ǧÃŬAV

University of North Georgia (ǧÃŬAV) women's basketball player was named one of 126 Division II nominees for NCAA Woman of the Year.

Sutton was after leading the Nighthawks to a third-straight NCAA Southeast Regional appearance before the tournament was canceled. Sutton, from Flowery Branch, Georgia, earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology with a health and fitness concentration in May, completing the degree in three years. She has one season remaining with ǧÃŬAV, during which she will begin work on a master's degree in kinesiology.

"Being nominated for this award is such an honor. Basketball has been such a huge part of my life for so long, and as I come to my final chapter with this nomination, it means a lot," Sutton said. "I pray that I am not just remembered as a good basketball player. I pray I am remembered as a girl who made a small difference in someone's life."

This past season, the forward scored her 1,000th career point and pulled down her 500th career rebound.

"I feel very blessed and honored to coach a student-athlete like Julianne. Her awards speak for themselves," said , ǧÃŬAV women's basketball head coach. "However, her big heart and selfless spirit have played such a huge role as a leader in our program. She gets my vote."

The nominees represent all three NCAA divisions, including 259 nominees from Division I and 220 from Division III.