Lancaster, Pa. - The Atlantic East Conference announced the league's Woman of the Year on Wednesday morning, naming Marymount University’s Chandler Eddleton the recipient of the award. 

The Woman of the Year award is presented to one female student-athlete who combined superior academic and athletic achievement during their career thus far. The successful candidate(s) must have competed in an Atlantic East-sponsored championship sport from a full-member institution. For full award criteria, see here.

Eddleton, was a four year member of the women's basketball team and joined the women’s outdoor track team for her senior year.  The team won the Atlantic East Championship in 2022-23 and 2023-24 for two titles in her career. She also added an outdoor track and field title this spring. . On the court Eddleton played in 82 games  starting in 78 of them. She averaaged 30.6 minutes, 15.7 points, and 8.2 rebounds per contest. This season she surpassed the 1000 point mark finishing with 1291, 676 rebounds, 160 steals, and 159 assists. Eddleton had a storied career with two Player of the Year awards in 2022-23 and 2023-24. She also was named Atlantic East D3Hoops Region V Rookie of the Year in the 2021-22 season. This past season her contributions were noticed as she was named WBCA 1st Team All American and participated in the WBCA DIII All Star Game. 

On the track Eddleton crossed the line first twice and picked up a second and third place finish as well. Her first place finishes came in the 100m dash and as a member of the 4 x 400m relay. She finished second in the 400m dash. These finishes earned her Atlantic East All Conference Recognition. 

Eddleton finished her degree at Marymount with a 3.7 to earn Magna cum Laude honors. She was also recognized on CSC, VaSID and the Atlantic East All Academic Teams. Eddleton graduated with a degree in health sciences and plans to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy. 

Service and leadership has also been a big part of Eddleton’s time at Marymount. From garden clean ups to leadership panels and Special Olympics Eddleton has continued to give back to the Marymount and surrounding community in her four years. She has worked with local youths for a leadership initiative and participated in Meals at HomeAgain and Childhood Hunger Initiatives. 

Her incredible leadership both on and off the court and track has earned her the Woman of the Year recognition. 

Chandler’s Reflection on her career at Marymount: 

As a student-athlete at Marymount University, on campus, I am most commonly known as Chandler; a member of the women’s basketball team. From the moment I took basketball seriously, it became an integral part of my life, with training, teams, and competition. Although athletics makes up a large part of my identity, who I am, outside of basketball there are defining characteristics within academics and the community that make me who I am. 

During my most recent year at Marymount, I was able to partake in two special experiences that fall within these other categories. These two experiences allowed me to grow and develop as a person, and better allow me to serve myself, and others around me. The first of those experiences was a result of being a member of the Marymount Honors Program. This program promotes academic excellence through research based learning and tutorials, and works towards defending a senior thesis during the last year of the program. I created a study entitled “The Impact of Community Service on the Mental Health of College Athletes,” which looked at the potential connection between using community service as an alternative method to combat negative mental health measures in collegiate student-athletes. This past April, I defended my thesis in front of a committee on the data and findings that came as a result from the study, and shared that there was significant data to show a positive correlation between community service and the increase of student-athletes mental health feelings. Although this research process was extensive and sometimes challenging, the result was rewarding. Presenting my thesis allowed me to gain a new sense of confidence and perseverance, authority over my own learning, and beneficial knowledge that can be used to better the experiences of other collegiate student-athletes in the future.

The second experience that encouraged further development, also took place this year. After the completion of the 2023-2024 basketball season, I was invited to attend the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-Star event in Columbus, Ohio; this experience allowed me to do a number of things. I was recognized for being named a 1st team All-American. I also engaged in community service with a local organization, and was able to serve a community that was different from my own. Lastly, I connected with some of the best division three women’s basketball players from across the country, and played in the All-Star game; this taught me how to quickly adapt to change, and mesh different leadership styles. Additionally, I was among some of the most amazing people, and was able to build relationships with them that will last a lifetime. These two experiences offer insight into my life outside of basketball, and share a bit about significant opportunities that have allowed me to develop into the person I am today. 

Information provided by Marymount Athletic Department. 
 
ABOUT ATLANTIC EAST
The Atlantic East Conference is a member of NCAA Division III comprising seven institutions in a four-state area - Gwynedd Mercy, Immaculata, Marywood and Neumann Universities in Pennsylvania; Centenary University in New Jersey, Pratt Institute in New York, and Marymount University in Virginia. 
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