Sam Pirosko, a redshirt senior from Gannon University, was named the DII Honda Athlete of the Year finalist for basketball as announced today by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.
Pirosko is now designated one of 11 finalists for the prestigious DII Honda Athlete of the Year. This will be voted on at the end of the academic year by national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of THE CWSA program, now in its 48th year.
“I would like to thank the CWSA for choosing me as finalist for this incredible award,” said Pirosko. “I am truly honored to be one of the DII Honda Athlete of the Year finalists. I wouldn’t be in this position without the help of my incredible support system. Any credit I get is a direct result of the people in my corner so I would like to thank my family, team, coaching staff, and the entire Gannon community for their unwavering support.”
Pirosko was recently named the 2024 WBCA DII Player of the Year as well as the D2CCA Ron Lenz National Player of the Year and is a 2024 WBCA DII First Team All-American.
The redshirt senior led her team to the NCAA Elite Eight where they fell in overtime and finished the night with a game-high 26 points. She averaged 19.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game while leading Gannon to a 35-3 record and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) regular season and Tournament championship. Through the postseason, she averaged 25.4 points per game and overall she was an efficient .535 from the field and .885 from the free throw line.
Hailing from Eastlake, Ohio, the post player was also named the PSAC West Athlete of the Year, PSAC Tournament MVP and the WBCA Atlantic Region Player of the Year and Tournament MVP. She is a three-time First Team All-PSAC West performer and an eight-time PSAC Athlete of the Week.
Pirosko ends her career ranked No. 2 on Gannon’s all-time scoring list with 2,293 points and broke her own record for points in a season with 752. She closed out the season scoring in double figures in her final 71 games dating back to last year.
“Sam is not only a fantastic player; she is an excellent human being!”, stated head coach and PSAC West Coach of the Year Cleve Wright. “She is an example of perseverance, determination, and discipline. Her leadership and desire to be a great teammate made a huge difference for our team this year. We are happy that Sam has been named finalist for the DII Honda Athlete of the Year Award. Her teammates and coaches celebrate with her!”
All Honda Sports nominees from DII and DIII become a finalist for the prestigious 2024 Honda Athlete of the Year in their respective divisions, presented in a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on Monday, June 24, 2024, at 7 PM ET, from its new home in New York City.
The Honda Award finalists are recognized in 11 DII and DIII NCAA-sanctioned sports; cross country, basketball, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, volleyball, and track & field.
The CWSA, entering its 48th 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/.