General | 9/18/2025 12:00:00 PM

By Waverly Lorne, Waynesburg University junior/PAC Intern

TRAFFORD, Pa. (pacathletics.org) - Washington & Jefferson College 2025 graduate Adalynn Cherry has been nominated by the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) for the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year. 

Founded in 1991 the Woman of the Year program recognizes graduating student-athletes. Across all NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III schools, hundreds of female athletes are nominated every year and 2025 was a historical year. A record-breaking 631 total nominations were submitted, with 270 nominations from Division I schools, 126 from Division II schools, and 235 from Division III. The nominations are then narrowed down to the Top 30, 10 nominees from each division. 

The prestigious award targets athletic achievements, leadership qualities, academics, and community service. In order to be a nominee, the individual has to excel in all areas. 

An Altoona, Pennsylvania, native, Cherry is a prime example, as she made a name for herself within the PAC. She earned conference wide-recognition, which accumulated over her four years on the basketball court and on campus. In the 2022-23 season, she was recognized on the All-PAC second-team. In the 2023-24 season, she was named to the PAC All-Tournament team, which she then achieved again the following season, along with the PAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player title. By 2025, the three-year captain led Washington & Jefferson’s women’s basketball team to the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory in a win over Messiah in overtime. 

Playing in 103 games, Cherry ended her career with 847 points (8.2 ppg), 409 rebounds (4.0 rpg), 245 assists (2.4 apg), 109 steals. She shot 80.1 percent (129-161) from the foul line and 39.5 percent (164-415) from the three-point line. Making 164 three-point shots over her career, Cherry is recognized as the fourth all-time three-point shooter at Washington & Jefferson and a three-time PAC All-Conference selection.

A strong and involved leader, Cherry exemplifies another key pillar of the Women of the Year program. On the court, she was a two-time recipient of PAC Sportsmanship Team recognition. Off the court, Cherry served as President, Vice President, and Treasurer of Washington & Jefferson’s Special Olympics Club, where she worked as a liaison between the campus club and Special Olympics PA. 

For the Washington & Jefferson Fellows Program, Cherry led an academic symposium, titled “Is Comparison the Thief of Joy,” allowing first-year students to engage in respectful and educated conversations regarding the controversy of comparison. Additionally, she served as the women’s basketball representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), then as mentioned, led the Washington & Jefferson women’s basketball team as team captain.

Earning a 4.0 as a double major in Economics and Spanish with a minor in Business Administration, Cherry was also a member of numerous Honors Societies: Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Lambda Delta, Omicron Delta Epsilon (International Economics), and Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish). In addition to winning multiple prizes in economics, she was recognized on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District team in 2023 and 2024, was on the PAC’s Academic Honor Roll all four years, and eventually becoming the 2025 Female PAC Scholar Athlete honoree for Washington & Jefferson.

Washington & Jefferson women’s basketball coach Jina DeRubbo describes Cherry as “the definition of a Type A personality-driven, organized, and fully committed to everything she takes on. She leads with both excellence and heart, truly caring about those around her and consistently bringing out the best in others.”

On the court, in the classroom, and throughout the community, Adalynn Cherry exemplified the qualities of a Women of the Year nominee. A dedicated athlete, student, and service volunteer, she led by example and was named the 2025 Women of the Year Nominee for the PAC.

The Woman of the Year Selection Committee will announce the Top 30 list later this fall and announce nine finalists, three from each division, this fall as welll through communication channels. Once the nine finalists are narrowed down, the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year will be named and the honorees will be celebrated at the NCAA Convention in January.