POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Graduate shortstop Miah McDonald of the Marist University softball team has been named one of two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference nominees for NCAA Woman of the Year.
 
McDonald's remarkable collegiate career was capped by a historic 2025 season, during which she earned the following honors:
 

• College Sports Communicators First Team Academic All-American (first female student-athlete in school history to be named First Team Academic All-American)
• Top 100 nationally by Softball America (#45) and D1Softball (#55), Top 100 in D1Softball Mid-Major rankings (#6), and ranked in D1Softball's top shortstops nationally (#4)
• MAAC Player of the Year (second straight year)
• ECAC Player of the Year
• First Team NFCA All-Region
• First Team All-MAAC
• MAAC All-Academic Team
• Team captain (third straight year)

 
McDonald made a lasting impact in the program's and conference's record books this season and throughout her career:
 

• Set the single-season program record for home runs (28) for the second straight year, which was also a MAAC single-season record.
• Set career program records for home runs, runs, runs batted in, hits, and triples.
• Set the MAAC's all-time records in runs and runs batted in.

 
Siena's Grace Dobrzynski was also nominated by the MAAC for NCAA Woman of the Year. Marist also nominated softball's Kiley Myers for the honor.
 
Established in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year Award honors female student-athletes who have excelled in their community, athletics, and academics throughout their college careers. The Woman of the Year selection committee will next choose 10 women from each division to announce its Top 30. The top three honorees in each division will then be announced, and the Woman of the Year will be celebrated at the January 2026 NCAA Convention.