Restivo tabbed GNAC Woman of the Year - Johnson & Wales University Providence (2024)

WINTHROP, Mass. – Johnson & Wales soccer student-athlete Jordan Restivo was named the 2022-23 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Athlete of the Year for women's sports on Wednesday (July 19) afternoon by the conference office. She will be honored at the 2023 GNAC Hall of Fame dinner on Thursday, Aug. 10.

As the GNAC Athlete of the Year, Restivo will also be the conference nominee for 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year and the Division III Commissioners Association (D3CA) Women's Sport Student-Athlete of the Year. All three awards recognize graduating student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership.

"I am both honored and humbled by the recognition," said Restivo. "I owe my success to my coaches, athletic trainers, teammates, family and friends. Without them, I would not be where I am today. To be chosen from a group of outstanding female student-athletes who are all going to go out and change the world is beyond all of my expectations."

Restivo emerged as the top choice among twelve strong candidates throughout the conference, excelling both on the field and in the classroom. She earned a degree in health science, while maintaining a 3.76 GPA, which helped her earn plenty of accolades, including a spot on the 2022 United Soccer Coaches (USC) Academic All-America First Team. Restivo was also a member of the GNAC Academic All-Conference Team and graduated magna cum laude. The JWU forward was also included on the Dean's List.

However, her effort in the classroom was matched by her performance on the pitch. She was a USC All-America First Teamer and finished her Wildcat career as the school's all-time leader in goals (62), assists (47), and points (171). In her final season, she led the NCAA Division III in points with 66. Her on-field accomplishments earned her two GNAC Offensive Player of the Year honors (2021, 2022), the GNAC Rookie of the Year honor (2018), and multiple First Team All-Conference Selections.

Additionally, Restivo was a team captain and a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) member, while also participating in a number of a community service events. Some of those events include volunteering with Ronald McDonald House, Sunrise Forever, and NECSL – Taunton Youth Soccer. She also was part of the beach clean-up on Oakland Beach, a coach with the American Youth Soccer Organization, and helped out with Project GOAL and the Rhode Island Food Bank.

"I am so proud of Jordan. All of her hard work has paid off and her accomplishments speak for themselves," said JWU women's soccer head coach Chris Flint. "She's done so much for Johnson & Wales and the women's soccer staff is beyond thrilled for her and her family to receive this recognition."

The GNAC Athlete of the Year is selected by a committee of GNAC staff members following the NCAA Woman of the Year selection guidelines. As the Conference nominee, Restivo will be placed in a pool along with the nominees from other NCAA conferences.

All conference-level nominees are forwarded to the Woman of the Year selection committee. The selection committee will choose the top 10 honorees in each division. From among those 30 honorees, the selection committee will determine the three finalists in each division. Finally, the members of the Committee on Women's Athletics will vote from among the top nine finalists to determine the 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year.
Later this fall, the national Top 30 honorees and nine finalists will be announced. The 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced at the 2024 NCAA Convention in Phoenix.

The D3CA award follows a similar process. Once conference nominees are submitted, the commissioners will vote on the nominees within their region to select the 10 Student-Athlete of the Year regional honorees. Those regional honorees will be eligible for selection as D3CA Student-Athlete of the Year.

ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 16 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.

(story courtesy of Doug Chin, GNAC Association Commissioner)