INDIANAPOLIS – Former Middle Tennessee Soccer standout Peyton DePriest is one of 577 female college athletes nominated for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year award, announced by the NCAA office.

The award, established in 1991 and now in its 32^nd year, recognizes the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female collegiate student-athletes from all three NCAA divisions. To be eligible, a nominee must have competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport and must have earned her undergraduate degree by summer 2022.

The list of nominees will now be trimmed down as the conference offices select their nominees for the NCAA Women of the Year award from the current pool of nominees. Each conference's nominee will be announced by the NCAA in August.

DePriest finished off an incredible five-year career at Middle Tennessee this past fall, becoming not only the greatest Middle Tennessee Soccer player in program history, but the greatest to ever play in Conference USA.

She graduated with her Master of Science in leisure, sport, and tourism management with a specialization in sport industry with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average this past spring after earning her undergraduate degree with a 3.94 GPA in exercise science in the fall of 2020.

Her NCAA Woman of the Year nomination adds to the Franklin, Tennessee native's illustrious Blue Raider career, which saw the dynamic forward become the first two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American in program history, in addition to being a two-time C-USA Offensive Player of the Year, C-USA Player of the Year, C-USA Freshman of the Year, 2019 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American, three-time C-USA All-Conference First Team selection, C-USA All-Conference Second Team selection, 2021 C-USA All-Tournament Team selection, three-time C-USA Player of the Week, as well as being recognized to the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week and the College Soccer News National Team of the Week.

DePriest's record-breaking 2021 campaign saw the senior forward become the C-USA all-time leading scorer, breaking the all-time goals scored record as well as becoming the C-USA all-time points leader. DePriest broke the C-USA all-time record for goals scored with 50 against Houston Baptist and produced an astounding 58 career goals by the end of the season, which led all active NCAA DI student-athletes for goals scored at the DI level. She also broke the C-USA all-time career points record, recording 127 points over her prolific five-year career. During 2021, DePriest led the conference with 12 goals scored in 19 contests, while also adding four assists and accumulated a league-leading 28 points.

DePriest just recently signed with AS Saint-Étienne in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France competing in Ligue 2. Her season will start in August and run all the way through May 2023.