La Crosse, Wis. - Former University of Wisconsin-La Crosse soccer student-athlete Ellie Arndt of Appleton (St. Francis Xavier) has been named one of two Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) nominees for the 2025 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Woman of the Year Award, the league office announced Monday.
 
UW-Stevens Point's Ashley Kopp (volleyball) was also nominated by the conference office. Arndt and Kopp were also selected as the WIAC's nominees for the Division III Commissioner's Association (DIIICA) Student-Athlete of the Year Award.

A total of 631 student-athletes were nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year, competing in 24 different sports across all three NCAA divisions.  The nominees included 270 from NCAA Division I, 126 from Division II and 235 from Division III.

Now in its 35th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year Award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership. 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; must have earned her undergraduate degree no later than the summer 2025 term; and must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale. 

Established in 1991, the award recognizes female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in their community, in athletics and in academics throughout their college careers.   

 
The Woman of the Year Selection Committee will select 10 student-athletes from each division, determining the Top 30 honorees. Of the Top 30, the Woman of the Year Selection Committee will announce nine finalists, three from each NCAA division, in November. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will review the finalists and name the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year. The honorees will be celebrated at the Woman of the Year Award Ceremony at the 2026 NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C. in January. 
 
A four-year letter winner at UWL, Arndt was a three-time United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III All-America for the Eagles. She earned All-America Second Team honors in 2022 and was an All-America First Team selection in 2023 and 2024. Arndt was named to the 2022, 2023 and 2024 United Soccer Coaches Region IX First Team. She was also a 2022 D3soccer.com All-America Third Team choice.
 
Arndt played in 90 career games at UWL, including 84 starts. She ranks second in school history in assists (26) and sixth in shots (215). Arndt finished with 16 career goals and 58 career points. 

Named to the 2022, 2023 and 2024 All-WIAC First Team, Arndt was voted to the 2023 and 2024 WIAC Offensive Player o the Year. She started all 22 games in 2024, leading UWL in assists (10) and shots (64) while finishing tied for second in shots on goal (23), fourth in points (18) and tied for fifth in goals (4). Arndt ranked second in the WIAC in assists, fifth in shots and eighth in points. 
 
Majoring in archeology and recreation management with a 3.97 cumulative grade point average, Arndt was voted the 2024 WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete in soccer. She was a four-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and was named the 2023 United Soccer Coaches Scholar Player of the Year. Arndt earned United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Scholar All-America First Team accolades in 2023 and 2024 while being named to the United Soccer Coaches All-North/Central Region Scholar First Team. 
 
Voted to the 2024 College Sports Communicators (CSC) NCAA Division III Academic All-America® Second Team, Arndt was a two-year (2023, 2024) CSC Academic All-District® selection.
 
She was a member of UWL's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and volunteered for Steppin' Out in Pink and with the UWL Vanguard Organization.
 
Arndt starts her first season as UWL's assistant soccer coach in 2025 while also serving as the assistant to the business manager for athletics.