Gretchen Walsh, a senior from the University of Virginia, has been named the Honda Sport Award winner for Swimming & Diving, 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 49 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports, signifying “the best of the best in collegiate athletics.” The recipient of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2025 Honda Cup, which will be presented during a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on June 30, at 7 pm ET, in New York City.

Walsh was selected via a nationwide vote of administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. The other finalists for this year’s award were Jillian Cox (Texas), Claire Curzan (Virginia) and Chiara Pellacani (Miami).

Walsh has cemented her legacy as one of the most decorated swimmers in collegiate history. The 2024 Honda Award winner for Swimming & Diving and three-time Honda Award finalist, Walsh played a pivotal role in leading Virginia to its fifth consecutive NCAA team title. A two-time CSCAA Swimmer of the Year and two-time ACC Most Valuable Swimmer, she captured seven NCAA titles in 2025, including individual victories in the 50 Free, 100 Free, and 100 Fly, bringing her career total to 25 NCAA Championship titles, with nine individual wins. Walsh’s dominance extended to relay events, where she went a perfect 16-for-16 in NCAA relay competitions over her four-year career.

Her impact on the sport reaches beyond the NCAA. Walsh has set 11 world records (nine individual, two relay) and claimed seven world titles at the 2024 World Aquatics 25m Championships, where she was named the Best Female Swimmer (MVP Award). A four-time Olympic medalist (two gold, two silver) in 2024, she also posted two world records and one Olympic record at the Games. A seven-time World Champion (SCM) in 2024, Walsh was honored as the 2024 Virginia Sports Hall of Fame Steve Guback Sportsperson of the Year and was named the ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for Swimming & Diving.

Her commitment to excellence in and out of the pool is further reflected in her four-time All-ACC All-Academic and four-time CSCAA Scholar All-American honors.

The CWSA, now in its 49th year, continues to honor the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their exceptional athletic achievements, leadership, academic excellence, and dedication to community service. Since the inception of its partnership in 1986, Honda has contributed over $3.4 million in institutional grants to support women’s athletics programs at the universities of award winners and nominees.

About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility and the Honda USA Foundation 

For more than 65 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. The company’s mission is to create products and services that help people fulfill their life’s potential, while conducting business in a sustainable manner and fostering an inclusive workplace. Advancing its corporate social responsibility, Honda and the Honda USA Foundation support this direction through giving focused on education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety, and community.  

Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.