Former stand-out Missouri State University swimmer Lily DeSpain has been selected as a top-30 honoree for 2024 NCAA Woman of the Year.
Now attending the University of Arkansas to obtain a doctorate of medicine, DeSpain wrapped up her outstanding two-year career with the Bears in May. She was named the 2024 MSU Female Athlete of the Year as well as the 2024 Missouri Valley Conference Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
DeSpain is one of 10 honorees picked from NCAA Division I. 10 student-athletes are picked from all three divisions of NCAA sports. The NCAA reported this year’s Woman of the Year nomination total as “record-breaking,” noting that 627 female student-athletes were nominated.
The award recognizes female student-athletes who have completed their undergraduate degrees while displaying excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership throughout their college careers.
DeSpain’s lengthy list of accolades collected during her time at MSU include All-MVC first-team honors, several school and conference records, and several gold medals at MVC Championships.
These certainly deemed her worthy enough to be named as an honoree, but it was the work she did away from the swimming pool that drove the nomination home for the NCAA.
During her time at MSU, DeSpain was a member of the Bears Leadership Institute, a group of select student-athletes from multiple sports who develop and refine leadership styles and skills. DeSpain also served as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Tau Sigma, an honor society that recognizes academic excellence among transfer students.
The now-graduate student completed her MSU career earning the Biomedical Sciences Excellence in Public Affairs award, as well as a conference postgraduate scholarship while graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in cell and molecular biology.
Away from her studies, DeSpain impacted the Springfield community at large working as a certified phlebotomist and nursing assistant in the Dementia and Alzheimer’s units of a local hospital while also volunteering in multiple other departments. She also spent time tutoring and peer advising for other students at Missouri State.
Last spring, DeSpain sat down with The Standard for a one-on-one interview for a feature on the swimmer, which can be found here.
From the 30 honorees, three will be selected from each division, leaving nine finalists. The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics will select one winner to be announced at the NCAA Convention in January.
For more info on the award and honorees, visit ncaa.org.
Follow Jayden Pettus on Twitter, @pettusjayden
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