Indianapolis, Ind. - Adelphi University women's lacrosse graduate Alison Johnson is among an elite class of just nine finalists for the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year award, the national office announced Thursday afternoon.

Johnson joins Adelphi graduate Chelsea Abreu, '19, who was also named a top nine finalist just two years ago. She returned for a fifth year of action in 2021 after her senior season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic - additionally Johnson was the inaugural recipient of the McDonagh Family Lacrosse Scholarship. 

The nine finalists — including three from each NCAA division — demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers. Finalists were selected from the Top 30 Woman of the Year honorees, made up of 10 women from each division. The Top 30 represented 12 sports, including one NCAA emerging sport for women. In 2021, schools nominated 535 graduating female student-athletes for this prestigious award.

"We are so proud to see Alison's name among the top women in College athletics," said Adelphi Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation Danny McCabe.

"The rest of the country now gets to see what an accomplished woman she is. She is a champion on the field and in life. And it's so neat to see Alison follow in the footsteps of her former teammate and captain, Chelsea [Abreu], in receiving this honor."

"Resilience and perseverance are attributes that I initially developed through athletics, yet I now channel them in my daily life to face a world after loss. I remain determined to exude strength and positivity despite the odds and be the best version of myself each day. … I learned my greatest life lessons as a Panther; thrilling wins and devastating losses, both athletic and personal, that will allow me to enter the classroom knowing that I can inspire courage and grit for years to come."

Johnson, who boasted a 4.0 GPA for her graduate studies, was a three-time Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association All-American, including first-team honors in 2017 and 2018, and she led her team to NCAA Division II national titles in 2017 and 2019. The 2018 Northeast-10 Player of the Year led Division II in assists per game in 2018 and was a first-team all-conference selection in 2017, 2018 and 2019. She is Adelphi's all-time leader in assists and ranks second in career points. The three-time CoSIDA Academic All-American earned first-team honors in 2020 and 2021.

The Middle Island, N.Y. native was the 2021 Northeast-10 Elite 24 Award Winner, an award presented at each conference championship finals site to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average. In 2020 and 2021, she won the NE10 Sport Excellence Award for her outstanding athletic and academic accomplishments. A two-year team captain, in 2020 Johnson received the Division II Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement Award. In 2021, she became the third Adelphi student-athlete to be named NE10 Woman of the Year.

She joins eight other finalists for the virtual recognition ceremony on Nov. 9 when the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced. They are:

• Mikayla Bisignani, Johns Hopkins University, Outdoor Track and Field, Swimming and Diving
• Anna Cockrell, University of Southern California, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field
• Kendall Cornick, Augustana University (South Dakota), Softball
• Stefani Deschner, University of Notre Dame, Fencing
• Naomi Hill, North Central College, Triathlon
• Eka Jose, Washington University in St. Louis, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field
• Avery Skinner, University of Kentucky, Volleyball
• Irisa Ye, University of the Sciences, Basketball

At 7:30 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday, Nov. 9, the finalists and Top 30 honorees will be celebrated and the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced during a virtual awards ceremony. The show will be streamed on the NCAA Twitter account and ncaa.org/woty.