Oklahoma soccer player Big 12 nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year
By Chip Rouse
Oklahoma soccer player Kaylee Dao is one of two nominees from the Big 12 for NCAA Woman of the Year.
The NCAA Woman of the Year award recognizes graduating female student-athletes for excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership. Dao is one of 161 female student-athletes who have been named by conferences and independent NCAA-member schools from around the country.
Dao, who graduated from Oklahoma this spring, had a career year her senior campaign for the Sooners last fall. A starter in all 20 of Oklahoma’s 2019 games in the fall season, the Tulsa, Oklahoma, native posted 13 goals, one assist and 27 points and was named a First-Team All-Big 12 selection.
Five of her 13 goals last fall for game winners, and she scored the golden goal in all four of Oklahoma’s overtime wins.
Dao is a four-time All-Big 12 selection and twice was named All-Region.
In her four-year career at OU she recorded 29 goals, third all-time in Sooner soccer history and she ranks second in school history in game-winning goals with a total of 11 in her career.
Dao’s accomplishments both on and off the soccer pitch while at OU are numerous. She was a CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors’ Association) Academic All-American and a four-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree. She also was a Senior CLASS Award first-team honoree and the first Senior CLASS Award finalist in OU soccer program history.
Joining OU’s Dao as a Woman of the Year nominee out of the Big 12 is Alison Gibson, who competed in swimming and diving at the University of Texas.
The candidate list will be narrowed down to 30 semifinalists, 10 from each of the three NCAA divisions. That list will be further pared down to nine finalists, three from each division, and the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year will be determined out of the nine finalists.