TAMPA - Former University of South Florida student-athletes Yvana Hepburn and Marcela Gurgel were recently named nominees for the 2010 NCAA Woman of the Year award.

The pair are two of the record 452 college and university nominees up for the award, now in its 20th year of existence.

The award honors senior student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership.

Both Hepburn, a former hurdler for the USF track and field team, and Gurgel, an outside hitter with the Bulls volleyball team the last four years, recently completed their careers at USF following the 2009-10 athletics season.

Hepburn earned All-BIG EAST honors in 2010 when she placed second in the 100 hurdles at the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships after placing third in the same event in 2009. A two-time member of the BIG EAST All-Academic Team, Hepburn also earned a spot on the USTFCCCA women's Division I All-Academic Track and Field team in 2009. 

The USF school record holder in the indoor 60 hurdles when she ran a time of 8.40 seconds in 2009, Hepburn also leaves USF second in the 100 hurdles (13.40) and second in the indoor 55-hurdles (7.86). She wrapped up her collegiate career in late May by placing 20th in the hurdles at the NCAA East Prelim.

An AVCA All-America honorable mention selection in 2009, Gurgel earned All-BIG EAST First-Team honors in 2009 after being named the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year. She ranked second in the conference with 4.16 kills per set and third in the BIG EAST with 4.70 points per set.

Gurgel finished her career at USF second all-time in kills (1,801), fourth in aces (219) and ninth in digs (1,079). The Fortaleza, Brazil native was a three-time honorable mention All-American following her sophomore and junior campaigns in addition to her 2009 senior season. 

Every NCAA member institution was encouraged to honor its top graduating female student-athlete. If at least one of the nominees was a woman of color or international student-athlete, schools were urged to submit two nominations to their respective conference offices. Nominees represent all three divisions.

Each conference will assess each nominee's eligibility and select a conference nominee based on collective achievements in service, leadership, athletics and academics. All conference nominees will be forwarded to the Woman of the Year selection committee, which will choose the top 10 honorees in each division.

From among those 30 candidates, the selection committee will determine the top three in each division. Finally, members of the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will vote from among the top nine finalists to determine the 2010 NCAA Woman of the Year.

To be eligible for the award, female student-athletes must have completed intercollegiate eligibility in her primary sport by the end of the 2010 spring season, graduated no later than the end of the summer 2010 term and achieved a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.5.

The top 10 honorees per division will be announced in August, followed by the top three honorees by division in September. The top 30 honorees and the nine finalists from Divisions I, II and III will be honored and the 2010 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced at the annual ceremony in Indianapolis on October 17.