Hannah Hull, a sophomore from Virginia Wesleyan University, was named the 2018 DIII Honda Athlete of the Year nominee for Softball as announced by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda. This is her second-straight nomination as she was a finalist for the award as a freshman last season.
Hull is now designated one of 11 finalists for the prestigious DIII Honda Woman Athlete of the Year. This will be voted on at the end of the academic year by national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of THE CWSA program, now in its 42nd year.
“I am so thankful to be nominated for the DIII Honda Athlete of the Year award,” stated Hull. “I was driven this year by not only my teammates, but also by the many incredibly talented female athletes that we played against throughout the season. I’m very thankful that Honda recognizes the women of the NCAA. It makes this nomination very special to me, and something that I am very proud to be a part of.”
Hull, a sophomore pitcher from Chesterfield, Va., was named the NFCA DIII Player of the Year for the second straight season and is a two-time National Fastipitch Coaches Association (NFCA) first-team All-American. She led her team to its second straight NCAA Championship title and helped her team set a DIII record for wins in a season with 55.
On the mound, she led the nation with 40 wins tying an NCAA DIII season record and was the national leader in strikeouts with 361. She posted a 1.05 ERA, tossing two no-hitters, and was a three-time National Pitcher of the Week and five-time ODAC Conference pitcher of the week.
“We are certainly proud and excited for Hanna and all that she and her teammates have accomplished,” said head coach Brandon Elliott. “To me, 2018 was more impressive than 2017 for Hanna as she pitched every day under immense pressure, with ridiculous expectations and against the nation's toughest schedule. However, the most impressive part of Hanna's season was her humility and the continued efforts to put her teammate’s accolades ahead of her own."
All Honda Sports nominees from DIII and DII become a finalist for the prestigious 2018 Honda Woman Athlete of the Year in their respective divisions, presented in a live telecast on CBS Sports on June 25, 2018, in downtown Los Angeles. The Honda Sports nominees are recognized in 11 DIII and DII NCAA-sanctioned sports; cross country, basketball, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, volleyball, and track & field.
THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for 42 years, recognizing superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.1 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs at the institutions.