BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University Track & Field graduate Katie Potts was among eight Great Northwest Athletic Conference student-athletes nominated for the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
 
Potts was a six-year member of the WWU Track & Field program, serving as team captain of the throwers unit, and was an 11-time All-GNAC performer at the conference indoor and outdoor championships. A native of Everett and product of Glacier Peak High School, Potts was an active member in the S.A.A.C (Student Athlete Advisory Committee) and served as a marketing intern in WWU Athletics.
 
Potts received her undergraduate degree from Western in 2023 in Communication Studies and completed her MBA this spring while closing out her collegiate career. She was a five-time GNAC All-Academic selection and won numerous USTFCCAA Academic awards.
 
"My experiences as a scholar, leader and athlete have shaped me into someone who values hard work, collaboration, and community. Whether in academics, athletics, or leadership, I am driven by the belief that there is more that unites us than separates us," said Potts during the nomination process. "I look forward to carrying these lessons into future opportunities, creating inclusive spaces where people feel supported and inspired to do their best and making a positive impact wherever I go."
 
In competition, Potts won 11 individual All-GNAC awards spread across the indoor and outdoor seasons, highlighted by winning the discus competition three consecutive seasons from 2023-2025. She was part of five GNAC championship teams, winning three outdoor team titles and two at the indoor championships.
 
Her career began as a true freshman during the indoor season in 2020 and concluded with a 19th place finish in the discus at the 2025 NCAA II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in May in Pueblo, Colorado. Throughout her journey at Western, Potts represented the Vikings in 73 meets, setting the school outdoor record in the discus with a top mark of 48.15m/157-11.
 
"We could not have asked for a better student-athlete than Katie Potts. Her four GNAC titles, double-digit all-GNAC awards, multiple school records and NCAA qualifying marks are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to her contributions to the track & Field team over her six years at WWU, arguably secondary to her impact on the culture of the team during the post-COVID transition period," said WWU Throws and Strength & Conditioning Coach Damien Fisher. "The unprecedented success the women's team has experienced the last several years does not happen without Katie and those like her. We are immensely proud of her and the person she has grown into and look forward to seeing her continue to succeed as she moves into the professional world."
 
The NCAA Woman of the Year award was established in 1991 and recognizes female student-athletes who have earned their undergraduate degree and distinguished themselves in their community, in athletics and in academics.
 
Upon review of each school's nomination, the GNAC will announce the conference's overall nominations for the award. The GNAC's nomination will then be reviewed by the selection committee, which will identify 10 finalists from each of the three NCAA divisions. The 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced at the NCAA Convention in January. Additional GNAC nominees include Dyauni Boyce (MSUB), Amity Deters (WOU), Brooke Dexter (SFU), Annika Esvelt (SPU), Sunny Huerta (CWU), Kendall Kramer (UAF) and Jocelyn Saribay (SMU).