Jocelyn Alo from the University of Oklahoma, Georgina Corrick of the University of South Florida, University of Arkansas’ Danielle Gibson and Baylee Klingler from the University of Washington are the four finalists for the Class of 2022 Honda Sport Award for Softball 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 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 during the live telecast of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Presented by Honda on CBS Sports Network on June 27, at 9 ET/6 PT.
The softball finalists were selected by a panel of coaches and experts from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). The Honda Sport award winner for softball will be announced later this week after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.
Alo, a redshirt senior utility player from Hauula, Hawaii, was named the back-to-back USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and is a four-time NFCA All-American after garnering her third nod to the First Team this season. The two-time Big 12 Player of the Year, she broke the NCAA career record for home runs (120) and has led her Sooners to the 2022 Women’s College World Series finals.
Corrick is a 2022 First Team NFCA All-American and a three-time NFCA All-American overall. The pitcher/utility player from Sanford, Fla., earned her fourth straight AAC Pitcher of the Year award and is the only pitcher in AAC history to win the award every year of their career. The senior finished the season at 35-4 posting the wins by a USF pitcher since 2004 and entered the postseason leading the nation in shutouts (21) and strikeouts (418).
Gibson is a redshirt senior hailing from Murrieta, Calif., and was a First Team NFCA All-American after earning Second Team honors is 2021. She set single-season school records in batting average (.445), hits (81), RBI (70) and total bases (155) and led the SEC in RBI (33) and total bases (65) during conference play. The infielder posted a team-best 26 multi-hit games and became Arkansas’ all-time RBI and total bases leader during the 2022 season.
Klingler, a senior infielder from Houston, Texas, was a top three finalist for the USA Collegiate Player of the Year award and a unanimous pick to the 2022 NFCA All-America First Team. The 2022 Pac-12 Player of the Year entered the postseason leading the Pac-12 in batting average, RBI, hits and home runs. She had four grand slams on the year and her 24 home runs are the second-most in a single season in program history.
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 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/.