Centerville, IA – Sophomore Eliana Bommarito (Brighton, MI/Hartland) of the Indian Hills Women's Wrestling team has added another prestigious accolade to her illustrious career. Bommarito has been named the National Alliance of Two Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

A transcendent student-athlete during her two-year career with the Warriors, Bommarito was selected as the top female student-athlete in the nation, spanning more than 500 junior colleges across three national associations. Bommarito becomes the first female from Indian Hills and just the third from the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) to earn the honor. Bommarito is also the first women's wrestler to be selected for the award.

"Winning the NATYCAA Student-Athlete of the year is a huge honor for Eliana," stated head coach Cole Spree. "Her success on and off the mat proves she is an outstanding student-athlete, but she is also one of the most caring and genuine people you will ever meet. Eliana constantly gives back to others through her kindness, sportsmanship, and leadership. Eliana has been a pioneer for women's wrestling and Indian Hills. NATYCAA definitely selected the right individual to the be the representative of this award."

Bommarito capped a remarkable career at Indian Hills with her second-career national championship in March. The sophomore ran through the 235lb bracket at the 2024 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Invitational to become a two-time All-American in addition to a two-time national champion. Bommarito's individual title helped lead the Warriors to their second consecutive NJCAA Team National Championship.

In addition to her undefeated career on the mat at Indian Hills, Bommarito made international headlines for Team USA wrestling during the course of the year. The sophomore captured two gold medals for the Red, White, and Blue, winning the United World Wrestling (UWW) Beach World Series 70kg title before taking gold at the U20 Beach World Championships. Bommarito became the first-ever U.S. Senior wrestler to win a gold medal at a UWW international Beach Wrestling event and the first to capture two UWW Beach gold medals.

Academically, Bommarito recently graduated from Indian Hills with an Associate of Arts degree after maintaining a cumulative 3.95 GPA throughout her time at Indian Hills. Bommarito has been named to the NJCAA All-Academic First-Team and is a three-time member of the ICCAC Academic All-Region  First-Team as well as a two-time National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-American.

Bommarito's work in the community extends far beyond the impact she has made on the mat. An advocate for women's wrestling at all levels of competition, Bommarito engrained herself in the Centerville community by working with local youth. The two-time national champion has also spent time working with youth wrestlers throughout her international travels with Team USA to help grow the sprt.

Along with Bommarito, Sam Antonacci of Heartland Community College (IL) was selected as the NATYCAA Male Student-Athlete of the Year.

"This is one of the best times of the year when our Association gets the opportunity to honor deserving two-year college student-athletes with our award," stated NATYCAA Scholar-Athlete Committee Chair Aaron Bouyea, director of athletics at Monroe Community College – Rochester. "Each year, the selection process becomes more difficult as all of the student-athletes nominated are outstanding in their own way. Both Eliana and Sam stood above the rest this year, excelling in not only their respective sports, but also in the community. Their positive impact and leadership qualities are a model for future winners to come."

Bommarito becomes the second Indian Hills student-athlete to earn the prestigious honor, joining former Indian Hills Baseball standout Daniel Figueroa who was selected as the NATYCAA Male Student-Athlete of the Year in 2023.

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