BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Recently graduated University of New England three-sport student-athlete Erica Dimmick has selected by the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Senior Woman Administrators as the league's nominee for both the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year Award and the inaugural Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA) Female Student-Athlete of the Year Award, as was announced Wednesday (July 20) by CCC Associate Commissioner Doug Chin.

Since the conference began forwarding one of its institutional nominees to the national NCAA Woman of the Year committee in 2005-06, UNE has received a CCC-best seven nods, now a couple clear of Endicott College (5) and Salve Regina University (4) [CCC Woman of the Year history]. Dimmick follows up former soccer teammate Jenna Pannone, who advanced to this stage in the 2021 process. Next, 10 from each division will be selected; Division III began with 202 institutional candidates, and has now been reduced to 61.

Established in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year Award honors graduating female student-athletes across all three divisions who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service, and leadership.

For the DIIICA Student-Athlete of the Year, a regional committee of conference commissioners and assistant/associate commissioners will next select a regional finalist from each of 10 designated regions in August.

Complete release: Dimmick named CCC's nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year, DIIICA Student-Athlete of the Year
Complete release: Conference offices select their nominees for NCAA Woman of the Year

Dimmick finished up a bachelor's degree in animal behavior in May with summa cum laude status, while also minoring in mental health rehabilitation. The Sutton, Mass. native participated in women's soccer (4 years), women's basketball (3 years), and women's track & field (2 years) during her time with the Nor'easters. Academically, she was been a regular on UNE's Dean's List, a frequent member of the Commonwealth Coast Conference Academic All-Conference Team, and was inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete, Alpha Chi, and Psi Chi Psychology honor societies. At the University's 2022 Biddeford Campus Undergraduate Awards Ceremony, she received the Outstanding Student Award for her major.

During her time in Biddeford, she also served three years as a UNE Peer Mentor and as an active member of UNE's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Dimmick was thoroughly involved with the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland, as well as several other community-based programs in the local area.

Twice during her senior year, Dimmick was recognized for combined academic and athletic performance by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), first as an Academic All-District First Team selection in soccer, and then as Academic All-District First Team in track & field / cross country. She also became the first UNE student-athlete on-record to claim the Athletics Department's Athlete of the Year and Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards in the same campaign.

Competitively, she was a defensive starter for the Nor'easter soccer squad, appearing in 54 games during three full seasons around the pandemic. In that time, the program allowed less than one goal per contest and recorded shutouts in nearly half of the games, and Dimmick still contributed four goals and one assist to the offensive efforts. She was a two-time all-conference performer (2nd Team as a senior, 3rd Team as sophomore), and once all-region from the United Soccer Coaches organization. The UNE soccer team won league titles in both 2018 and 2019. Dimmick was then a defensive role player for the basketball program, playing over 11 minutes an outing regularly since the home stretch of sophomore year. Through two seasons of the varsity track & field program, the Nor'easter sprinter leads the way with a combined six All-CCC finishes in championship meets. As a senior in 2022, Dimmick earned a team-high four, including first team honors as the anchor legs in both the 4x100 and 4x400 relays, second team in the 800-meter, and third team in the 400-meter, and she maintains school records in all four events. Both relay groups also qualified for the 2022 New England Championships.

Complete release: NCAA Institutional nominees for NCAA Woman of the Year Award (July 14)