Alison Mueller-Hickler, a three-time All-American on the Colorado College cross country and women's track & field teams, capped her decorated career by being named the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Woman of the Year in a ballot of the league's senior woman administrators.
 
The award recognizes the conference's senior female student-athlete who has best distinguished herself throughout her collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence and service and leadership. Mueller-Hickler will now be nominated for the fifth annual Division III Commissioner's Association (DIIICA) Student-Athlete of the Year award.
 
Mueller-Hickler is the fifth Tiger to be honored in the history of the award, joining Kendall Accetta (2024), Kate Brush (2023), Isabelle Aragon-Menzel (2021) and Melanie Auguste (2009) on the exclusive list. The recognition was created prior to the 2005-06 academic year and is announced annually in conjunction with the league's Man of the Year award.

"We are so proud of Alison and her incredible career and this is a wonderful way to finish it," Vice President and Director of Athletics Lesley Irvine said. "She is one of the best female runners in CC's history and not only excelled in this way but she was also a leader within the department, in the classroom and on campus. Congratulations Alison on this outstanding honor."
 
A native of Katy, Texas, Mueller-Hickler graduated with a 3.91 cumulative grade-point average with a degree in environmental science and was recently named to the Division III Academic All-District Track & Field/Cross Country for the second consecutive year by College Sports Communicators.
 
Mueller-Hickler captured two first-team All-America honors this season, placing 26^th at the 2025 NCAA Division III Cross Country Meet and seventh in the 10K at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She finished 10^th in the 10K at the 2025 National Track & Field Meet to earn second-team All-America honors
 
She won the SCAC Cross Country individual title last fall and has captured two SCAC 10K championships. She ran in the NCAA cross country meet all four years and won the 2025 West Region title.

"Alison's athletic career at Colorado College has been filled with impressive results and awards," CC cross country head coach Alex Nichols said. " At the same time, she has established herself as an impactful campus leader and mentor. I am incredibly proud of what she has done for this program and grateful for her contributions to the entire Colorado College community."
 
Mueller-Hickler, who was named the recipient of the Laura Golden award as Colorado College's top female student-athlete among the 2026 graduating class, was very active in the campus community, such as SAAC Representative for the Cross Country Team, Peer-Coach mental health certified through training in partnership with Colorado Children's Hospital, CC State of the Rockies Project Coordinator, Head of Anthropogenic Magazine, Student Researcher and volunteering at Soaring Eagles Community School for World Read Aloud Day. She also was named the 2025 Student Employee of the Year from the Colorado College Residential Experience and Housing office as a resident advisor for commitment and impact to campus living.