ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The University of Chicago women's track and field standout Ren Brown has been selected as a 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year Award nominee from the University Athletic Association, as announced by the league office on Monday morning.

The NCAA Woman of the Year Award, established in 1991, honors graduating student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through excellence in academics, athletics, leadership, and service. Each NCAA conference may nominate up to two student-athletes for national consideration. Brown, along with Emory University's Nikki Boon, will represent the UAA in this year's national pool of nominees.

Brown's athletic career has been defined by historic success. A two-time NCAA National Champion, she won the 2025 Indoor Distance Medley Relay and the Outdoor 400-meter Hurdles. Over her career, she earned 10 All-America honors, including eight First-Team selections. She was also recognized as the USTFCCCA Midwest Region Track Athlete of the Year in Outdoor Track & Field in 2025.

In addition to her athletic accolades, Brown distinguished herself in the classroom and beyond. She earned CSC 2nd-Team Academic All-American honors in 2025 and was named a UAA President's Council Scholar-Athlete multiple times, underscoring her commitment to academic achievement and leadership.

In addition to Brown's academic and athletic accomplishments, she also completed several community service and professional accomplishments during her time at the University of Chicago. She is the Founder of Firefly Studios where she directed and produced a choose-your-own-adventure style, murder mystery game, and she also wrote, edited, and self-published her own young adult novel in October of 2022. She has also served as a Communications Intern for the SMART Museum of Art, a Student Videographer for the UChicago College Advising Office, and a Student Writer for UChicago News, and she has held several other mentorship roles as a Teacher's Assistant and Camp Counselor among others.

Conference offices selected up to two nominees each from their pool of member school nominees. All nominees who competed in a sport not sponsored by their school's primary conference, as well as associate conference nominees and independent nominees, were considered by a selection committee. Next, the Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will choose the Top 30 honorees — 10 from each division.
 
From the Top 30, the Woman of the Year selection committee will determine the top three honorees in each division and announce nine finalists. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then will choose the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year, which will be announced later this year.