Whitney Branham and Jade Poon Among NCAA Woman of the Year Candidates
The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) is represented by two women tabbed as conference nominees for 2018 NCAA Woman of the Year – Stanislaus State’s Jade Poon and Whitney Branham of Chico State.
"Both Whitney and Jade defined what being a student-athlete is all about,” noted CCAA commissioner Mitch Cox. “Both lived the Division 2 philosophy of ‘Life in the Balance’ by not only excelling in their respective sport, but also by achieving the highest levels of academic excellence, all while giving back to their communities. The CCAA is extremely proud to have Whitney and Jade as nominees for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year award."
Established in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year program honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions. To be eligible, a nominee must have competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport, must have completed eligibility in her primary sport, and must have earned her undergraduate degree by Summer 2018.
Poon, a Sacramento native and captain of the Warriors’ soccer team, is the third-straight Stanislaus State athlete selected at the CCAA’s conference representative for NCAA Woman of the Year. The top offensive player for the Warriors for the past four seasons, Poon finished her Stanislaus State career at No. 2 in career goals and points and was a back-to-back All-CCAA second team selection, and the 2014 CCAA Freshman of the Year.
Off the field, Poon has been active in the community as a rehabilitation aide at Emanuel Medical Center and served the Stanislaus State campus as the student government ASI budget assistant. Earning a degree in kinesiology-exercise science with a minor in psychology, Poon earned the American Kinesiology Award in April 2018 and twice earned CoSIDA Academic All-District accolades.
“As a daughter, sister, athlete and scholar it was not always easy, however, I have learned how to grow as an individual and become the best version of myself along the way,” Poon noted. “These experiences have challenged me and helped me grow in unique ways. I am extremely fortunate for my experience as a student-athlete.”
Hailing from West Ranch, Branham earned conference accolades for her performance on the basketball court each of her four seasons as a guard at Chico State, including Freshman of the Year honors in 2014-15 and two-time selection to the All-CCAA first team. As a senior, Branham etched her name in the Wildcats records book as the all-time leader in 3-pointers made (208). She finished her career ranked second in NCAA Division II and fourth across all divisions in career free throw percentage, connecting on 87.2 percent of her attempts.
Along with her prowess on the hardwood, she has been active in the Chico State Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) throughout her collegiate career. Earning her degree in cellular and molecular biology, Branham graduated cum laude, was a member of Omicron Theta Epsilon Biology Honors Society and was a Dean’s List selection all eight semesters at Chico State.
Branham’s inspirational story chronicling her path to basketball while overcoming the challenges of spina bifida was
profiled this winter in the NCAA Champion Magazine.
“Born with spina bifida, I had surgery as a 1-year-old to untether my spinal cord. A nerve was nicked, leaving my left foot partially numb and preventing it from growing like my right foot,” Branham explains. “I grew up feeling different from other kids. I loved playing basketball, but I didn’t move like the other kids. I am biracial. I looked different from the other kids.
“But I learned a powerful lesson as a Chico State student-athlete: All of those ‘differences’ helped make me who I am. They don’t define me. Instead, they motivate me … I have lived with labels all my life. My plan is to make “Dr. Branham” the next one. Then I can give back to the profession that allowed me to break records on the court, and most importantly, support the kids who feel different.”
Both women were honored as their school’s Hal Charnofsky Award winner, annually recognizing student-athletes who have distinguished themselves in the classroom and in their sport.
A record 581 women from across the country were nominated by NCAA member schools. Additional student-athletes submitted for consideration by their respective CCAA institutions include Jessica Brown (Cal State San Bernardino softball), Kayla Fedler (UC San Diego water polo), Haley Kroll (Chico State cross country and track & field), Kayla Lock (Cal State Dominguez Hills softball), and Ebone Qualls (Stanislaus State tennis).
Eligible female student-athletes are first nominated by their member school. Each conference office then reviews the nominations from its core member schools (and sponsored sports) and submits its conference nominee(s) to the NCAA. All nominees that compete in a sport that is not sponsored by their core conference, associate conference nominees and independent nominees will be sent to a separate pool to be considered by a committee.
Then, the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee identifies the Top 30 – 10 from each division – and from there selects three finalists from each division. The Committee on Women’s Athletics then selects the winner from the nine finalists, announced at the awards dinner honoring the Top 30 and the 2018 Woman of the Year on Sunday, Oct. 28, in Indianapolis.
Learn more about the NCAA Woman of the Year program >>>