All-America Swimmer Mikayla Bisignani Named Finalist for NCAA Woman of the Year

Johns Hopkins University swimmer Mikayla Bisignani has been named as one of 9 finalists for the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year.

Bisignani, who was scheduled to swim her senior season last year for Johns Hopkins, is also a member of the school’s outdoor track & field team.

She is the only two-sport athlete among the finalists, with three coming from each of the NCAA’s three divisions.

At 7:30 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday, Nov. 9, the finalists and Top 30 honorees will be celebrated and the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced during a virtual awards ceremony. The show will be streamed on the NCAA Twitter account and ncaa.org/woty.

The NCAA Woman of the Year Award was established in 1991 and is considered one of the highest honors a student-athlete can earn from the NCAA. A hollistic award, the honor recognizes female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and “demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.”

An excerpt from Bisignani’s personal statement:

“As a collegiate student-athlete, I was awarded several honors. However, none of these awards comprise the mosaic of who I am. While my success could be measured in times or distances, the numbers on the board were not as defining as the lessons I learned through hard training. I learned how to set high goals yet remain process-oriented and view failure as a chance to improve by learning new strategies.”

Bisignani was a two-time CSCAA All-American as a swimmer, including winning first-team honors in 2019. In 2019, in addition to First Team All-America honors in swimming, she placed 13th at the NCAA Division III outdoor track & field championships in the discus, helping her team to a program-best third place finish overall.

The Latrobe, Pennsylvania native double-majored in molecular and cellular biology and psychology while at Johns Hopkins.

Outside-of-sport honors:

• In 2021, received the Johns Hopkins-awarded Dr. William Howard Award for scholarship and athletic achievement and the Robert H. Scott Award for athletics, scholarship and extracurricular participation.
• 2021 Division III At-Large Academic All-America Team Member of the Year.
• First ever Johns Hopkins student athlete to earn three CoSIDA Academic All-America first-team selections
• 2019 Elite 90 Award winner as the student-athlete with the highest GPA who competed at the NCAA Championship meet.
• Volunteer research assistant, helping to identify new biomarkers for improved multiple sclerosis prognosis.
• Volunteer caregiver with the Johns Hopkins Medical Instute
• Three-year member of the campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Served on the SAAC Women’s Gender Resources Leadership Board

Other 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year finalists

• Anna Cockrell, USC, communication, track & field
• Kendall Cornick, Augustana University, biology, softball
• Stefanie Deschner, Notre Dame, pre-professional studies/theology, fencing
• Naomi Hill, North Central College, psychology & behavioral neuroscience, triathlon
• Alison Johnson, Adelphi University, childhood education/sociology, Lacrosse
• Eka Jose, Washington University in St. Louis, anthropology (global health and the environment)/biology, track & field
• Avery Skinner, Kentucky, communication sciences and disorders, volleyball
• Irisa Ye, University of the Sciences, biomedical sciences, basketball

AST SWIMMING AWARD WINNERS, NCAA WOMAN OF THE YEAR WINNERS – SWIMMING & DIVING

2020 

• Asia Seidt
• Swimming and Diving
• University of Kentucky 

2016

• Margaret Guo
• Swimming and Diving
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2015

• Kristin Day
• Swimming and Diving
• Clarion University of Pennsylvania

2011

• Laura Barito
• Swimming and Diving, Outdoor Track and Field
• Stevens Institute of Technology
• 2010
• Justine Schluntz
• Swimming and Diving
• University of Arizona

2009

• Lacey Nymeyer
• Swimming and Diving
• University of Arizona

2007

• Whitney Myers
• Swimming and Diving
• University of Arizona

2005

• Lauryn McCalley
• Swimming and Diving
• University of Tennessee, Knoxville

2003

• Ashley Jo Rowatt
• Swimming and Diving
• Kenyon College

2001

• Kimberly A. Black
• Swimming and Diving
• University of Georgia

2000

• Kristy Kowal
• Swimming and Diving
• University of Georgia

1997

• Lisa Ann Coole
• Swimming and Diving
• University of Georgia

1992

• Catherine Byrne
• Swimming and Diving
• University of Tennessee