The award goes to an athlete who has graduated after excelling on the field, in the classroom and in their community. The list will be pared to nine finalists next month and the winner will be announced Oct. 27.

Aguilar was a nominee from Division III's American Southwest Conference. The 2003 Waimea graduate is a two-time ASC West Division Player of the Year and ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American with a 4.0 grade point average. She graduated in computer science.

Aguilar holds the school record for kills, blocks, service aces and total points scored and plans to return to the Texas school for her MBA.

Other nominees include Wisconsin ice hockey player Sara Bauer, who played on back-to-back national championship teams; Georgia swimmer Claire Maust, part of the Bulldogs' 2005 NCAA championship team; Tennessee's Felicia Guliford, a member of the 2005 national champions in indoor track and field; and pole vaulter Angela Aguilar of Abilene Christian, who was on the Division II national champions in indoor and outdoor track.

Ten nominees were academic All-Americans and 12 competed in more than one sport. None had a GPA lower than 3.83 and at least three graduated with double majors.

Amanda Weinmann of Division III St. Mary's University in Minnesota earned degrees in biophysics and engineering physics, while Jamie Wolf of Clarion University in Pennsylvania majored in molecular biology and biotechnology. Indiana cross country and track star Jessica Gall earned her degrees in political science and journalism.

Last year's national winner was Anne Bersagel, who competed in cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field at Wake Forest.