GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman's Natalie Srinivasan has been nominated for the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year award, as announced by the organization on Tuesday.

Rooted in Title IX, the NCAA Woman of the Year Award was established in 1991 to recognize graduating female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service, and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.  This year's record 605 nominees represent all three NCAA divisions, including 259 nominees from Division I, 126 from Division II and 220 from Division III. Nominees competed in 24 sports, with multi-sport student-athletes accounting for 128 of the nominees.

"Furman University is honored to nominate Natalie Srinivasan for the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year Award," said Furman director of athletics Jason Donnelly.  "Natalie has consistently represented the best of NCAA athletics on and off the field.  In addition to being recognized as the nation's top collegiate women's golfer, Natalie is a 3.9 GPA student-athlete who serves as a leader on Furman's campus and in the community."

A first-team All-America selection by both Golfweek and the Women's Golf Coaches Association, Srinivasan was named the 2020 PING WGCA National Player of the Year and won the ANNIKA Award presented by Stifel, given annually to the top female U.S. collegiate golfer and voted on by players, coaches, and members of the golf media.  Srinivasan, who was voted the Southern Conference Female Athlete of the Year, also won the inaugural Juli Inkster Senior Award presented by WorkDay, which recognizes the highest-ranked women's collegiate golfer in her final year of NCAA eligibility.

The Spartanburg, S.C., native, who led the conference and set a Furman single-season record with a stroke average of 70.78 over 18 rounds, concluded her career as the top-ranked active collegiate golfer according to Golfstat after winning three tournaments during her senior year: the Glass City Invitational, the Lady Paladin Invitational and the Moon Golf Open.  Srinivasan also finished as the runner-up at the Darius Rucker Invitational and posted five top-20 finishes over six tournaments.  She ended her Paladin career with a program-best 72.6 stroke average over 118 rounds while earning her second-consecutive invitation to the Augusta National Women's Amateur. 

A member of Phi Beta Kappa, America's most prestigious honor society, Srinivasan graduated summa cum laude with a degree in health sciences, finishing with a 3.90 grade point average.  The Furman Dean's list selection is also a three-time member of the WGCA All-American Scholar Team and the SoCon Academic Honor Roll. 

Srinivasan was the recipient of the Winston Babb Memorial Award, which is given by the Furman Chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa to the woman in each class who has demonstrated the most outstanding qualities of leadership, scholarship, and service to the university.  Off the course, she has devoted time volunteering with Prisma Children's Hospital and LPGA/USGA Girl's Golf Organization.

"I can't think of a more deserving woman for this award than Natalie Srinivasan," said Furman women's golf head coach Jeff Hull.  "She epitomizes all that a student-athlete should be:  excellent student, top player, incredible work ethic, and desire to excel in all that she does." 

NCAA member schools are invited to honor their top graduating female college athletes each year by submitting their names for consideration for the Woman of the Year Award.  Conference offices will select up to two nominees each from their pool of member school nominees, then the Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will choose the Top 30 honorees — 10 from each division.

From the Top 30, the Woman of the Year selection committee will determine the top three honorees in each division and announce nine finalists. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then will choose the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year, who will be named this fall.