The 12 Honda Sport Award winners are finalists for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious Honda Cup which will be announced live during the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Show presented by Honda on CBS Sports Network on Monday, June 24, at 6 pm PT/9 pm ET, from the USC Galen Center Founders Room in Los Angeles, Calif.
The Honda Sports Award is presented annually by the CWSA to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”. The 12 honorees were chosen by a vote of administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools and among four finalists in each sport. The 12 Honda Sports Award winners in alphabetical order are (names with an asterisk will not be present at the live broadcast):
Yanis David, Track & Field
Florida, Senior, Lamentin, Guadeloupe
Scored a combined nation-leading 34 points at the 2019 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships...seventh woman in NCAA Outdoor Championships history to score 18-plus points in the horizontal jumps...won outdoor long jump and indoor triple jump NCAA titles...USTFCCCA National Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year...USTFCCCA National Indoor Field Athlete of the Year...SEC Indoor and Outdoor Women's Field Athlete of the Year...posted the third-farthest triple jump mark and No. 2 performance in collegiate history (14.35m) and tied the 10th-farthest long jump mark (6.84m) and No. 7 performance in collegiate history...only woman in history to crack the collegiate all-time top 10 list in both horizontal jumps...second woman in history to sweep the horizontal jumps titles in one year at the SEC Indoor and Outdoor Championships...13-time USTFCCCA Indoor and Outdoor All-American...The Bowerman Watch List.
Maria Fassi, Golf
Arkansas, Senior Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico
2019 Ping WGCA Player of the Year...2019 NCAA Individual Champion...two-time WGCA First-Team All-American...two-time SEC Player of the Year...two-time First-Team All-SEC...two-time ANNIKA Award winner given to the top collegiate golfer...ranked second in final Golfweek individual rankings...helped the Razorbacks advance to NCAA Championship match play for the first time in program history...posted a 71.18 scoring average on the year...notched five top-five finishes during the season...2019 SEC Championship individual medalist...netted 20 under-par rounds and seven in the 60’s over the course of the season...runner-up at the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April...competed in the Arnold Palmer Cup for the international squad in 2018...three-time Academic honor roll...competed in the 2019 U.S. Women's Open and finished tied for 12th in her professional debut in Charleston.
Rachel Garcia, Softball
UCLA, RS-Junior, Pitcher, Palmdale, Calif.,
Two-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year...2019 NFCA Pitcher of the Year...ESPNW National Player of the Year...two-time NFCA first-team All-American...2019 Pac-12 Player and Pitcher of the Year...first-ever to earn both honors in the same season...two-time All-Pac-12 first-team...2019 Most Oustanding Player at the WCWS...two-time All-WCWS Tournament Team...led team to 2019 NCAA Championship title...two-time NFCA Pitcher of the Week and USA Softball Pitcher of the Week...four-time Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week...NFCA and Pac-12 Player of the Week...leads the Bruins' pitching staff with a 1.31 earned run average, a 29-4 record and 315 strikeouts in 208 innings, while adding a .339 batting average...ranks second on team with 11 HR and 54 RBI...ranked fourth nationally in strikeouts...part of 11 shutouts, including nine solo...limiting opponents to a .143 batting average...2019 USA Softball National Team.
Megan Gustafson, Basketball
Iowa, Senior, Forward/Center, Port Wing, Wis.
2019 USBWA, AP and ESPNW Player of the Year (consensus national player of the year)...2019 Lisa Leslie award winner...USBWA, AP, ESPNW first-team All-American...Wade Trophy, Wooden and Naismith Awards finalist...2018-19 Senior CLASS Award winner...two-time Big Ten Player of the Year...Big Ten Medal of Honor winner...Iowa's Female Athlete of the Year...first round draft pick in WNBA...two-time Big Ten All-Tournament Team...three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection...ended her career with 2,804 points and 1,460 rebounds...just the fourth NCAA women's basketball student-athlete and the first ever post player to score 1,000 or more points in a single season...led the nation in points per game (27.8), field goal percentage (69.6), total points (1,001), field goals made (412), and double-doubles (33) this season...ranked second nationally in defensive rebounds per game (11), and third in rebounds per game (13.4) and total rebounds (481).
Ashley Hoffman, Field Hockey
North Carolina, Senior, Midfield/Back, Mohnton, Pa.
Led team to NCAA Championship with undefeated 23-0 record...2018 NCAA Championship MVP and All-NCAA Tournament team...two-time NFHCA first-team All-America...two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year...two-time ACC Tournament MVP...UNC Female Athlete of the Year...UNC Outstanding Championship Performance award...two-time South Region Player of the Year...two-year team captain...as center back, led a UNC defense that gave up just 16 goals in 23 games and never more than two to any team, including a 2-0 shutout of Maryland in the NCAA final...also a leader on the nation’s highest scoring offense, ranking second on the team in goals with 16 and in points with 39, both career highs...played on both corner offense and defense...started every game during her four years at UNC and had an 82-14 record during that time, winning an NCAA title and three ACC titles and making the final four each year...one of just three current collegiate players who are also members of the U.S. National Team...two-time All-ACC Academic Team honors...active in community outreach, both with the team and on her own, and with UNC’s Leadership Academy...UNC jersey retired...graduated in December with a degree in sociology.
Dani Jones, Cross Country
Colorado, Senior, Phoenix, Ariz.
Captured the 2018 NCAA Individual Cross Country Championship title...led team to 2018 National title for first time in 14 years...2018 USTFCCCA Female Athlete of the Year...captured the 2019 NCAA Outdoor 5000-meter championship title...three-time USTFCCCA XC All-American...second female in school history to win an individual NCAA cross country championship...back-to-back Pac-12 champion...led CU in every race this season...USATF Athlete of the Week for Nov. 17...three-time Pac-12 academic honorable mention.
Lilly King, Swimming & Diving
Indiana, Senior, Evansville, IN
Four-time Honda Award nominee...four-time first-team All-Big 10...two-time Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year...four-straight NCAA Championships in the 200 breaststroke and holds the American, NCAA, NCAA Meet, U.S. Open, McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion pool and IU school records in the event...eight-time NCAA Champion, all in 100 and 200 breast stroke...first woman in NCAA history to win eight breaststroke crowns...16-time All-America honoree...16-time Big Ten Champion...two-time Academic All-Big Ten...two Olympic gold medals at 2016 games...won two individual world titles (50 and 100 breast) and two relay world titles at the 2017 FINA World Championships...won four gold medals and one silver medal at the 2016 FINA Short Course World Championships...helped set a world record in the 200 medley relay with Team USA...set the American record in winning the 50 breaststroke..won USA Swimming's Golden Goggle Award for Breakout Performer of the Year at 2016 Olympic games.
Natalia Kuikka, Soccer
Florida State, Senior, Defender, Kemi, Finland
Led team to 2018 NCAA Championship title...two-time MAC Hermann trophy watch list...2018 College Cup All-Tournament Team...USC second-team All-American...USC first-team Atlantic All-Region...2018 TopDrawerSoccer second-team...three-time All-ACC...two-time ACC All-Tournament team...led team to 16 shutouts on the season from center back position...allowed just 13 goals in 27 matches...third on the team in minutes played...helped team to two shutouts in the College Cup en route to championship title...registered two goals and an assist from the backfield...two-time team captain...member of the Finnish national team...2017 Finland Female Player of the Year...signed a professional contract with Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC, which is based in Gothenburg, Sweden...three-time All-ACC Academic team.
Maggie Nichols , Gymnastics
Oklahoma, Junior, Little Canada, Minn.
Two-time NCAA All-Around Champion after defending title in 2019...2019 NCAA Champion on vault...2019 NCAA Inspiration Award Winner…25-time All-American overall...NCAA Regional Vault and Bars Champion…Two-time Big 12 Champion in 2019 (bars, beam) and four-time conference champion overall…recorded 36 scores of 9.9 or higher, including a 9.9 or better on bars in every meet she competed…tallied 12 scores of 9.975 in 2019…helped team to fourth NCAA title and third in last four years...12-time All-Big 12 performer...helped team to 32-0 record on the year and second undefeated season in program history...120 event titles in her career, giving her the top spot in the OU record books...led all Sooners with 30 event titles in 2019...three-time Honda Sport Award finalist...member of the 2015 U.S. Women's World Championships team that claimed a gold medal and also earned an individual bronze medal on the floor...placed sixth at 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials...2019 N4A Wilma Rudolph student-athlete achievement award honoree.
Estela Perez-Somarriba , Tennis
Miami (FL), Junior, Madrid, Spain
Two-time ACC Player of the Year...2019 NCAA Individual Champion...NCAA Championship top-seed...finished No. 2 in ITA Rankings and peaked at No. 1 during the season...three-time ITA All-American (singles)...three-time First-Team All-ACC...two-time All-ACC Academic team...two-time ITA Scholar-Athlete...2019 ITA Southeast Region Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship & Leadership Award...broke the program record for career wins in the NCAA Singles Championship (12-2)...capped her 2018-19 campaign at 43-5, the highest victory total of any player in the country and second most wins in program history...went 28-4 against ranked players, including a 24-1 mark at the No. 1 spot...Oracle/ITA Masters singles champion...career singles record of 116-20, including 67-6 in dual matches.
Kathryn Plummer, Volleyball
Stanford, Junior, Outside Hitter, Aliso Viejo, Calif.
Two-time AVCA, espnW and Pac-12 Player of the year...first player since 2002 to win back-to-back AVCA Player of the year honors...three-time AVCA first-team All-American...led team to 2018 NCAA Championship title (second of her career)...AAU James E. Sullivan Award winner, presented annually to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States...two-time AVCA All-Pacific North Player of the Year...two-time VolleyballMag.com All-America first-team...2018 NCAA Tournament Co-Most Outstanding Player...two-time NCAA All-Tournament team...three-time All-Pac-12 Conference...two-time Honda Award nominee...six-time Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week...led team with 11 double-doubles and hit .300 or better in 15 matches...ranked 6th nationally in points per set (5.37) and 11th nationally in kills per set (4.70)...two-time Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention.
Megan Taylor, Lacrosse*
Maryland, Senior, Goalie, Glenelg, MD
2019 Tewaaraton Award winner...first goalkeeper (men or women) ever to win the top honor...led team to NCAA Championship title...four-time Big Ten Goaltender of the Year...first-ever player in the conference to win their position's award four years in a row...IWLCA Player of the Year…two-time IWLCA Goalkeeper of the Year…two-time first-team IWLCA All-American...2019 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player...two-time All-NCAA Tournament team...three-time All-Big Ten...three-time Big Ten All-Tournament team..three-time Tewaaraton Award nominee...10 saves in the National Championship game...save percentage of .551 (217 saves, 177 goals allowed)...over a 50-percent save percentage in 17 of 23 games and tallied a 8.44 goals against average...held opponents to just 8.09 goals per game- fifth best mark in the country...three-time IWLCA National Player of the Week...Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week a conference record six weeks in a row...84-4 career record in goal and ended with a .512 career save percentage...her 740 career saves rank second in program history...never lost a game at home.
In addition to the Honda Cup being unveiled, the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Show presented by Honda will also recognize the Class of 2019 Top Three, DII Honda Athlete of the Year, Taylor Reiss (Volleyball, Southwest Minnesota State), and DIII Honda Athlete of the Year, Madison Temple (Basketball, Thomas More University), along with the Honda Inspiration Award (winner to be announced June 19th).
THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards is celebrating its 43rd year of honoring the nation’s top NCAA women athletes, recognizing superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has been a 32-year sponsor and provided more than $3.3 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs at the institutions.
Honda Corporate Social Responsibility
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Honda also is committed to making positive contributions to the communities where it does business, conducting socially responsible business practices and promoting diversity in its workforce. From Honda’s involvement in STEM education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to its support of pediatric brain tumor research and volunteer efforts by Honda associates, including environmental clean-up activities, Honda believes in giving back to the communities where its associates live and work.
Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/