Gravereaux Among Four CAA Student-Athletes as Nominees for 2024 NCAA Woman of the Year Award
7/31/2024 2:00:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving, Drexel Athletics, Student Services
RICHMOND, Va. - Chelsea Gravereaux of women's swimming in diving has been nominated by Drexel for the 2024 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
Joining Gravereaux as nominees for the prestigious honor is Delaware graduate women's tennis player Eliza Askarova, Hampton senior women's soccer Lailah Daniel and UNCW senior softball player Tayler Vitola. The NCAA Woman of the Year award recognizes student-athletes who exemplify the four pillars of academics, athletics, service and leadership.
Gravereaux capped an impressive career in the pool by earning CAA Women's Swimmer of the Year honors in 2024, becoming just the second Drexel swimmer to receive that award. She was named the Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet at the 2024 CAA Championship after winning gold in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle events and taking third in the 200 free relay. During the regular season, the three-year team captain recorded 10 individual victories across the three freestyle races and finished her career with six program records. In the classroom, Gravereaux achieved a 3.93 GPA while majoring in Mathematics and minoring in science, technology, engineering and math education. She was twice honored on the CSCAA Scholar All-America Second Team and was recognized 11 times on the Dean's List and seven times on the CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll. In the community, Gravereaux volunteered with the Math Resource Center, Operation Swimsuit, the MLK Community Cleanup Day and Vidas Play Day.
Askarova completed a stellar career with the Blue Hens' women's tennis team, earning first-team All-CAA honors in doubles three times (2021, 2023, 2024), first team All-CAA in singles once (2021) and second team All-CAA in singles twice (2022, 2023). She became Delaware's program leader in career doubles wins and ranks second in career singles victories. In 2023, Askarova and partner Adel-Byanu Abidullina became the first players in Blue Hens' program history to qualify for the NCAA Doubles Championship after being ranked as high as No. 3 nationally by the ITA. In the classroom, she excelled with a 3.70 GPA while majoring in health behavior science and minoring in public policy and psychology. She made the CAA Commissioner's Honor Roll in each semester, was a four-time member of the Dean's List and was honored on the ITA All-Academic Team. In the community, Askarova was a UDance representative and fundraiser for two years and helped lead initiatives that raised over $2 million to fight childhood cancer. She also participated as a volunteer with Special Olympics.
Daniel was a key contributor in the midfield for the Pirates' women's soccer team. A three-year letterwinner and team captain, she started all 18 games during the 2023 season and tallied an assist during the 2022 campaign. In the classroom, Daniel achieved a stellar 4.06 GPA while majoring in Health Sciences with a concentration in policy and administration. She plans to attend Johns Hopkins University in the fall to obtain a master's degree in health administration. In 2023-24, Daniel was a President's Cup recipient, and her GPA was among the highest of all health sciences majors and Hampton student-athletes. Daniel served as president of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society and was a member of the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, Golden Key International Honor Society and Upsilon Phi Delta Honor Society. She also served as a SAAC representative and made the Dean's List in each semester. In the community, Daniel volunteered with the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank and was involved with sewing and distributing thousands of cloth masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vitola excelled throughout her softball career for the Seahawks, helping the team claim their first two CAA championships and earn NCAA Tournament appearances. She started every game of her career as an infielder, receiving second team All-CAA accolades in 2023 and 2024, making the CAA All-Rookie team in 2021 and twice garnering NFCA All-Region honors. Vitola is the only player in program history to record 200+ hits and 70+ stolen bases in a career. In the classroom, Vitola compiled a 3.85 GPA while majoring in Biology and minoring in Environmental Sciences. She was chosen as the CAA Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2023-24 and also made the CSC Academic All-District team. A graduate of the Honors College at UNCW, Vitola was a seven-time member of the Dean's List and made the CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll in each semester. As part of her major, she interned with the Environmental Alliance. Vitola wrote case studies and participated in sampling, drilling and marking land identified as not functional due to pollution from heavy industrial use with the intent to help remediate the sites to benefit the area they are discovered in. She has also volunteered with the Cape Fear River Watch, helping clean up polluted areas, and the Cape Fear Optimist Club running softball camps for youth.
Joining Gravereaux as nominees for the prestigious honor is Delaware graduate women's tennis player Eliza Askarova, Hampton senior women's soccer Lailah Daniel and UNCW senior softball player Tayler Vitola. The NCAA Woman of the Year award recognizes student-athletes who exemplify the four pillars of academics, athletics, service and leadership.
Gravereaux capped an impressive career in the pool by earning CAA Women's Swimmer of the Year honors in 2024, becoming just the second Drexel swimmer to receive that award. She was named the Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet at the 2024 CAA Championship after winning gold in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle events and taking third in the 200 free relay. During the regular season, the three-year team captain recorded 10 individual victories across the three freestyle races and finished her career with six program records. In the classroom, Gravereaux achieved a 3.93 GPA while majoring in Mathematics and minoring in science, technology, engineering and math education. She was twice honored on the CSCAA Scholar All-America Second Team and was recognized 11 times on the Dean's List and seven times on the CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll. In the community, Gravereaux volunteered with the Math Resource Center, Operation Swimsuit, the MLK Community Cleanup Day and Vidas Play Day.
Askarova completed a stellar career with the Blue Hens' women's tennis team, earning first-team All-CAA honors in doubles three times (2021, 2023, 2024), first team All-CAA in singles once (2021) and second team All-CAA in singles twice (2022, 2023). She became Delaware's program leader in career doubles wins and ranks second in career singles victories. In 2023, Askarova and partner Adel-Byanu Abidullina became the first players in Blue Hens' program history to qualify for the NCAA Doubles Championship after being ranked as high as No. 3 nationally by the ITA. In the classroom, she excelled with a 3.70 GPA while majoring in health behavior science and minoring in public policy and psychology. She made the CAA Commissioner's Honor Roll in each semester, was a four-time member of the Dean's List and was honored on the ITA All-Academic Team. In the community, Askarova was a UDance representative and fundraiser for two years and helped lead initiatives that raised over $2 million to fight childhood cancer. She also participated as a volunteer with Special Olympics.
Daniel was a key contributor in the midfield for the Pirates' women's soccer team. A three-year letterwinner and team captain, she started all 18 games during the 2023 season and tallied an assist during the 2022 campaign. In the classroom, Daniel achieved a stellar 4.06 GPA while majoring in Health Sciences with a concentration in policy and administration. She plans to attend Johns Hopkins University in the fall to obtain a master's degree in health administration. In 2023-24, Daniel was a President's Cup recipient, and her GPA was among the highest of all health sciences majors and Hampton student-athletes. Daniel served as president of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society and was a member of the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, Golden Key International Honor Society and Upsilon Phi Delta Honor Society. She also served as a SAAC representative and made the Dean's List in each semester. In the community, Daniel volunteered with the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank and was involved with sewing and distributing thousands of cloth masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vitola excelled throughout her softball career for the Seahawks, helping the team claim their first two CAA championships and earn NCAA Tournament appearances. She started every game of her career as an infielder, receiving second team All-CAA accolades in 2023 and 2024, making the CAA All-Rookie team in 2021 and twice garnering NFCA All-Region honors. Vitola is the only player in program history to record 200+ hits and 70+ stolen bases in a career. In the classroom, Vitola compiled a 3.85 GPA while majoring in Biology and minoring in Environmental Sciences. She was chosen as the CAA Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2023-24 and also made the CSC Academic All-District team. A graduate of the Honors College at UNCW, Vitola was a seven-time member of the Dean's List and made the CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll in each semester. As part of her major, she interned with the Environmental Alliance. Vitola wrote case studies and participated in sampling, drilling and marking land identified as not functional due to pollution from heavy industrial use with the intent to help remediate the sites to benefit the area they are discovered in. She has also volunteered with the Cape Fear River Watch, helping clean up polluted areas, and the Cape Fear Optimist Club running softball camps for youth.
Players Mentioned
Fly/Free
/ Women's Swimming & DivingDrexel's Autocomplete With Swimming Coach Nathan Lavery
Tuesday, March 18
Drexel Athletics Happy Holidays 2023
Thursday, December 21
2018-2019 All Sport Highlight
Thursday, May 23
IBX Top Performances of November
Tuesday, December 04
