College Soccer: Cal State San Bernardino Grad Gabby Evaristo is a CCAA, NCAA Woman Of The Year Nominee

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Evaristo is One of Two Nominees...the Other is UC San Diego's Summer Bales

The CCAA is represented by two women tabbed as conference nominees for 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year – Gabby Evaristo of CSUSB and UC San Diego's Summer Bales.

Both soccer players in the CCAA, Evaristo and Bales are two of 22 women who compete on the pitch in the overall tally of 148 conference nominees. The average grade-point average of the Woman of the Year list is 3.80 across all three divisions, with 33 representatives from the Division II ranks.

"All of us in the CCAA are so proud of the accomplishments of Summer and Gabby," remarked CCAA Commissioner Mitch Cox. "Their commitment to their educational growth and the leadership they display on the field, in the classroom and in the community is what exemplifies Division II athletics. The CCAA could not have better representatives vying for this prestigious award."

Earning her degree in computer engineering with a minor in mathematics, Evaristo has been a force in the classroom throughout her career donning a Coyote uniform. The San Diego native graduated with a 3.99 grade-point average and was twice named to the Academic All-America® Team after earning Academic All-District® First Team honors in 2017 and '18.

This spring Evaristo earned two prestigious awards from Cal State San Bernardino as she was tapped as the Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the CCAA's Hal Charnofsky Memorial Award winner.

"My scholar life at Cal State San Bernardino has been an extraordinary one," reflected Evaristo. "Coming in as a freshman, I was unsure of what I wanted to do, but knew that I wanted to pursue a major that positively impacted the world. Computer engineering spoke out to me. Being a part of projects involving mobile-controlled robots, Android and iOS mobile apps, and vehicle occupancy for the CSUSB parking structure has taught me a lot about myself and what I have to offer in the STEM industry. My drive and determination to not only pursue the things that interest me, but soak up all the content and apply it to real systems, built a vision I saw within myself that included entering graduate school."

On the field, Evaristo has been a staple in the midfield for the Coyotes, and compiled seven points during her senior season, scoring three times. In 2018, she garnered all-conference honorable mention status for her efforts.

"When the opportunity to play college soccer arose, I took it, with full force," Evaristo noted. "It's something I strove for since I started playing at the age of eight. Being able to put on the jersey for four years has been a blessing; it has taught me the importance of being a team player and that adversity is only temporary, so long as you have the will power to overcome it. I have also been fortunate enough to play for the Guam Women's National Team … the opportunity to represent my island and play for something bigger than my team and myself has pushed me to strive for more."

She has also spent over 100 hours volunteering in the community at locations that include Helping Hands Pantry, Loma Linda Children's Hospital, Adopt-A-Highway, the DisABILITY Sports Festival, youth soccer clinics, and tutoring four different courses on campus.

A record 585 women from across the country were nominated by NCAA member schools. Along with Bales and Evaristo, Lisa Flora (Cal State San Marcos cross country/track & field) and Morgan Ratliff (Cal State San Bernardino softball) were nominated by their institutions.

Eligible female student-athletes are first nominated by their member school. Each conference office then reviews the nominations from its core member schools (and sponsored sports) and submits its conference nominee(s) to the NCAA. All nominees that compete in a sport that is not sponsored by their core conference, associate conference nominees and independent nominees will be sent to a separate pool to be considered by a committee.

Then, the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee identifies the Top 30 – 10 from each division – and from there selects three finalists from each division. The Committee on Women's Athletics then selects the winner from the nine finalists, announced at the awards dinner honoring the Top 30 and the 2018 Woman of the Year on Sunday, Oct. 20, in Indianapolis.

Learn more about the NCAA Woman of the Year program >>>

Established in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year program honors the academic achievement, athletics excellence, and community service and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions. To be eligible, a nominee must have competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport, must have completed eligibility in her primary sport, and must have earned her undergraduate degree by Summer 2019.

Press Release Provided by Cal State University San Bernardino

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