Dual sport student-athlete Julia Ravenelle has earned the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference nomination for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year award. The nominee is voted on by the eight Athletics Directors around the conference.

Established in 1991, the award recognizes female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in their community, in athletics and in academics throughout their college careers.

During her college career, Ravenelle maintained a 4.0 GPA, being inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society and receiving the prestigious Margaret “Peg” Nugent Scholar Athlete award from Worcester State this past May. While a dedicated student-athlete, she was an active member of her community, assisting with various organizations such as Working 4 Worcester, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department Toy Drive, and sharing her passion with the Worcester White Hawks in 8-14u skills clinics. Her dedication to service spreads near and far, with her active involvement in the OneLove Campaign, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about domestic violence education and building healthy relationships, as well as an active Pen Pal for the Pen Pal Field Day. Ravenelle was a member of the Worcester State SAAC and is heavily involved in assisting with the Special Olympics of Massachusetts.

“Julia is the consummate student-athlete” says Athletic Director Mike Mudd. “She is a great representation of our university and makes all of us associated at the school very proud of her accomplishments in and out of competition.”

Ravenelle, a two-sport athlete in Ice Hockey and Lacrosse at Worcester State after transferring from Becker College for her senior year, was named as Captain for the Lancer’s Inaugural Women’s Ice Hockey Season. She appeared in 23 games scoring two goals with nine assists for 11 points on the season. She recorded only 36 penalty minutes with a +13 +/- rating as a power play and penalty kill staple for the team helping to lead her to 2^nd in the team in defensive scoring. Ravenelle was named an ECHA First Team All-Conference selection at the conclusion of the season.

“I’m so proud of Rav and all that she has accomplished as a student-athlete” says Women’s Ice Hockey coach Eliza Kelley, who has worked with Julia during her collegiate career. “It has been a pleasure to watch her develop over the last four years. She is a tremendously talented person and her impact on our program will be felt for years to come.” 

As a member of the Worcester Lacrosse team, she appeared in 16 games and accumulated 15 goals and 37 points for the Lancers, placing her in the top-two for midfielders in both categories on the team. Her 22 assists for the 2022 season also garnered her a top-two finish on the team, and first among midfielders. Ravenelle was not just a powerhouse on attack, but dominated on the field as well with 32 ground balls, 61 draw controls, placing her second on the team in the category, and 17 caused turnovers on the season leading to her MASCAC Second Team All-Conference Selection.

“Julia was one of the hardest working players on the field any given day” Coach Downs noted. “In just one year for the lancers, she made a name for herself in the lacrosse program.  Not only is she a great teammate to her peers, she was one of the most coachable athletes and I’m excited to see her success in her future endeavors.”  

The NCAA Women of the Year conference-level nominations will now be forwarded to the Women of the Year Selection Committee, who will now select 10 student-athletes from each division for the Top 30 Finalists of the NCAA Women of the Year. The NCAA will announce their Top 30 selections in October. From those 30 candidates, the selection committee determines the top three finalists in each division. The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics will select the Woman of the Year from the nine finalists. The 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced during an award ceremony at the NCAA Convention in January.

Portions of this release courtesy of Worcester State Sports Information