Molly Saylor Named 2022 NCAA Woman Of The Year Nominee

Women's soccer rising redshirt senior goalkeeper Molly Saylor has been named a nominee for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year award, the national office announced Thursday afternoon.

In three seasons as the Highlanders' primary keeper, the South Park, PA native has started all 44 games she has played, made 251 total saves and holds the program record for career shutouts (14) and single season shutouts (America East leading nine in 2021, tied with Amelia Sapirman). 

Honored by the New Jersey Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (NJAIAW) as NJIT's Woman of the Year and submitted as NJIT's nominee for America East Woman of the Year, Saylor has earned conference honors in two leagues (Second Team America East, 2021, All-Freshman and All-Tournament ASUN, 2019) and was named America East Defensive Player of the Week twice in her career (Oct. 18, 2021; Mar. 2, 2021 - 2020 season).

A three-time captain, Saylor's leadership of the Highlander defensive unit earned NJIT the No. 3 seed in the 2021 America East Tournament and helped NJIT host the first home league tournament contest since joining the conference in July 2020. 

Academically, Saylor - who was named to the America East All-Academic Team in 2021 - graduated Magna Cu Laude on May 17, 2022 with a BS in Civil Engineering. Saylor was named to the Dean's List for eight semesters of undergraduate studies, inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society in 2021 and selected as NJIT Civil Engineering & Leadership Freshman of the Year in 2019. She will pursue a MS in Structural Engineering at NJIT with an expected graduation date of May 2023.

Saylor spent time at the Community Foodbank of New Jersey and Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community, assisting in packing of food in a warehouse to prepare for community distribution.  Saylor and the entire NJIT women's soccer team visited Camden St. Elementary & Mt. Pleasant Elementary Schools as part of an annual reading program, which was also done virtually during the beginning of COVID-19.

FUN FACTS ABOUT THE NCAA WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

• 577 nominees from member schools
• This marks the 32nd year of the Woman of the Year Award program (since 1991)
• Breakdown of nominees by NCAA division:
  • DI: 248
  • DII: 127
  • DIII: 202
  • 125 multisport student-athletes, including 78 two-sport student-athletes, 46 three-sport student-athletes and 1 four-sport student-athlete
• Average GPA of the nominee pool is 3.8
• Four pillars of the Woman of the Year award: academics, athletics, service and leadership
• Social media activation: the NCAA's official hashtag is #NCAAWOTY