JACKSON, Miss. - Emily Easterling of the Belhaven Women's Soccer team has been nominated as the school's candidate for the 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.

Easterling was a standout for Belhaven in competition and in the classroom during her final year with the Blazers graduating this Spring with a degree in Nursing and earning a spot on the Dean's List for the Spring of 2023. 

Competing for the Blazers' soccer team, Easterling helped lead the Blazers to a fourth straight winning season playing in 14 matches with 13 starts as both a midfielder and a defender. Easterling and the Blazers reached the conference tournament in both of her seasons with the program including a semi-final appearance in the Collegiate Conference of the South tournament this past season.

Easterling earned an All-Conference First Team nod this year as she helped Belhaven to eight clean sheets on the year and allowed just 17 goals across 19 matches. Easterling was also named to the Collegiate Conference of the South All-Championship team following the tournament.

Outside of Belhaven, Easterling has spent extensive time serving the community around her and around the world. The Brandon, Mississippi native has spent time serving with the 'In His Steps Ministries' and 'We Will Go Ministries', two faith-founded non-profits serving the people of Jackson and surrounding Metro-areas. Easterling also traveled to the country of Malawi with the Chikondi Health Foundation serving as a student nurse with a medical missions team.

Since 1991, The NCAA Woman of the Year program has recognized graduating female student-athletes for excellence in academics, athletics, community service, and leadership throughout their college careers. This year a record-breaking 619 female student-athletes were nominated by NCAA member schools for consideration. 

The Woman of the Year Selection Committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will choose the Top 30 honorees — 10 from each division — from the conference-level nominees. The Top 30 honorees will be announced in October. The selection committee will then determine the top three honorees in each division from the Top 30, and the nine finalists will be announced in November. 

From those nine finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will choose the 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year. The honorees will be celebrated at the Woman of the Year Award Ceremony at the NCAA Convention in Phoenix in January.