UK swimmer one of two SEC nominees for NCAA Woman of the Year

Former University of Kentucky swimmer Danielle Galyer is one of two Southeastern Conference nominees for the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year, the league office announced Monday.

From the initial 543 nominees, Galyer was chosen along with former Georgia swimmer Chantal Van Landeghem to represent the SEC.

The NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership.

Galyer became Kentucky’s first swimmer to win a national championship when she took the 200 backstroke crown at the 2016 NCAA Championships. A four-time First Team All-American, three-year All-Southeastern Conference selection and two-year member of the USA National Team, she finished fifth overall in the 200 backstroke at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials.

Double majoring in psychology and political science, Galyer maintained a 4.0 grade-point average. The Greenville, S.C., native was selected Southeastern Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year for both her sophomore and junior campaigns and was awarded the NCAA Elite 90 Award in 2016 and 2017. Galyer also served as Kentucky’s Student-Athlete Advistory Committee president for two years and was a member of the SEC Community Service Team in 2016.

The current list of conference nominees will be pared to 30 top nominees — 10 per NCAA division — in early September. A group of nine finalists — three from each division — will be named later that month.

The 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced at the annual award ceremony Oct. 22 in Indianapolis.

This story was originally published July 17, 2017 at 11:03 AM with the headline "UK swimmer one of two SEC nominees for NCAA Woman of the Year."