ANNOUNCER: Please welcome your NCAA Woman of the Year ceremony host, Bonnie Bernstein.
(Applause.)
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Good morning, everybody. I did my rehearsal in sneakers, so I was down here. But now I'm in real heels. So I have to adjust the microphone. How's everybody doing today? We having a successful, enthralling, enlightening NCAA Convention? Please say yes.
I'm Bonnie Bernstein. It's beyond meaningful for me to be serving as your host today. I did gymnastics at the University of Maryland. When I think back about my experience as a student athlete, it's been such a vital part of not just setting my foundation for my career at ESPN and CBS, but giving me the intestinal fortitude now to be an entrepreneur and have my own production company.
I'm sure many of you have seen the Ernst & Young study that points to more than 90 percent of women in C suites across America, they come from competitive sports backgrounds, and more than half of those women were college athletes. So we know that there's such a strong link between the life skills learned on the fields of play and professional success.
When you have the opportunity to hear a little bit more about the 30 women who are the finalists semifinalists, and ultimately the 9 finalists suffice it to say, I am honored to be the dumbest person on the stage today. I am totally fine with that.
This year's Woman of the Year event is particularly meaningful, not only because we're in the middle of celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX, but because this is the first time the top 30 national honorees, some of the most phenomenally accomplished women you will ever meet both on and off the field are receiving their spotlight right here at convention.
To give you a sense of the exclusivity, if you will, let's do some number crunching. There are more than a half million college athletes competing at the NCAA level. How many were nominated for this award? 577. That group was narrowed down to 156 conference level nominees. And the 30 honorees we will introduce to you today were chosen by the NCAA Woman of the Year Selection Committee, 10 from each of the three NCAA divisions. So to recap, more than 500,000 student athletes, 30 will stand before you today. So to say this is a prestigious honor is probably the understatement of the day.
Without further ado, it's time to recognize our 30 exceptional honorees:
Representing the Big Ten Conference and Penn State, Kerry Abello.
(Applause.)
From the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and Colorado School of Mines, Zoe Baker.
(Applause.)
Representing the The Ivy League and Columbia, Sylvie Binder.
(Applause.)
From the Great Midwest Athletic Conference and Cedarville, Rachel Bredeson.
(Applause.)
Representing the Sunshine State Conference and Florida Tech, Savannah Brennan.
(Applause.)
From the Northeast 10 Conference and Adelphi, Jackie Brown.
(Applause.)
We love all those, "Yea, you go girl!"
Representing the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom and Stevens Institute of Technology, Lizzie Chu.
(Applause.)
From the Centennial Conference and Dickinson, Elaina Clancy.
(Applause.)
Representing the ACC and the NC State Wolfpack, Jaeda Daniel.
(Applause.)
From Georgia and the SEC, Samantha Drop.
(Applause.)
Representing the Pac 12 and Stanford, Brooke Forde.
(Applause.)
From the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin and Illinois Wesleyan, Ellen Gilbert.
(Applause.)
Representing the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference and MIT, Karenna Groff.
(Applause.)
From the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and Colorado State University Pueblo, Yasmine Hernandez.
(Applause.)
Representing the American Rivers Conference and Nebraska Wesleyan, Reagan Janzen.
(Applause.)
From the New England Small College Athletic Conference and Colby, Sharde Johnson.
(Applause.)
Representing the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and St. Catherine, Macy Klein.
(Applause.)
Not in attendance today but representing the ACC and Louisville, Gabriela Leon.
(Applause.)
Also unable to be with us today, from the Big 12 and Oklahoma, Grace Lyons.
(Applause.)
Representing the Gymnastics East Conference and West Chester, Jessica Meakim.
(Applause.)
From the New England Small College Athletic Conference and Middlebury, Erin Nicholas.
(Applause.)
Representing the Pac 12 Conference and Arizona State, Emma Nordin.
(Applause.)
From the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and Shippensburg, Jazmin Petrantonio.
(Applause.)
Representing the Midwest Independent Conference and Centenary College in Louisiana, Kendall Sanders.
(Applause.)
From the Mid American Conference and Akron, Ivana Shah.
(Applause.)
Representing the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Chapman, Sophie Srivastava.
(Applause.)
From the Bluegrass Mountain Conference and Queens University of Charlotte, Kayla Tennant.
(Applause.)
Representing the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference and Georgian Court, Hanna Thrainsdottir.
(Applause.)
From the East Coast Conference and Daemen, Katie Titus.
(Applause.)
And last but certainly not least, representing the Patriot League and Navy, Victoria Tran.
(Applause.)
Congratulations to all of our 30 honorees. You can learn more about these remarkable women by visiting ncaa.org/WOTY and by viewing the Woman of the Year event program on the NCAA app.
Ladies, bring it on in.
(Applause.)
Thank you so much, ladies, and congratulations.
Later in our ceremony, we'll hear from the nine finalists and then announce who the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics has selected as the NCAA Woman of the Year.
But first, ladies and gentlemen, please provide a warm welcome to NCAA President Mark Emmert.
(Applause.)
MARK EMMERT: Thank you very much for that nice welcome. Most importantly, welcome to all of you to this event. As you heard, this is the 32nd time the NCAA has celebrated the Women of the Year awards and the first time we've ever done it as part of the National Convention, and I'm delighted by the crowd that's here and the opportunity for so many of you to see the achievements and accomplishments of these truly extraordinary women.
When we think about college sports today, what most people notice and pay attention to are the championships, the games, the competitions, sometimes the issue du jour that pops up and winds up being fodder for the Twitter world or the newsprint or whatever. And that's all good. That's part of it. We certainly love to celebrate our championships and these great competitions.
But what you're going to see today and what you just saw is, in my mind, the real product of what college sports is all about. It's about young men and women having an opportunity to perform at the very highest level they're capable of in all of their endeavors on the field or on the court or in the pool, in the classroom, in the laboratory, in their communities, and even abroad in many cases with these women you're going to see today.
That's what we all aspire for in college sports is to provide that kind of opportunity, that kind of support. And what you get when you provide that opportunity with the kinds of drive and energy and intelligence and skills that these 30 women bring is you get this kind of outcome.
This is the last time I get to do this, as most everyone here knows. Governor Baker is going to be taking over as president in March. And one of the events that I'm going to every year being a part of is this event because of what it stands for. It's something where I will not have to be yet again reminded of my own inadequacies as I sit here and watch these 30 women because they're so remarkable. But I know that you all will enjoy this event and you'll be really proud of these women.
Lastly, let me say this: To the family members, the coaches, the supporters, the administrators that are here that have had impacts on these particular athletes, thank you. You need to be immensely proud of what you have done. As Bonnie said, this is a sample that's selected out of a half million men and women who play college sports. To be on this stage, to get here, to be one of these 30 is an unbelievable accomplishment, and they didn't get there all by themselves. They were the drivers, the people that put in all the work, but they couldn't have done it without the support structure, encouragement, and drive and motivation that you all provided them as well. Thank you very much.
Congratulations to all of the contestants, and thank you all for being with us today. I know you're going to enjoy this. Thank you.
(Applause.)
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Thank you, President Emmert, and thank you for all of your years of energy and dedication to overseeing the organized body.
I'm so glad that Mark brought up all of the surrounding people for the student athletes. It really does take a village. I had the chance to visit with the leadership of SAAC during lunch yesterday, D I, D II, and D III. I didn't really want to speak. I said, please ask me questions. How can I be helpful? How can I be a resource?
One of the questions that came in was around mentorship and champions. When you think about it, we can't do what we do with student athletes without that village, without our parents, without our coaches. My gymnastics coach at Maryland, when I was getting ready to look for jobs this is probably an NCAA violation now that I'm thinking about it but he took our team van, and we were on a West Coast road trip, and he drove me around to different TV stations so I could give my tape to news directors to get feedback because I was getting ready to go out into the real world.
It's just a small example of how important all of you all are, and for that I know I and everybody who's up on stage today is incredibly thankful.
Today's honorees show us the importance of sports for girls and women. When the first Woman of the Year, Mary Beth Riley, was named in 1991, there were fewer than 100,000 female student athletes in all of NCAA sports. Now that number is doubled.
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX, we asked Women of the Year from past decades to reflect on this historic legislation, the award, and their experiences as student athletes. Let's hear from them.
(Video played.)
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Appreciation to all of our past honorees for sharing their perspectives and continuing to inspire us.
I want to also take a quick second to thank the Woman of the Year Selection Committee and the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics, who contributed to the 2022 selection process and made this whole celebration possible. Your hard work and commitment to honoring these remarkable women is deeply appreciated.
The NCAA Woman of the Year program is unique in its emphasis because it's not just about academics and athletics, but it's also about community service and leadership. Over the 32 years of this award, the honorees have led and demonstrated such a strong desire to give back and a deep, deep commitment to improving lives in their respective communities.
The 30 amazing women we honor today have volunteered with more than 230 campus and community organizations while also studying and playing their sports. This is like time management on steroids, but steroids are not allowed, so just a lot of energy. To honor their commitment, leadership and kind spirit, the NCAA and corporate partner Buick are donating books to public libraries and middle school libraries near their alma maters. The books focus on uplifting and relatable topics that will inspire middle school girls.
So we'd like to send a special shout out to our friends at Buick for helping make this donation even possible. More than anything, ladies, and we said this when we were rehearsing this morning, thank you. Thank you for your selflessness. Thank you for your light and your energy. It is inspiring. There is gratitude throughout this room for all of you.
I know that for all of the greatness that you've already achieved in your young lives and the impact you've already had, you're really just scratching the surface. You are our leaders of tomorrow. Perhaps most importantly, you're setting such an incredible example for all the little girls out there because you help them see what is possible. So thank you. Round of applause.
(Applause.)
I hear utensils clanking. Apparently, you're all hungry. You're getting a little head start on lunch. We'll break for lunch, and we'll be back shortly to meet all of the finalists for the NCAA Woman of the Year award. Enjoy your meal! We'll be back shortly.
(Lunch break.)
(Video played.)
ANNOUNCER: And now please welcome our host, Bonnie Bernstein!
(Applause.)
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Welcome back to the NCAA Woman of the Year Celebration! Such an incredible group of women. That video really only scratches the surface.
Today's 30 honorees have demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics of course, but also community service and leadership. They represent more than 200,000 female student athletes participating in NCAA sports. Needless to say, their achievements are remarkable and certainly worthy of a round of applause.
(Applause.)
Well, it is the time in our event to share with you the nine finalists and learn ultimately who this year's NCAA Woman of the Year will be.
First up, from the Colorado School of Mines, Zoe Baker.
(Video played.)
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Zoe Baker!
(Applause.)
We all went through tech rehearsals together, and Zoe and I were talking about how her being a cross country athlete actually makes her a better mathematician and computer scientist. Shed some color on that.
ZOE BAKER: I think computer science and math can be really daunting to people, as can racing and training for any sort of sport, and when you have something that daunting, the most important thing is to focus on what you can do day by day. There's no cheating in long distance running. It's all about building a fitness over months, years, and choosing to run miles every single day, choosing to put in consistent work, finding what works, and continuing to stack that up until you get to success.
I think that's something very true when you're learning something daunting like a lot of my computer science and math classes for me. I remember going in freshman year and thinking, oh, my gosh, there's just a bunch of guys that have been doing computer science since they were like barely learning how to walk, and it's very daunting. But just kind of focusing on what you can do day per day and really just showing up. Then four years later, you're like, holy cow, how did I do that?
Yeah, that's why I really appreciate running and what it's taught me for computer science and math.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: I'm going to plant this seed. Predictive analytics is becoming a really popular field. I'm inclined to think you probably have the brain for it. Zoe, thanks so much for being a finalist. Thanks so much for being with us.
Our next finalist is from St. Catherine. Congratulations to Macy Klein.
(Video played.)
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Ladies and gentlemen, Macy Klein!
(Applause.)
It takes such extraordinary commitment to go into any of the Armed Forces. What's the inspiration for Air Force for you?
MACY KLEIN: Thank you. So a lot of my family members were in the Air Force. So my parents and family friends of ours, my grandpa, my uncle. So they were originally my inspiration.
I had a passion for aviation and for service and just being a part of something that's bigger than myself. So I thought the Air Force would be a perfect place to pursue that passion of aviation through the support and defense of the Constitution of this amazing country.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: You talk to a lot of folks currently in the military and military veterans who draw such a strong parallel between the teamwork when you're in the military and part of a team. How do you think your experience in swimming will help you once you get to the Air Force.
MACY KLEIN: Absolutely. You have to rely on others. You can't do it by yourself. Mission first, people always. Yeah, just how to rely on other people. Especially being the type A person that I am, I had to learn a lot. I'm not going to be able to do it on my own all the time and just had to trust other people. It's that synergy aspect,
2 plus 2 equals 5.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Congratulations. Thanks so much.
(Applause.)
We're going to stay with our military theme for the next finalist. From Navy, Victoria Tran.
(Video played.)
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: I love that.
(Applause.)
Shared trauma builds bonds, I really like that. Victoria, come on out.
Victoria, you had talked a little bit about the honor flight that you took part in. Share a little bit about what that experience is, who gets to participate, and what it was like for you to be a part of it.
VICTORIA TRAN: So the honor flight is a really awesome program. It's there to try to celebrate America's veterans by bringing them for a day in D.C., where they can walk around and check out the nation's memorials. A lot of those monuments are commemorated for either wars or conflicts that these veterans have served in. So it's like a really big reflective moment for a lot of them.
So my personal experience with it has been primarily through the Navy women's soccer team. We would as the veterans land at the terminal, we would greet them, and that's our opportunity to shake hands and ask them what they've been through and thank them for their service. I still get chills thinking about it, but as they make their way out to D.C., we also render them a farewell salute.
Again, I think for me personally, it's really impactful because it's, one, super gratifying knowing I'll be a naval officer one day I guess I am now, but still a student technically.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: You don't want to short trip that, Victoria.
VICTORIA TRAN: For sure. It puts things in perspective.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Thank you for your service because you are an officer. Don't forget it. Congratulations, Victoria Tran.
(Applause.)
Hanna Thrainsdottir is our next finalist from Georgian Court.
(Video played.)
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Ladies and gentlemen, Hanna Thrainsdottir!
(Applause.)
Okay, on a scale of 1 to 10, I literally practiced in my room for ten minutes, the last name? Is an 8 possible? I don't know, what would you think?
HANNA THRAINSDOTTIR: I'd give you a solid 8.5.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Say it again. Thrainsdottir.
HANNA THRAINSDOTTIR: Thrainsdottir.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: It's the last syllable. I clearly need more work, but I tried really hard. So there's that. You were so excited when you found out you got your Fulbright. There's Fulbright and there's Rhodes, and they're so competitive. Why was it so important for you to get that, and what are you hoping to achieve with that, and what are you hoping to learn?
HANNA THRAINSDOTTIR: It's a really big honor, first of all, and it doesn't hurt that it's a big scholarship.
Yeah, I just finished my first semester of my graduate studies in media culture and communications, and I'm hoping to do my Masters thesis on something related to the Icelandic language and how that appears and is used in media or something related to LGBTQ+ representation in media.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: As that conversation grows around LGBTQ, how are you hoping to have an impact?
HANNA THRAINSDOTTIR: I'm hoping I can do research on media and especially show how we can get better.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Hanna, congratulations. Thanks so much for being with us today.
(Applause.)
Our next finalist hails from Stanford. Congratulations to Brooke Forde.
(Video played.)
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Ladies and gentlemen, Brooke Forde!
(Applause.)
You clean up well. I'm going to throw a little curveball, but I know you can handle it. So Brooke just flew in from Peru, and when she's done, she's going straight back to Peru for her work in the Peace Corps. Why is it so important for you to be here?
BROOKE FORD: I love this award, one, because of the awesome people who are also being honored. Getting to meet them is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
I also think it's really important, and I value it a lot to be celebrated for things beyond my sport. I love that this award does that. I think there have been a lot of celebrations of my swimming career, and it means a lot to me to have academics and service recognized as well.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: You are making such a strong commitment, and many would feel based on the conditions in the Peace Corps, you're making a huge sacrifice for the good of the greater. What's your why behind the Peace Corps? What are you hoping you will get out of it?
BROOKE FORD: Just a bigger world view, honestly. I'm hoping to work in global health later in my life, and I've led a very comfortable life here in the United States, being a D I athlete attending Stanford. So I think this is something I need for my personal growth and that I want is to take that leap to something a little bit scary, live in a totally new culture, new country, a new lifestyle, and I really think that's going to benefit me in the long run. I'm loving getting to serve a community while I'm there.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: That's awesome. Thank you for taking the time and effort to be here, Brooke. Appreciate you.
(Applause.)
Continuing on with our list of incredible finalists, from MIT, Karenna Groff.
(Video played.)
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Please welcome Karenna Groff!
MIT is daunting in and of itself, but your thesis and I would love to learn more about it it's the genetic basis of epilepsy and gene therapy. Is there some sort of personal experience that inspired you to want to go down that path?
KARENNA GROFF: Honestly, when I started down that path, I think I was just interested in neuroscience and interested in neurological disorders. But it really quickly became personal because I got to see kids in the clinic who had epilepsy and who could be impacted by a new gene therapy. That's definitely what's driven me to stick with it and make that the focus of my thesis project.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Is there, based on your experience, any particular timeline around breakthroughs or things that you can be a part of that you can sort of look down the road and be like, I worked on this, I made such a huge difference.
KARENNA GROFF: It's always hard to know, and it's hard to predict timelines and stuff like that, but I really do feel like the stuff I'm doing at Children's Hospital is having an impact. Even if I can't take it all the way to getting to the clinic, it's really a special thing to me to be a part of getting that process going, and hopefully, even after I leave someone will keep working on this project.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: That's amazing. Thank you so much. Such an inspiration, Karenna. Appreciate you.
(Applause.)
Kayla Tennant is our next finalist. She hails from Queens University of Charlotte. Take a look at her video.
(Video played.)
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Ladies and gentlemen, Kayla Tennant.
(Applause.)
It's hard not to get choked up when you see you choke up. I have friends who have children with autism, and I've seen them grown up. And it's just we all know it's different circumstances, and I can just tell by listening that you and your brother are so close.
How has living and growing up with your brother influenced your decision to already be very specifically locked in as to what area of medicine you want to go in?
KAYLA TENNANT: Right. Well as I said, my brother has severe autism. He was diagnosed when he was 24 months old by his wonderful behavioral pediatrician. Throughout his journey, through the ups and downs, his pediatrician has been such a constant in my family's life and made such a profound impact on where my brother is today. He has connected our family with so many resources in the community, and I just want to be able to give back and be that person for so many other families like mine.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: You go through med school and you learn what you learn, but how do you think your personal experience with a sibling who has autism will help you be an incredible pediatrician in maybe ways that you're not going to learn in a textbook?
KAYLA TENNANT: Well, definitely that personal connection. No matter where I end up, if I end up sub specializing or I go into primary care, it's going to give me that knowledge to help families like mine. Knowing that experience of what we go through, obviously not everyone's experience is the same, but having that baseline knowledge is so important.
Having him in mind as my why, especially now as a medical student when I'm in the throes of all the book work currently, and having to keep up with the fast paceness of everything, it really drives me to know the end goal is in sight and one day I'm really going to be helping people.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Amazing. Kayla, thank you so much. Congratulations.
Our next finalist, from Middlebury, is Erin Nicholas.
(Video played.)
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Please welcome to the stage Erin Nicholas!
(Applause.)
Before we even get started, I just want to make sure, everything cool with you and your sister? If you need a mediator, I can help out.
ERIN NICHOLAS: She's watching at home. Hi, Michaela, sorry. I wouldn't have been there without you, so thank you.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: We all get to go on trips with our teams. I don't know a whole lot of people who have gone on trips to India with their teams. How did that all get put together?
ERIN NICHOLAS: We worked with our program, our coach, and a couple of alum went the year prior for a week to coach the field hockey camp. At Middlebury, the program and the college worked together to then make it a J term course credit.
So my teammates, my coaches, and I spent a month there first traveling and seeing the Taj Mahal and kind of learning about the culture and then working at an elementary school, and finally the camp was the finale of the whole trip.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: In talking to you during rehearsals, I know how that trip transformed your life. How has that evolved your perspective both on a macro and a micro level?
ERIN NICHOLAS: As I mentioned in that video, you could see the girls showed up to the field every single day, smiling, laughing, and dancing, regardless of what they experienced in the past. That really struck me just to be positive and resilient and grateful for everything.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: They have so little.
ERIN NICHOLAS: They have so little, and they're so grateful for what they do have, and they don't focus on what they don't have. Just taking that mentality and running with it with everything I approach in life and getting to share every little experience and experience it in a positive and grateful way and reflect on what we all have.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Thank you for sharing that. Congratulations.
(Applause.)
Our final final finalist for the day, from NC State, Jaeda Daniel.
(Video played.)
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Ladies and gentlemen, Jaeda Daniel!
(Applause.)
So Jaeda is playing pro tennis overseas in Europe. I'm curious how has that experience been for you relative to playing NCAA tennis?
JAEDA DANIEL: I mean, the fact that I have the opportunity to play professional tennis I think is the biggest experience of all of them. For me, that's what I'm super grateful for because not everybody gets that chance, especially following your college career. So that is definitely the biggest thing for me, and it's just really exciting.
It definitely puts me in a lot of different places around the world. So I'm exposed to so many different things. So it's just a lot of learning and adapting for me.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: I loved reading in your bio that you're a psych major. It's such a relevant major at a time when we continue to destigmatize the conversation around mental health. How has the studying that you've done in that particular field helped not only you as an athlete, because clearly you're dealing with pressure, but when you're having conversations with other athletes?
JAEDA DANIEL: I think a lot of it is about understanding, and I think that's where my studies have helped in that area is understanding the way that we think and the way that we process and the way that we function. So being a team player and dealing with those kinds of things also is important. I think that's going to be something that I carry with me pretty much for forever.
And at a time that now where there is such a stigma like going around with mental health, I think it's really just important to talk.
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Absolutely. Jaeda, thank you so much. Congratulations.
Let's have a final round of applause for all nine of our NCAA Woman of the Year finalists.
(Applause).
Thank you, ladies. We all know, for as much as you've accomplished, how bright your futures are ahead of you.
But it is now for the time we've all been waiting for, and with that, it is my pleasure to introduce Renee Bostic, Vice Chair of the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year Selection Committee and member of the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics. Renee?
(Applause.)
RENEE BOSTIC: Thank you. With such outstanding nominees, you can imagine how difficult the selection process has been for the NCAA Woman of the Year. Let's give all of today's honorees one more round of applause.
(Applause.)
On behalf of the NCAA, it is my pleasure to announce the NCAA Woman of the Year. Drum roll please. The NCAA Woman of the Year is Karenna Groff!
(Applause.)
KARENNA GROFF: Wow, I almost don't know what to say. I guess I'll start with I have so many people to thank. First of all, my family, who got me into sports and took me to every practice my entire life, but also all the incredible athletes who have been on my teams over the years and my coaches and my MIT community.
I also think that I have to say, with this being the 50th anniversary of Title IX, everything that I've done and everything that all of my teammates have been able to do wouldn't have been possible without all of these incredible women pushing forward women's sports and equity and all sorts of things for women. So I'm incredibly appreciative of that. I also think that I want to be a part of keeping that moving forward.
I think there's still work to be done. So I am incredibly grateful to be recognized in that way. And I also think that having gotten to meet the incredible other 30, or I guess 29, nominees and getting to know them over the breakfast this morning, I feel pretty confident that we're in good hands. We have a lot of people dedicated to pushing forward equity in sports and in healthcare and in all walks of life.
So I'm excited for what's to come, and I hope to be a part of that in at least some small way.
(Applause.)
BONNIE BERNSTEIN: Karenna, congratulations. You are a true inspiration.
Ladies and gentlemen, the 2022 Woman of the Year, Karenna Groff.
(Applause.)
Thank you so much for all of you for taking time out to spend with us today and to celebrate our finalists. And for all women college student athletes at the NCAA level, thank you.
Have a wonderful rest of your trip and a great afternoon. Take care.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports