Rower Clare Adams is a 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year Award Nominee

Rower Clare Adams is a 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year Award Nominee

Clare Adams, women's rowing, NCAA Woman of the YearWomen's rowing and academic standout Clare Adams has been named a 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year Award nominee. She graduated from USD, double majoring in international relations and Spanish, in 2020.

University of San Diego student-athlete Clare Adams, a member of the women’s rowing team and a 2020 graduate, has been nominated for the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year award, the organization announced on July 14.

The program honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of outstanding female college athletes.

"I am so incredibly proud of Clare," said women’s rowing head coach Stesha Carlé. "For Clare to be selected as a nominee for the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year award is such an honor. She has gone above and beyond to be a great scholar-athlete at the University of San Diego. Her commitment to the classroom, community and the rowing team are unparalleled. Clare is consistently a top rower for our program while performing at the highest level in the classroom and devoting herself to community service."

Adams spent three seasons with the varsity eight. She was a two-time All-WCC selection (2018, 2019) and helped propel the Toreros to a third-place finish at the WCC Championships in 2018, followed by a second-place finish in 2019. Adams was also named WCC Rookie of the Year for the 2016-17 season.

The Minnetonka, Minn. native was a standout in the classroom as well, majoring in both international relations and Spanish with a minor in biology. She earned the prestigious Alcalá Award from USD after graduating in May. Adams was a three-time WCC All-Academic selection, finishing with the top GPA of all rowers in back-to-back seasons (2018, 2019).

Throughout her college career, Adams has been an exceptional mentor to her peers and leader within her community. She received the 2018 Virginia Yourg Award, given to the athlete that inspires the team through their leadership and actions. Adams has volunteered with Youth and Leaders Living Actively (YALLA), the San Diego Rapid Response Network/Jewish Family Service-Migrant Family Shelter as well as Carson Elementary and Montgomery Middle School.

Within the USD community, Adams was a member of the Torero Ambassadors Club and Torero Athletic Fellowship.

After graduating, Adams will join the Peace Corps, serving as a volunteer for the next two years in Kenya. Her long-term career aspirations include working as a foreign service officer for the U.S. Department of State.

"I feel very fortunate to have received this nomination," said Adams. "I am extremely thankful for my teammates, coaches, and advisors who helped me to accomplish everything that I did during my four years on the team and at USD. While I'm sad that my last year was cut short due to the pandemic, I am grateful for the time that I did have, and it brings me joy that that gratitude extends both ways, which is, I suppose, what the nomination means to me."

NCAA member schools in Division I, II and III nominated a record 605 female college athletes for the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year award — 259 nominees, including Adams, are from Division I, 126 from Division II and 220 from Division III, according to the NCAA announcement.

The award was established in 1991 to honor graduating student-athletes who have excelled in all facets of collegiate athletics. Conferences will now select up to two nominees each from the pool of school nominees. 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 NCAA division. From the Top 30, the selection committee determines the top three honorees from each division and announces the nine finalists in the fall. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics chooses the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year from the finalist group.

— USD Athletics

Contact:

Rose McPherson
rmcpherson@sandiego.edu
(619) 260-4745