VERMILLION, S.D.—Pole vaulter Helen Falda has been nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year by The University of South Dakota.
 
The NCAA Woman of the Year award 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. There were 535 female college athletes nominated for the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year.
 
The Summit League and other conference offices across the country will select up to two candidates from their pool of member school nominees. The Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will choose from that group the Top 30 honorees – 10 from each division of the NCAA. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will announce the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year this fall.
 
Falda's a seven-time All-American in the pole vault and owns a personal best clearance of 14 feet, 6 inches (4.42m) from this past spring. She's tied with alumna Emily Grove for the most All-America accolades at the Division I level by a Coyote woman, with both earning six honors at USD. Her personal best height also ranks second in USD program history behind Grove and Bethany Buell.
 
Falda, a native of Torino, Italy, was the 2018 Summit League Field Athlete of the Year. She was also a two-time Summit League Champion, five-time all-Summit League honoree and voted to the Academic All-Summit League team three times.
 
In the classroom, Falda graduated with her bachelor's degree in Spanish last May. She began work on her master's degree this past season, carrying a 3.86 grade-point average.