INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Sept. 17, 2020)  – Rising fifth-year Gina Dello Russo of the Stevens Institute of Technology women's track & field team was named a Top 30 honoree for the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year Award as announced by the selection committee Thursday.

Dello Russo is just the second student-athlete in institution history to advance to the Top 30, joining alumna Laura Barito, who reached the milestone in 2011 en route to becoming just the second Division III student-athlete to ultimately win the prestigious award. Dello Russo is also just the second student-athlete in the lengthy history of the Middle Atlantic Conference to earn her way into the Top 30, joining Misericordia alumna Amy Viti, who was a finalist in 2016.

"It is hard to find the words to describe how honored I am to be selected as one of the NCAA Woman of the Year Top 30 nominees," Dello Russo reflected. "I can think of 30 women in Division III Track & Field alone who are worthy of this honor, and I am so humbled to be recognized alongside my fellow nominees across all divisions and sports. Many thanks to Stevens and the Middle Atlantic Conference for giving me the opportunity to advance so far in this selection process; my success on and off the track is a direct result of the support of the wonderful people at Stevens and throughout our conference."

"The Department of Athletics and our entire university is immensely proud of Gina in earning this incredible honor!" added Director of Athletics Russell Rogers. "We have been extremely fortunate to witness the careers of one of the greatest athletes in Stevens history for any sport. I am thrilled to see Gina being recognized as an NCAA Woman of the Year Top 30 honoree because it highlights the commitment and excellence she has shown not only in athletics but in academics, community service and leadership as well."

Selected from a record 605 school nominees — a group that was then narrowed to 161 nominees by conference offices — the Top 30 honorees include 10 from each of the three NCAA divisions. All have demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership. The honorees competed in 14 sports and studied a broad range of academic majors, including nursing, mechanical engineering, biochemistry, criminal justice, kinesiology, accounting and advertising.

"The 30 honorees selected this year excelled in the classroom and in competition while also remaining committed to serving their peers and communities," said Suzette McQueen, chair of the Woman of the Year Selection Committee and senior associate commissioner for external relations and strategic marketing/senior woman administrator at the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association in the NCAA's official release. "These outstanding women represent the thousands of diverse and talented women competing in college sports each year, and we're proud to recognize their achievements on and off the field."

Established in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year Award traditionally recognizes graduating student-athletes that have distinguished themselves with their performance on and off the field, standing out among their peers in the four pillars of the award. This year, student-athletes that were granted an extra year of eligibility because of the cancellation of the spring athletic season due to the COVID-19 pandemic were also allowed to be nominated. From the award's inception through 2005, a winner was ultimately identified from a top 10 that was chosen from a pool of 52 student-athletes, which consisted of a finalist from each of the 50 states, along with representation from both Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico (information provided by the Middle Atlantic Conference's communications office).

"We are thrilled that Gina has been recognized with this distinction," commented head track & field coach Lance Harden. "She has represented Stevens with class in all of her endeavors for over four years now."

"She has been a mainstay on our team, across our athletic department, and on campus since the moment she arrived, and as a coach, it has been fulfilling to witness her growth and development as a leader over the past two years," the third-year coach continued. "With the COVID-19 pandemic interrupting her senior seasons, it is satisfying to see her be honored with an award of this magnitude."

Dello Russo has represented Stevens in seven consecutive Division III NCAA Track & Field Championships and is a 10-time United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-American, ranking second in program history in All-America recognition. 

Saving some of her best performances for championship meets, Dello Russo has earned 25 conference championships, split between the Empire 8 and Middle Atlantic Conferences. The current holder of 11 (eight individual and three relay) school records during her time on Castle Point, Dello Russo is a four-time conference Athlete of the Meet winner and helped guide the program to its first-ever indoor and outdoor conference titles. Additionally, she was also recognized by the USTFCCCA as its 2019 Atlantic Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.

In the classroom, Dello Russo has achieved a 3.94 cumulative grade-point average as a mechanical engineering major and is working towards the completion of a Master of Engineering degree. Her classroom performance has led to three Academic All-District honors, culminating in her first Academic All-America award, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, who rewarded Dello Russo in June with the 21st first-team selection in institution history.

Dello Russo, who will also hold a certificate in logistics and chain supply analytics along with one in data exploration and visualization for risk and decision making, is a multi-time Stevens President's List and Dean's List selection for her academic success. She was also named to the Academic All-MAC Track & Field team and earned her way onto the conference's Winter Academic Honor Roll. Dello Russo is also a member of Stevens' Pinnacle Scholars Program. 

In addition to her multiple-year tenure as a women's track & field team captain, Dello Russo participated in the athletic department's Top of the V Leadership Academy, while also serving as an active member of both the Tau Beta Pi and Pi Tau Sigma Engineering Honor Societies. She also held a teaching assistant position for a Machine Dynamics and Mechanisms course and served as a Coastal Engineering research assistant.

Away from athletic competition and academic coursework, Dello Russo was an active member of the community, volunteering with both the Hoboken Boys & Girls Club and the Weehawken Field Day program.

The selection committee will announce the nine finalists for the award, which will consist of three women from each NCAA division, in mid-October with the 2020 Woman of the Year named later in the fall.

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