Whittni Orton, a senior from Brigham Young University, was named the Honda Sport Award winner for Cross Country as announced today by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA).
The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 46 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 2022 Honda Cup, which will be presented on a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on June 27th at 9 pm ET.
Orton was chosen by a vote of administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Finalists included Mercy Chelangat (Alabama), Cailie Logue (Iowa State) and Ceili McCabe (West Virginia).
“I'm very honored to even be nominated for this award,” said Orton. “There are so many well deserving athletes that could have received it. I want to express my gratitude to Coach Taylor, the other coaches that I've had in my career, my family, my husband, and all of BYU Athletics for always giving us a chance to succeed. It really does just come down to having that opportunity, so I am extremely grateful and feel very blessed to have had them."
The 2021 NCAA Cross Country Championship individual winner, Whittni Orton, is a senior from Panguitch, Utah, and also led her team to a runner-up finish in the NCAA team championship. She ran the second fastest course mark for the first-ever individual NCAA title in school history.
A five-time USTFCCCA All-American in indoor and outdoor, she had six first-place finishes in 2021, including the national title and holds five records in both indoor and outdoor. She was named the 2020 Y Awards Female Athlete of the Year given to the top female athlete at BYU.
“Whittni has had a tremendous career here at BYU. Her hard work, dedication, commitment, and sacrifice to her dreams have paid off in so many ways,” stated women’s cross country head coach Diljeet Taylor. “I am grateful for the opportunity to watch the growth and grind over the last five years. Her latest accomplishment, the first individual female NCAA Champion at BYU, was the best way to cap off an incredible season and career. I am incredibly proud of all she has accomplished but more importantly who she has become.”
Orton becomes BYU’s first-ever recipient of the Honda Sport Award.
The CWSA, entering its 46th 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.
About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility
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 the areas of education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety and community. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.