CARMEL, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) announced Hanover College Women's Basketball student-athlete Grace Bezold (Covington, Ky.) as the conference nominees for the 2024-25 NCAA Woman of the Year award.
 
Established in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year award recognizes graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service, and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.

Grace Bezold boasts a well-decorated athletic career at Hanover as well as an impressive academic journey.  Bezold graduated from Hanover in May 2025 with a 3.82 GPA and plans to attend Nothern Kentucky University in the fall to study to become a Cardiovascular Perfusionist. The Covington, Ky. native was a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society as well as served as the Ritual Chairwoman for the Phi Mu Rho Chapter Fraternity from 2022-2025. Grace particpated in the Hanover College Dance Marathon from 2022-25, as well. Bezold was also an active member of the Health Sciences Program at Hanover from 2022-2025. 

The senior forward from Covington, Kentucky recorded a Hanover school record with 623 points in a season. Bezold was also second in career points at Hanover with 1,631 and eighth in career rebounds with 677. Bezold earned multiple HCAC Athlete of the Week honors throughout the 2024-25 season, garnering this distinction in weeks 2, 3, 5, 13, and 15 of the season. She was also named as a D3Hoops Team of the Week member on Jan. 5th and the USBWA DIII Women's National Player of the Week honors on Feb. 18.

In addition to her conference and school accolades, Bezold found her name in numerous national statistics. Bezold averaged a season high of 23.1 points per game during the season, which ranked 8th nationally throughout Division III. She was ranked 7th nationally in total points scored and field goals attempted. Grace was ranked 5th in field goals made; 17th in attempted free throws; and 19th in made free throws. The senior was also ranked 32nd in total double-doubles.

Bezold was a WBCA All-American Honorable mention and D3Hoops Third Team All-American for the 2024-25 season. She was named as a Region 8 First Team selection and CSC Academic All-District. To end her Panther career, Bezold was also a WBCA All-Star participant as well as a Top 10 Finalist for the prestigious Josten's Trophy. 
 
Conferences select the league nominees through a vote of league officials. Within the HCAC, the Senior Woman Administrator at each of the ten member institutions acts as the voting representative to select the overall conference nominees. As these two nominees go forward to the national selection, the NCAA Woman of the Year Selection Committee, made up of representatives from throughout the NCAA membership, will choose the Top 30 honorees — 10 from each division. The NCAA Selection Committee will then determine the top three honorees from each division from the Top 30 and announce the nine finalists in September. From those nine finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will choose the 2023-24 NCAA Woman of the Year. The Top 30 honorees will be celebrated, and the 2023-24 NCAA Woman of the Year will be named at the annual award ceremony this Fall in Indianapolis.
 
For more information on all things HCAC, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the HCAC's home on the internet at www.heartlandconf.org. Be sure to stay up to date on all of your Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference news by following @HCACDIII on X and by liking the "HCAC DIII" Facebook page.