Luisa Blanco of the University of Alabama, Denver University’s Lynnzee Brown, Lexy Ramler from the University of Minnesota and Anastasia Webb of the University of Oklahoma are the four finalists for the Class of 2021 Honda Sport Award for Gymnastics 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 45 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 2021 Honda Cup which will be presented on a telecast on CBS Sports Network, on June 28th, at 9 pm ET.
The gymnastics finalists were selected by a panel of coaches and experts from the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA). The Honda Sport award winner for Gymnastics will be announced next week after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.
Blanco, a sophomore from Dallas, Texas, was the 2021 NCAA Champion in the Balance Beam and was named the 2021 SEC Gymnast of the Year. In just two years, she has accumulated nine WGCA All-America honors and finished the 2021 season with 18 individual titles. She won five 2021 SEC Championship titles, including All-Around, and owns the second highest All-Around average in the nation and the highest in the Southeastern Conference.
A senior from Kansas City, Mo., Brown is a 2021 AAI Award finalist, given to the top senior gymnast in the country, as well as a 16-time WGCA All-American. She posted three top-10 2021 NCAA national finishes earning at least a 9.900 in three routines, making her the first Denver gymnast to do so at an NCAA National Championship. A four-time All-Big 12 Conference and Championship team member, she captured three individual titles at the 2021 Big 12 Championship (All-Around, Bars, Floor).
Most recently, Ramler was named the 2021 AAI Award winner recognizing the top senior in gymnastics. The senior from St. Michael, Minn., is a two-time Honda Award nominee and a three-time Big Ten Gymnast of the Year. She won 31 event titles on the season and is a 13-time WGCA All-American. She holds the school record on Beam (10.0) and in All-Around (39.85) and owns a share of the school record on Vault (10.0) and Bars (9.975). She finished the season ranked tied for No. 1 in the nation on Beam, No. 3 on Bars, tied for No. 5 on Vault, tied for No. 28 on Floor and No. 2 overall in the All-Around.
Webb, a senior from Morton Grove, Ill., is the 2021 NCAA All-Around, Vault and Floor Individual National Champion. She is only the ninth gymnast to earn all three individual titles in one year. The 2021 Big 12 Gymnast of the Year, she led Oklahoma to an NCAA Runner-up finish and ranked No. 1 in the nation on Vault. She has 20 All-America honors ranking second all-time in OU history and earned four perfect scores in 20201 to bring her career total to five.
The CWSA, celebrating its 45th anniversary 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 partnership in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs.
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For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda’s mission is to create products and services that improve the lives of people while conducting its business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Accordingly, Honda believes in helping people reach their life’s potential through its focus on improving children’s health, inspiring underrepresented students, preserving the environment for future generations, creating safety for everyone, and strengthening our communities. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.