The 12 Honda Sports Award winners are finalists for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious Honda Cup which will be announced live during the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Show presented by Honda on CBS Sports Network on Monday, June 29, at 6 pm PT/9 pm ET, from the USC Galen Center Founders Room in Los Angeles, Calif.
The Honda Sports Award is presented annually by the CWSA to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”. The 12 honorees were chosen by a vote of administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools and among four finalists in each sport. The 12 Honda Sports Award winners in order of sports announced are:
Cross Country, Kate Avery, Iona, Junior, Newton Aycliffe, England
2014 NCAA Individual Champion... two-time Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champion... 2014 NCAA Northeast Regional champion... two-time first-team All-American in cross country... first-ever female national champion in Iona history (any sport)... first British female NCAA cross country champion... led her team to a ninth-place finish at the 2014 NCAA finals, best team finish in school history... 2013-14 finalist for the Honda Award after a third-place finish at NCAA finals.
Field Hockey, Paula Heuser, Albany, Sophomore, Monchengladbach, Germany, MF
2014 NFHCA National Player of the Year... first Division I underclassman ever to receive the honor... 2014 first-team NFHCA All-American... first UAlbany field hockey student-athlete to be selected to first-team in Division I era... second-team All-American in 2013... NFHCA Northeast Region Player of the Year... NCAA All-Tournament honors... two-time first-team NFHCA All-Region... two-time America East Midfielder of the Year... American East Tournament MOP... set all-tournament record with nine points in two games... all-time UAlbany single-season record holder in goals (29) and points (69)... ranks third at UAlbany with 114 career points as a sophomore... led the nation in scoring with 29 goals and 69 points.
Soccer, Sam Mewis, UCLA, Midfielder, Sr., Hanson, Mass.
2014 NSCAA first-team All-American... espnW National Player of the Year... MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist... first-team Academic All-American... two-time team captain who led UCLA to consecutive Pac-12 titles, 2013 NCAA title... 16 goals, 13 assists, seven game-winning goals, 45 points in 2014... Pac-12 Player of the Year... first-team All Pac-12... second all-time at UCLA in assists (32) and sixth in points (94)... her 13 assists in 2014 are the third-best in a single season at UCLA... led UCLA to a school-record 44-game unbeaten streak (6th-longest streak in NCAA history)... U.S. National team member... finalist for U.S. Soccer’s 2014 Young Female Athlete of the Year award.
Volleyball, Krista Vansant, Washington - Senior, Outside Hitter, Redlands, Calif.
Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year for volleyball... two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year... Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year... ESPNW National Player of the Year... two-time AVCA first-team All-American... three-time AVCA All-Region... career leader in kills at Washington with 1,893... posted a career-best .320 hitting percentage this season... averaged a career-high 4.67 kills per set... 2014 Honda Award winner for Volleyball.
Swimming & Diving, Missy Franklin, California, Sophomore, Centennial, Colo.
2015 NCAA and Pac-12 Swimmer of the Year... led Cal to national championship... captured three individual national titles in 200 IM, 200 Free, 200 Back... set American record in 200 Free... raced in two relay team titles... broke school record in 100 Free during 400 Free relay... established a school record for most combined individual and relay crowns at one NCAA meet with five... combined for seven NCAA titles in two seasons... helped team to second-straight Pac-12 title with wins in 200 Back, 200 IM and 200 Free... swam anchor on 800 free relay that set an American record at the Pac-12 Championships... 14-time All-American… 2015 Capital One Academic All-American of the Year (At-Large).
Basketball, Breanna Stewart, Connecticut, Junior, Forward, North Syracuse, N.Y.
Two-time Naismith Award winner... led UCONN to third-straight national title… back-to-back Associated Press and USBWA National Player of the Year honors... 2015 Wade Trophy and John R. Wooden Award winner… two-time WBCA, USBWA, AP, espnW first-team All-American... two-time AAC Player of the Year... two-time AAC First-Team honors... only player in history to be honored as the Final Four Most Outstanding Player three times... 2015 Albany Regional MOP... 2014 Honda Sport Award winner for basketball... enters senior year in 11th place on UConn's all-time scoring list with 1,960 career points and fifth all-time in blocked shots with 288 career blocks… 17.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.6 spg, 2.7 bpg.
Gymnastics, Kytra Hunter, Florida, Senior, Frederick, Md.
Led Gators to a third-straight national championship title...2015 NCAA All-Around co-champion, her second all-around title of career...captured the 2015 NCAA floor exercise title for two NCAA individual titles...Florida’s first NCAA floor winner since 1984...Florida’s NCAA individual event titles career leader (four)... 2015 SEC Gymnast of the Year... 25-time All-American, including a school-record 15 in NCAA competition... career season-high nine all-around wins led SEC in 2015…led Florida in 2015 with 24 event titles overall…finished No. 3 on Florida career charts for all-around (21) and event (83) wins….shared SEC vault and floor titles to be one of five in SEC Championship history to claim at least one league event title each season of career... seven SEC event wins is a Gator career record... competed all-around in every meet as a senior and posted four of the nation’s top 12 all-around totals of 2015, including No. 4 total of 39.75 twice…four-time All-SEC performer... 2012 Honda Sport Award winner.
Lacrosse, Taylor Cummings, Maryland, Junior, Midfielder, Ellicott City, MD
Helped Terps to second-straight NCAA championship title... two-time Tewaaraton recipient after winning the award last season... three-time first-team IWLCA first-team All-American... youngest two-time female recipient of the Tewaaraton… 2015 Big Ten Midfielder of the Year... two-time NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player... two-time NCAA all-tournament team member... two-time conference first-team member... finished 2015 with a team-leading 37 assists, 100 points, 41 ground balls, 143 draw controls and 36 caused turnovers... 2014 Honda Sport Award winner for lacrosse.
Golf, Emma Talley, Alabama, Junior, Princeton, Ky.
2015 NCAA Individual Champion... only fifth player in history to win NCAA (2015) and United States Amateur (2013) titles … First-team WGCA All-American... first NCAA individual champion in school history... posted a bogey-free NCAA final round of 69 to take the one-shot win... finished the season with a 72.50 stroke average... posted seven top-10 finishes... three top-five showings… averaged just .69 strokes per round over par and counted towards the team score in 31 of 32 rounds.
Softball, Lauren Haeger, Florida, Senior, Pitcher, Peoria, Ariz.
Only third in NCAA history to claim each of softball’s highest honors in a single season – Honda Award, USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year and Women’s College World Series Most Outstanding Player…led team to back-to-back national titles...joins Babe Ruth as the only players in Division I softball, baseball or Major League Baseball history to reach the 70-70 plateau (career victories and career home runs)…holds the SEC record for career home runs (70) and the school record for career RBI (254)…in the circle in 2015, turned in 31-2 record after opening the season with 24 consecutive wins for best start in school history…1.23 ERA ranks fifth nationally…led team in 2015 with 19 home runs and 71 RBI…two-time NFCA first-team All-American...SEC Pitcher of the Year...two-time All-SEC first-team selection…contributed more than 77 Goodwill Gator (community service) hours during career.
Tennis, Robin Anderson, UCLA, Senior, Matawan, N.J.
No. 1 player in the ITA singles rankings... top-seed in the NCAA Championship for singles... four-time ITA All-American in singles... three-time ITA All-American in doubles ... 2015 ITA Senior Player of the Year... two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year, first UCLA women's tennis player to earn two conference player of the year honors... four-time first-team Pac-12 All-Conference... completed the season at 27-3 overall in singles... 19-3 versus nationally ranked opponents... advanced to quarterfinals of NCAA Singles Championship... 2014 Honda Sport Award winner for tennis... 2015 Pac-12 honorable mention tennis All-Academic team.
Track & Field, Jenna Prandini, Oregon, Junior, Clovis, Calif.
Scored more points – 49 – at NCAA Championship meets than any other woman in 2015... won the 100 meters and finished runner-up both at 200 meters and in the long jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships... won the Indoor long jump national title, finished runner-up at 200 meters and fourth at 60 meters... only one collegiate woman in history has run faster over 100 meters than her 10.92 during the outdoor regular season... runner-up outdoor 200 performance at NCAAs moved her to No. 4 on the all-time college list in the event... also No. 6 on the all-time collegiate indoor list at 200 meters and equal to No. 10 on the all-time collegiate indoor 60 meters list... five-time Pac-12 Champion... Bowerman watch list.
In addition to the Honda Cup being unveiled, the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Show presented by Honda will also recognize the Class of 2015 Top Three honorees, the Honda Inspiration Award winner- Imani McGee-Stafford (Texas, Basketball), the DII Honda Athlete of the Year- Rachel Dickinson (Millersville University (PA), Field Hockey) and the DIII Honda Athlete of the Year- Allyson Fournier (Tufts, Softball).
THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for 39 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 $3.0 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs at the institutions.