ARLINGTON, Texas – Seattle University women’s golfer Samantha Bruce and Grand Canyon University softball player Kristin Fifield have been selected by the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Senior Woman Administrators as conference representatives for consideration for the 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year award. Entering its 33rd year, the NCAA Woman of the Year award recognizes graduating female student-athletes for excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership.
 
The 30 national finalists for the 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year award will be announced in October. The finalist list will be trimmed to nine in November and the winner will be revealed at the NCAA Convention in January of 2024.
 
Bruce, a native of Makati City, Philippines, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in computer science with minors in business administration and data science from Seattle U. Bruce maintained a cumulative 3.74 grade-point average during her undergraduate career, and was a three-time Academic All-WAC selection and a three-time WGCA All-American Scholar. Bruce added Academic All-District plaudits from College Sports Communicators during the 2022-23 academic year.
 
Bruce landed on the 2021 all-conference second team before claiming first-team honors in her final two seasons at Seattle U, posting the program’s single-season record for stroke average (73.27) in the 2022-23 campaign. Bruce posted a second straight top-10 showing at the WAC Women’s Golf Championship during the 2023 edition of the tournament in April (70-77-75=222) at the Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club.
 
“My SU student-athlete journey is a journey fueled by immeasurable potential,” Bruce said. “It has been a privilege that comes with the responsibility to strive for greatness as individuals and as part of a remarkable team. I understand that true success goes beyond personal achievements and is achieved through collaboration, unity, and a commitment to academic excellence for service. By sharing my knowledge and skills for the greater good, I can make a meaningful and lasting impact in the world.”
 
Fifield, a native of El Paso, Texas, was recently named the 2022-23 Joe Kearney Award winner as the top female athlete in the WAC. Fifield logged a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.91 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. Fifield has claimed four Academic All-WAC citations at GCU, along with landing on the GCU’s President’s List (3.80 cumulative GPA or higher) on eight different occasions.
 
Fifield was one of the top power hitters in the NCAA during the 2023 season at GCU, batting .346 with a career-high 65 hits, 21 home runs and 56 runs scored while leading NCAA Division I with 85 RBI and 1.42 RBI per game. Fifield was an all-conference first-team choice for the third straight season and captured NFCA All-Region First-Team accolades.
 
Fifield returns to GCU as a graduate student with a .347 batting average, a 1.068 OPS, 196 hits, 44 home runs and 185 RBI in 190 career games with the Lopes.
Away from the softball diamond, Fifield has volunteered her time with the Special Olympics, GCU CityServe, the St. Mary’s Food Bank and as a GCU representative on the WAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
 
“Being able to give back to the community was such a beautiful experience to be a part of,” Fifield said. “Getting to know the individuals apart of these organizations was such an inspiring and joyful interaction because it allowed us to view things in different ways and appreciate the things we have in our lives. When I am back home, I spend a lot of my time giving back to my community that grew me into the person I am today, talking to the younger softball generation and giving back to the school that shaped me into the strong individual I have become.”