Jessica Hull from the University of Oregon, Dani Jones of the University of Colorado, University of New Mexico’s Weini Kelati and Alicia Monson from the University of Wisconsin are the four finalists for the Class of 2019 Honda Sport Award for Cross Country as announced by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) today.
The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 43 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”. The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2019 Honda Cup which will be presented on a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on Monday, June 24, 2019, in downtown Los, Angeles.
The nominees were chosen from the top four finishes at the 2018 NCAA Cross Country Championship. The Honda Sport award winner for cross country will be announced this week after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.
Hull, a senior from Albion Park, Austrailia, finished third at the 2018 NCAA Cross Country Championship meet which was the highest program finish at the NCAA meet since 2012. She improved from 93rd place in last year’s meet to third overall this past season. She is a United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Cross Country first-team All-American and a first-team All-Pac-12 performer after finishing runner-up at the Pac-12 Championship meet.
Jones is a senior from Phoeniz, Ariz., and was the 2018 NCAA Cross Country Individual Champion and led her team to the 2018 National title for the first time in 14 years. Named the 2018 USTFCCCA Female Athlete of the Year, she is a three-time USTFCCCA All-American and just the second female in school history to win an individual NCAA Cross Country Championship. The was the back-to-back Pac-12 Individual Champion and led CU in every race this season.
Kelati was the 2018 NCAA Individual Cross Country Championship runner-up and is a two-time UTFCCCA All-American. The sophomore from Leesburg, Va., led her Lobos to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championship and a top three finish for the fourth time in five years. She is the 2018 Mountain West Student-Athlete of the Year and the 2018 Mountain West Individual Champion, after runner-up last season. She is a two-time first-team All-Mountain West honoree.
Monson, a junior from Amery, Wis., was the fourth-place finisher at the 2018 NCAA Championship and earned USTFCCCA first-team All-American honors. She was the 2018 Big Ten Cross Country Champion, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors, and captured four individual titles on the season while setting one course record. Named the Big Ten Cross Country Athlete of the Week for Oct. 3, she is also a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
Honda Sport Award winners will be presented with the honor during on-campus presentations throughout the year and all Honda Sport Award winners become a finalist for the prestigious 2019 Honda Cup award presented in June.
The CWSA, celebrating its 43rd year, has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.3 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs.
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