INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Madelynn Marunde of Augustana swimming & diving has been nominated for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year award. The NCAA announced a total of 577 graduating student-athletes for this year's award, ranging across NCAA I, II, and III.

Marunde, a member of the 2022 CCIW championship team, graduated from Augustana with numerous accolades in both athletics and academics. She recently helped lead the Vikings to their conference title in 25 years, winning the 1650-yard freestyle, coming in first with a time of 17:41.06. She was also a part of a 7:52.51 time in the 800-yard freestyle relay, good for a school record.

The Belvidere, Ill. native leaves Augustana a three-time all-CCIW member, five-time conference champion, and a two-time team MVP. She made her mark in the Augie record books with nine school records in her name. She served as a team captain while at Augie and was named the CCIW Jack Swartz Award winner in back-to-back seasons. In 2021, she was named to the CoSIDA At-Large Academic All-District Team.

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.

As 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the NCAA Woman of the Year program is an important opportunity to honor and reflect on the impact of women on intercollegiate sports.

This year's nominees represent all three NCAA divisions, including 248 from Division I, 127 from Division II and 202 from Division III. Of the 577 nominations, 23 sports are represented, with 125 student-athletes competing in multiple sports.

Each year, NCAA member schools are encouraged to celebrate their top graduating female student-athletes by nominating them for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award.

The conference offices will then select up to two student-athletes from their member school nominations. (If two are chosen, one must be an international student-athlete or student-athlete of color.) Nominees who compete in a sport that is not sponsored by their school's primary conference, as well as associate conference nominees and independent nominees, will be picked to advance by a selection committee. The Woman of the Year Selection Committee will then select 10 student-athletes from each division, determining the Top 30 honorees.

Of the Top 30, the Woman of the Year Selection Committee will announce nine finalists, three from each NCAA division. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will review the finalists and name the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year.

For the first time in the award's history, the Top 30 honorees will be celebrated and the Woman of the Year will be named at the NCAA Convention. The 2023 Convention will take place in January in San Antonio.

To view this year's nominees, click here.