Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina women's soccer alum Kirsten Hahn was today named a nominee for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year award. A three-year team captain and forward for the Catamounts, Hahn is one of two nominees representing the Southern Conference, joined by two-sport cadet-athlete, The Citadel's Ali Ruffin.
Hahn is the second Catamount to recently receive an NCAA Woman of the Year nomination, joining volleyball alumna Merry Gebel from 2023.
The NCAA Woman of the Year program was established in 1991 and honors the academic achievements, athletic excellence, community service, and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions.
Hahn's NCAA Woman of the Year nomination comes following a career season both on the pitch and in the classroom for the Burlington, Ontario native. The Canadian-born Catamount historically opened the season, becoming the fifth WCU player in program history to notch a hat-trick with a three-goal effort on just four total shots against UNC Asheville. That performance earned her the first SoCon Women's Soccer Player of the Week honor of her career, setting the tone for the career-best season. Hahn posted high marks in goals scored (6), points (15), shots (38), shots on goal (16), and game-winning goals (1).
Hahn posted a critical goal against the Longwood Lancers, helping fuel a last-second comeback to force a 2-2 draw with the Big South foe, in helping preserve what would be WCU's first undefeated home regular season at the Catamount Athletic Complex. Hahn scored two more goals in Southern Conference play, finding the back of the cage against VMI and Wofford as the senior captain helped guide the Catamounts through the conference slate unbeaten and to a second consecutive regular-season title.
Hahn was as strong in the classroom as she was on the pitch last season, graduating with a 3.98 cumulative grade point average while completing her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a pre-health professional concentration and a minor in chemistry. She received the Southern Conference's 2024-25 Dorothy Hicks Postgraduate Scholarship award. She collected College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors to go along with her 2024 SoCon Commissioner's Medal, and was named to the 2024 Fall Academic All-SoCon Team and the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.
Originally from Burlington, Ontario, Canada, Hahn also dedicates her time to serving her community, working with the Jackson County Animal Shelter locally and the Orchard Animal Hospital in Burlington. Additionally, she has worked as a veterinary assistant for the last two years at the Clappison Animal Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. Hahn also recently served as a coach for the Empower Futbol School, where she helped design lesson plans for players of various skill levels.
Hahn is also a published author, as her article "Like a Girl": How Sexism in Sports Destroys the Confidence of Young Girls Everywhere" was published in The Asheville-Citizen Times as well as in WCU's "Ink: Chronicles in Composition" in 2021. Her essay "Mental Health Is Just As Important As Physical Health: A Rhetorical Analysis of Lindsay Crouse's 'Simone Biles Just Demonstrated a True Champion Mind-Set'" was also published in a 2022 edition of "Ink: Chronicles in Composition".
NCAA conference offices select up to two nominees each from their pool of member school nominees. Then, the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will choose the Top 30 honorees — 10 from each NCAA division.
From the Top 30, the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee will determine the top three honorees in each division and announce the nine finalists in November. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will then choose the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year at the Woman of the Year Award Ceremony in Nashville in January.
