NCAA -- Former Grand Valley State women's soccer player Clare Carlson has been selected as one of 30 finalists overall and one of 10 from NCAA DII for the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year it was announced Wednesday (Sept. 6) by the NCAA. Carlson, who finished her playing career for the Lakers in the fall of 2016,  was one of a record-high 543 nominees for the award, which selects nominees from all three divisions of play.

Now in its 27th year of operation, the award seeks to recognize graduating female college athletes who have finished their playing careers and were model student-athletes throughout their careers. 229 nominees came from Division I, 117 from Division II and 197 from Division III. The committee will now select the top three from each division, with the NCAA committee on Women's Athletics choosing the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year from those nine athletes. The top 30 honorees will be recognized along with the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year at the annual award ceremony in Indianapolis on October 22.

Carlson was consensus all-america honoree her final two years for the Lakers, earning  NSCAA and D2CCA All-America plaudits as well as being named HERO Sports All-American in 2016. She earned GLIAC Defensive Player of the Year honors in both her junior and senior season, while also being a All-GLIAC First Team selection. Equally as impressive as her on the field accolades was her academic success. Carlson was a two-time NSCAA Scholar All-American and a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American. In addition, Carlson was twice awarded the Fall GLIAC Commissioner's Award (2015 & 2016). A biomedical sciences major, Clare carried a cumulative GPA of 3.91. 

During her time at Grand Valley State Carlson was part of a program that won three NCAA Division II National Championships and appeared in four NCAA title games. The Lakers owned a 92-5-5 record during her four year career as she appeared in 88 games.

As a group, the NCAA Woman of the Year nominees carry a 3.69 average GPA and consist of 122 multi-sport athletes. Outdoor track and field (100) and indoor track and field (87) had the most nominees selected, followed by soccer (84), women's basketball (78) and volleyball (76).