BOWIE, Md. - Former Bowie State University softball player Cassandra Clayborne is among 480 female student-athletes nominated for the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year award.  The 480 is the most ever nominated in the history of the program.  Of the nominees, 207 competed in Division I, 93 competed in Division II and 180 competed in Division III athletics.
                                                           
Clayborne, a 2015 Summa Cum Laude graduate of Bowie State University, is a three-time All-CIAA Softball First Teamer (2012, 2013 and 2015) and has a career ambition of becoming a rheumatologist. She is a two-time Capital One Academic All-District II (2013 and 2015) recipient and was selected to the 2015 member of the CIAA All-Tournament Team. The Lady Bulldogs Most Valuable Player [2015] was the 2012 CIAA Rookie of the Year. She finished the 2015 season with a team-high .368 batting average, .566 slugging percentage and .969 fielding percentage. The outfielder scored a team-best 34 runs, had 39 hits which included five doubles, two triples and a team-high four homeruns. She was also responsible for 17 RBI.
 
Now in its 25th year, the Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership.
 
The 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced, and the Top 30 honorees celebrated, at the annual award ceremony Oct. 18 in Indianapolis.