SJSU’s Lucia Lopez Ortega Nominated for Mountain West NCAA Woman of the Year

Lucia Lopez Ortega, '25 Biology, '27 MS Biology, has made major strides in the world of golf during her time as a student athlete at SJSU.

After graduating in the spring of 2025, Ortega discovered that she was named as one of two nominees for the prestigious Mountain West NCAA Woman of the Year award. This award not only recognizes excellence in sports, but also in leadership, community service and athletics.

"It is an honor to be nominated amongst all the other amazing athletes," says Ortega. "It is a great way to recognize the hard work that we all put in as athletes and students, and it is a great way to show people that we do much more than just play our sport."

Early years

Golf is a sport that has been deeply embedded into Ortega's life from a young age.

She was only six years old when she started playing golf on the island of Mallorca, Spain, where she grew up. In her early years, Ortega took gymnastic classes with her sister; and after each class, both girls would get dropped off at the local golf course where their father worked.

"We'd wait for him to finish work. And one day, a golf coach asked my dad if we were his kids," says Ortega. "He said that they didn't have many girls on the different teams, and maybe we should try it out."

From there, Ortega and her sister started coming in for golf lessons once a week. As time went on, they started going two times a week, then three times.

Since the schools throughout Spain don't have competitive sports teams, like they do in the United States, Ortega had to find other opportunities outside of school to engage in sports.

"I had to do it on my own time," says Ortega. "So after school, along with the sessions, I would just go to the golf course and stay there for hours."

Ortega balanced both golf and gymnastics until she was 12. Then she realized that she couldn't continue to give energy to both, so she quit gymnastics. This gave her more time to focus and develop at playing golf.

Opportunities that changed everything

In 2019, Ortega received news that would alter the course of her life as she knew it. She was selected by the Spanish Golf Federation for a two-year scholarship and the opportunity to train with the national team while completing her last two years of high school. The opportunity was located in Madrid, roughly a 90-minute flight from home.

So at 16, Ortega ventured off to Madrid to live in a dorm, complete her academic studies and train at a high performance center for athletes known as La Blume.

For two years, Ortega and other students maintained a rigorous schedule of sports and academics from 8 am - 9 pm each day. She and other student athletes would also travel through Spain and other countries in Europe to compete.

In 2021, toward the end of her senior year in high school, Ortega's life changed yet again when she received an offer to come to SJSU and play for the women's golf team.

"I got the offer in May 2021, and started school in August 2021," says Ortega. "It was my very first time coming to the United States."

Although Ortega was excited to be in another country, playing a sport that she deeply loved, there were definitely some adjustments.

"I did know a little bit about what to expect about the U.S. But it was a very different experience for me," says Ortega.

She joined the golf team as the only freshman during her first year. And in just about all of her classes, Ortega was the only student-athlete.

"It was a little bit of a learning curve both for me and my professors," says Ortega, who not only majored in biology, but also had a concentration in systems physiology and a minor in chemistry.

Her coach was very supportive and helped her to figure out golf practice around her classes. And whenever she had to travel for games, her professors would work with her and let her make up the exams.

"I had to be very disciplined and get my work done," says Ortega.

Excellence on and off the course

During her time on the women's golf team, Ortega's accomplishments were many.

She was the Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2022, the same year that her team finished as the top third in the entire country.

In her sophomore year, the team made it to Nationals. As an individual, Ortega was the runner-up for the National Championship and only lost by a single shot.

In 2025, she was named Mountain West Golfer of the Year. The team went to the NCAA Regional competition every year Ortega played for them; and the team also advanced to the NCAA Championships three times.

Ortega graduated summa cum laude with a 3.91 GPA. In 2025, she was also a recipient of the NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship and received $10,000 for her achievements in athletics, academics and leadership.

"Student athletes are allowed to compete for four years and after that, we can't get a scholarship," says Ortega. "So this is the NCAA's way of supporting student athletes, so that they can study further."

She has also been a dedicated volunteer during her time at SJSU. During her freshman year, she started volunteering with Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative (BAWSI). From sophomore to senior year, Ortega was a representative on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee. She even volunteered for a couple semesters at the Santa Clara Valley Hospital during her junior year.

Ortega has been engaged in muscular development research in molecular biology at SJSU. And she is now continuing that research, as she pursues her master's degree.

During her time in the graduate program, Ortega is also serving as the graduate assistant coach for the women's golf team. She still plays here and there.

"I'm still going to play for the rest of my life. It's been such a big part of my childhood," says Ortega. "Through golf, you get to know yourself so much, because you spend so much time with yourself. And golf really teaches you how to manage your thoughts and emotions."

Once she has completed her graduate studies, Ortega hopes to go to med school. At present, she isn't sure if she wants to stay in the U.S., or head back to Spain.

Whatever it is she ends up choosing, Ortega knows that she will always be grateful for the journey she has had so far at San José State.

"I've had the chance to play around the country and meet players from around the world. As a student, I have had the chance to get involved in research, teaching, volunteering and a lot of other opportunities," says Ortega. "I've had a great experience here, both as an athlete and a student. I've loved my time at SJSU."

The final winner of the NCAA Woman of the Year award will be announced in January 2026 at the NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C.