142.
Impressively, 72 percent (161 of 223) of UNC Asheville student-athletes during the 2017-18 athletic year received Athletic Director Honor Roll recognition with a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.
In addition, 90 Bulldog student-athletes owned a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher to earn Dean's List recognition.
UNC Asheville athletics had a total of 24 student-athletes collect Chancellor's List honors in the 2017-18 athletic year with perfect 4.0 grade-point averages.
The athletic year concluded for UNC Asheville with 42 athletic graduates taking part in the May 2018 Commencement exercises held at the quadrangle on the UNC Asheville campus on Saturday, May 12, 2018.
Nichols and Judge are among 581 overall nominees for NCAA Woman of the Year, which is now in its 28th year. All school and conference honorees receive an NCAA certificate and will be recognized on www.ncaa.org. The top 10 honorees from Divisions I, II and III, including the nine overall finalists, will be honored, with the 2018 NCAA Woman of the Year winner announced at a dinner Oct. 28, 2018, in Indianapolis.
To learn more about UNC Asheville track and field and athletics, please visit uncabulldogs.com.
**The Big South Conference contributed to this story**
Players Mentioned
Fly/Free
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and FieldLJ Thorpe Chalk Talk | Men's Basketball
Wednesday, August 27
Alumni Interview || Clay Edmondson || Baseball
Monday, August 04
Why Asheville || Payton Rolfsen || Volleyball
Thursday, July 24
Why Asheville || Addie Cooper || Women's Soccer
Tuesday, June 17