THE FLATS – Georgia Tech’s Bria Matthews has been selected one of the nation’s Top 30 honorees for the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year award, as announced by the NCAA on Thursday.
Matthews becomes the first Yellow Jacket in history to be selected among the Top 30 for one of the nation’s highest honors bestowed by the NCAA since the award switched to the current format in 2006. The Top 30 honorees – which include 10 from each division — were selected from 535 school nominees. In July, each conference office narrowed down their selections, pushing forward 154 nominees to the Woman of the Year selection committee. From the Top 30, the selection committee will determine the nine finalists, including three in each division, this fall. The Committee of Women’s Athletics will then vote to decide the 2021 Woman of the Year.
On Tuesday, Nov. 9, during a virtual awards ceremony, the Top 30 honorees will be celebrated, and the NCAA Woman of the Year will be named.
A six-time All-American, Matthews became one of the most decorated athletes in program history, competing in both the long jump and triple jump. A prolific competitor, Matthews captured six ACC Championships (four indoor, two outdoor), including five titles in the triple jump. She capped her collegiate career by being named the Most Outstanding Field Performer at the 2021 ACC Outdoor Championship this past spring after earning a pair of silver medals marking the seventh and eighth podium finishes of her ACC career.
Off the track, Matthews was recognized for her leadership and devotion to her community, receiving the Athletes for a Better World’s prestigious 2021 John Wooden Citizenship Cup that is presented annually to distinguished athletes for their character and leadership on and off the field. She was also awarded the Top Female Peach of an Athlete Award in 2020, recognizing her character, scholastic achievement, academic excellence and community service.
The epitome of an Everyday Champion, Matthews took three international service trips during her time on The Flats, traveling to the Dominican Republic with Fellowship of Christian Athletes to enhance a local community center and build a baseball field dugout, to Costa Rica with Jackets Without Borders to construct a multipurpose court and to Haiti to distribute prototypes of portable solar charge controllers to families in need.
Matthews also excelled in the classroom, being named a two-time Academic All-American, and has earned two degrees from Georgia Tech – a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 2019 and a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering in May 2021.
The NCAA Woman of the Year was established in 1991 to recognize graduating female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Support The Swarm Fund, which helps Georgia Tech athletics offset the significant financial challenges associated with Covid-19, and the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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