2012 Spanish Olympian and Queens University swimmer Patricia Castro-Ortega has been nominated for the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year award.
In 2012, Ortega was taken to the London Olympic Games to participate in the 4×200 freestyle relay for Spain, where her team placed 10th in the event. Although the time did not qualify them for the final heat, the time of 7:54.59 was a new Spanish National Record.
Ortega is a rising junior at Queens University of Charlotte where she has dominated D2 in the freestyle and IM events. In her freshman year, Ortega was the NCAA champion in the 200 IM, 200 free, 500 free, and 100 free. She was also a Bluegrass Mountain Champion in the 500 free, 400 IM, and the 100 free. She was named D2 swimmer of the year in 2015 and was also honored with the Bluegrass Mountain Conference Swimmer of the Year award.
Ortega continued her streak her sophomore year by earning titles in four more individual events at 2016 NCAAs. Ortega won the 200 IM, 400 IM, 500 free, and 100 free, breaking the NCAA record in all four of the events she swam. Ortega was once again awarded with the Bluegrass Mountain Conference Swimmer of the Year award in 2016.
Each NCAA member is able to nominate one female student-athlete who has completed their eligibility to the conference level, and then each conference office reviews and submits its nominee to the NCAA. The NCAA then narrows the field to a Top 30 (10 from each of the NCAAs three divisions), and then to a top 9 (3 from each of the NCAAs three divisions). A winner is announced at the NCAA Woman of the Year awards dinner each fall.
The award is given based on criteria of academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership.
Clarion University diver Kristin Day was the 2015 recipient of the honor. The award have been won by swimming & diving athletes 11 times since it began in 1991, more than any other sport.
Past winners of the award:
Is she not related to Fidel Castro of Cuba?