MEADVILLE, Pa. -- The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) office has selected Allegheny College track and field star Mihaela Toader (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) as one of two conference nominees for the 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year award.

Created in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year program recognizes graduating female student-athletes for excellence in academics, athletics, community service, and leadership. 

Across all three divisions, a record-breaking 619 female student-athletes were nominated by NCAA institutions for this year's Woman of the Year award, including 227 from Division III. Conferences could pick two nominees to advance to the national ballot if one were a woman of color or an international student-athlete. From there, the Woman of the Year Selection Committee will choose its Top 30 honorees, 10 from each division, which will be announced in October. Nine finalists will be announced in November, and the winner will be celebrated at the 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year Ceremony at the NCAA Convention in January.

Toader joins former Allegheny volleyball student-athlete Winnie Wong '12 and basketball student-athlete Daryl Ford '13 as conference-level nominees for the prestigious award. In addition, swimming and diving All-American Jennifer Erdos '98 was chosen as the Pennsylvania Woman of the Year in 1998 under the previous system, which selected one finalist from each state.

One of the best sprinters in school history, Toader won five individual titles and was part of three team championships in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) and PAC during her four years as a Gator. As a senior, she won the 200- and 400-meter dash at the PAC's indoor and outdoor championship meets and was a U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region selection in all four events. In 2022-23, Toader earned seven of her 15 career all-conference distinctions, highlighted by four All-PAC First Team accolades in the indoor and outdoor 200- and 400-meter dash.

Not only did Toader qualify for the 2023 NCAA Championships in the 400-meter race, she graduated this spring with seven program records. The fleet-footed Pittsburgher was crowned the 2022-23 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Female Athlete of the Year and the College's Female Senior Achievement award winner.

Throughout her four years as a student-athlete at Allegheny, Toader continued to make time for various other causes. An avid outdoor enthusiast, she spent time as a blind skier guide for Blind Outdoor Leisure Development (BOLD) and an alpine patroller for National Ski Patrol to assist injured skiers. Toader also coaches youth skiers at the Western Pennsylvania Race Club. Additionally, Toader has volunteered with the Special Olympics and as a track coach at her high school, Mt. Lebanon.

A pre-med student with a communications major and a minor in chemistry, Toader participated in many research projects. Her studies, which included research at the Safar Center for Resuscitation at the University of Pittsburgh, focused on anxiety, brain injuries, and mental health. She'll continue her education at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine's Elmira, New York, campus with a specialization in sports medicine.

In addition to Toader, the PAC nominated Australian student-athlete Sophie Morey from the Bethany College women's basketball team for the 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year award.