TOWSON, Md. – Two Towson University student-athletes, one gymnast and one diver were nominated for the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year award.

Mary Elle Arduino (gymnastics) and Emily Wilson (women's swimming & diving) were the two student-athletes recognized due to their academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.

Arduino, a native of Albany, New York had a 3.668 grade point average, was a four time individual NCAA regional participant, four time All-East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) honoree and three time EAGL champion on the balance beam (2017, 2018, 2019).

The graphic design major was named to the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) Scholar All-America twice and was named to the EAGL All-Scholastic Team honors four times.
Arduino was a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), a LEaD Tiger and thanks to the 244 career community service hours she contributed she helped Towson win the 2018 national championship for community service from the NCAA Team Works Helper Helper competition.

Wilson, a native of Middletown, New York graduated with a 3.746 grade point average majoring in mathematics-secondary education.  She was named Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Rookie Women's Diver of the Year. Wilson was a two-time NCAA Zone A regional participant (2018, 2019), 2018 CAA Champion in 3-meter diving.

The 2018-19 team captain, Wilson was named to the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Team twice, 2018-19 CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year for women's swimming and diving and a four-time member of the CAA Commissioner's honor roll (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018). She was also on the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Academic President's Honor roll.

Wilson was a Towson Presidential Ambassador, a member of the National Society for Leadership and Success, a member of the Towson Women's Leadership Collective, a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) and a LEaD Tiger. She accumulated 102 career hours of community service, helping contribute to Towson winning the 2018 national championship for community service from the NCAA Team Works Helper Helper competition.

A record 585 female college athletes have been nominated and the pool will get narrowed down with the conferences selecting up to two nominees each. Then, the Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will choose the Top 30 honorees — 10 from each division.

The selection committee will determine the top three honorees from each division from the Top 30 and announce the nine finalists in September. From those nine finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then will choose the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year.

The Top 30 honorees will be celebrated and the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year will be named at the annual award ceremony Oct. 20 in Indianapolis.