2012-13 Honda Sports Award for Swimming/Diving – Allison Schmitt
LOS ANGELES, California (April 8, 2013) ---
After leading her University of Georgia team to a record-breaking
NCAA 400-yard freestyle relay victory, 6-time Olympic medalist and
Georgia senior, Allison Schmitt (Canton, MI) has received the Honda
Sports Award for swimming and becomes a finalist for the Collegiate
Woman Athlete of the Year and the 2013 Honda Cup, to be presented
live on ESPNU, June 24 at the USC Galen Center Founder’s Room
in Los Angeles.
"I know many talented swimmers in the country, so I am truly
honored to win the Honda Award. This recognition stirs up so many
emotions for me. First of all, I'm excited that I get to share this
award with my teammates and my coaches. We set our goals of winning
the NCAA and SEC titles, and we stayed focused until we reached
them together. They helped make me better every day, so I know
their names belong on this award too. Without their support and
assistance, not to mention my family members who have been so
loving and who have sacrificed so much, there's no way I would be
where I am today. And it's humbling to know my name will be linked
to the exceptional list of past winners, including Kara [Lynn
Joyce] and Mary [DeScenza Mohler], who helped keep Georgia on top
during their careers. Swimming has been an important part of my
life for years, and it has presented me with so many opportunities.
This was definitely a memorable year for all of us, and I can't
think of a better way to end my collegiate career than going out as
a member of the national championship team. I am thrilled to accept
this award on behalf of Georgia, a school I love so much," said
Schmitt, a member of Georgia’s championship relay team
including Shannon Vreeland, Chantal Van Landeghem, Schmitt and
Megan Romano
that broke the NCAA and U.S. Open records in the 400-yard
freestyle at the NCAA Championship with a time of 3:09.40 beating
the previous record of 3:09.88 set by Cal in 2009.
The CWSA presents the Honda Sports Award annually to top women
athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports. With this honor, Schmitt, a
senior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Child & Family
Development, becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of
the Year and the 2013 Honda Cup. Schmitt was chosen by a vote from
a panel of swimming & diving experts representing 1,000 NCAA
member schools. Finalists included Elizabeth Beisel (University of
Florida), Breeja Larson, (Texas A&M University), and Elizabeth
Pelton, University of California, Berkeley).
The Collegiate Women Sports Awards has honored the nation’s
top NCAA women athletes for 37 years, recognizing superior athletic
skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to
participate in community service. Since commencing its sponsorship
in 1986, Honda has provided more than $2.7 million in institutional
grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to
support women’s athletics programs at the institutions.
Previous Honda Cup winners include Brittney Griner, Ann Meyers
Drysdale, Lisa Fernandez, Misty May-Treanor, Maya Moore, and
Candace Parker.