The 12 Honda Sport 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 27, 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 alphabetical order are (names with an asterisk will be present at the live broadcast):
Samantha Bricio, Volleyball, University of Southern California, Senior, Outside hitter, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
2015 AVCA Player of the Year...2015 first-team AVCA All-American, three-time All-American...espnW National Player of the Year…Volleyball Magazine Player of the Year and first-team All-American… Pac-12 Player of the Year...four-time AVCA Pacific South all-region selection...led the nation in points (803.0), points per set (6.18), service aces (89), and aces per set (0.68)... set single-season USC records in 2015 for kills (668), attacks (1,615), aces (89), and points (803.0)... 2015 first-team Pac-12 All-Conference honoree, four-time All-Conference member... set a league-record six Pac-12 Player of the Week awards... named the AVCA/Sports Imports National Player of the Week (Nov. 10) - second time in her career... USC career record holder for kills (2,095), attacks (5,499), service aces (301), and points (2,546.5)... Pac-12 record holder for aces.
*Virginia Elena Carta, Golf, Duke University, Freshman, Udine, Italy
2016 NCAA Individual Champion...first-team WGCA All-American...won individual title by a NCAA-record eight strokes...her 16-under-par and 72-hole total of 272 were both NCAA records as well...72.41 stroke average this season which is fifth-best in school history by a freshman...All-ACC selection...NCAA All-Region honoree...registered 13 rounds of even or under par to rank tied seventh on the Duke freshman charts...closed season with five straight top 10 finishes... totaled a 69.57 stroke average in NCAA Regional and Championship play...first golfer in program history to register four straight rounds in the 60's in NCAA championship play...fourth Blue Devil to win NCAA individual title...helped lead Duke to a semifinal team finish at NCAA...finished the season ranked ninth in the Golfweek rankings...represented Italy in the European Ladies Team Championship in Denmark in summer 2015 (T-14th).
*Danielle Collins, Tennis, University of Virginia, Senior, St. Petersburg, Fla.
2016 ITA National Women's College Player of the Year...2016 NCAA singles champion, second NCAA singles title in three years...berth in upcoming US Open in August...seventh woman all-time to win two NCAA singles titles, first from the ACC...three-time ITA All-America...ITA Senior Player of the Year and ITA Atlantic Region Senior Player of the Year...set program record for singles wins by a senior with 38 this season...29-4 vs. ranked opponents...three-time All-ACC...finished the year with career-high No. 1 ITA ranking...winner of the ITA/Riviera All-American Championship and the Oracle/ITA Master’s Championship in 2016...two-time Honda Award nominee.
Taylor Cummings, Lacrosse, University of Maryland, Senior, Midfielder, Ellicott City, MD
First player ever - man or woman - to win the Tewaaraton Award three times...four-time IWLCA first-team All-American...three-time Honda Sport Award winner for lacrosse...three-time IWLCA National Midfielder of the Year...two-time Big Ten Midfielder of the Year...three-time NCAA all-tournament team member... three-time conference first-team member... 2016 Big Ten Tournament MVP...finished 2016 with a team-leading 62 ground balls, 144 draw controls and 52 caused turnovers...added 79 points on 60 goals and 19 assists...Maryland's all-time draw control leader (509)...ranks third in career goals (229), ninth in assists (94) and second in points (323)...set the Maryland single-season record in draw controls and caused turnovers this season...US National Team member.
Alyssa Manley, Field Hockey, Syracuse University, Senior, Defender, Lititz, PA
2015 ACC Defensive Player of the Year...two-time NFHCA first-team All-American... fourth player in program history to earn All-America honors three times in her career...led team to 2015 NCAA Championship title... 2015 first-team All-ACC... ACC and two-time NCAA All-Tournament team selection...four goals and seven assists in 2015 from the backfield...team captain...program's first Honda Award recipient in school history...only collegiate player to represent the U.S at Pan Am games in 2014-15 and helped U.S. qualify for 2016 Olympics...US National Team member...named to USA's Championship Trophy Roster.
*Courtney Okolo, Track & Field, University of Texas, Senior, Carrollton, Texas
2015-16 USTFCCA Women's Track Athlete of the Year..two-time Bowerman award finalist... 12-time USTFCCA first-team All-American...most outstanding woman at 400 meters throughout 2015-16 as NCAA record holder in Outdoor 400m...lowered her own collegiate record to 49.71 and became the first woman to ever post a sub-50 second time in collegiate history...captured her second NCAA title in outdoor quarter-mile in three years (she also won the indoor crown this year)...four-time NCAA Champion in 400m, four-time NCAA Champion in 4x400m relay...led the Longhorns’ to a 4x400 relay title thanks to an incredible effort that saw her overtake two teams in the final 100 meters and overcome a two-second deficit when she got the baton on the anchor leg...owns 4 of the top 10 times in collegiate history outdoors in the 400m. (1, 2, 6, 10) – 1 and 10 are from this season.
*Raquel Rodriguez, Soccer, Penn State University, Senior, Forward/Midfielder, San Jose, Costa Rica
2015 MAC Hermann trophy winner...2015 NSCAA Scholar Player of the Year...... led team to the 2015 National Championship title and first in program history...scored game-winning goal in National Championship game...NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Offensive Player and All-Tournament team...first-team NSCAA All-American...first-team NSCAA Scholar All-American...two-time All-Great Lakes first-team...two-time All-Big Ten first-team...three-time Academic All-Big Ten... CoSIDA Academic All-District Two first-team...Nittany Lions' Female Student-Athlete of the Year...tallied 18 points on six goals and six assists in 2015...team captain... 23 career goals and nine career game-winning goals...member of Costa Rican National team and first Nittany Lion to score a goal in a World Cup...two-time CONCACAF Female Player of the Year nominee...drafted to NWSL.
*Sierra Romero, Softball, University of Michigan, Senior, 2B, Murrieta, Calif.
2016 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year...four-time NFCA All-America, three-time First-Team selections...first player in NCAA softball history to record 300 runs, 300 hits and 300 RBI in her career...owns NCAA record in career runs (300) and grand slams (11)...three-time Big Ten Player of the Year...four-time All-Big Ten first-team...three-time Big Ten Tournament Team...ranks among national leaders in 2016 with .465 batting average, .916 slugging percentage and .585 on-base percentage...leads the nation with 1.38 RBI per game and lists third with 1.32 runs scored per game...led team to current 2016 NCAA WCWS...Michigan Female Athlete of the Year...three-time Honda Award nominee for softball.
*Mollie Seidel, Cross Country, University of Notre Dame, Senior, Hartland, Wisconsin
USTFCCCA Women's Division I National Athlete of the Year in both cross country and indoor track...2015 NCAA Cross Country Individual Champion...first female at ND to capture XC national title...first four-time NCAA individual champion in school history...won national titles in every event she competed in during the last calendar year; 10,000 meters (2015 outdoor track & field) cross country, and 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters (both 2016 indoor track & field)...ACC Women's Cross Country and Women's Indoor Track Performer of the Year...ACC Women's Cross Country and Women's Indoor Track Scholar-Athlete of the Year...Great Lakes Regional Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year...2015 ACC Conference and Great Lakes Regional XC Champion...Bowerman Award watch list...three-time All-ACC and All-Great Lakes in cross country...two-time USTFCCCA Cross Country All-American...two-time ACC All-Academic... 2015 Capital One All-Academic District V First Team...Notre Dame's Byron V. Kanaley Award.
*Bridget Sloan, Gymnastics, University of Florida, Senior, All-Around, Pittsboro, Ind.
2016 NCAA all-around champion and shared NCAA uneven bars and balance beam titles – all wins were second of career for each event…six career NCAA titles is third in NCAA Championships’ 35-year history and first at Florida…only gymnast to earn All-America honors for each event at 2016 NCAA Championships and all five were first team…also nation’s only gymnast to earn All-America honors in each event of the 2016 NACGC regular-season awards...only gymnast to twice post nation’s top all-around total (39.775) in 2016…NACGC Southeast Region Gymnast of the Year...three-time All-SEC...AAI Award finalist...31-time All-American (including regular season)...led 2016 Gators with 27 event titles, including nine all-around wins...Florida career leader for all-around (27) and event (95) wins...2013 Honda Sport Award winner for gymnastics as a freshman...two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Breanna Stewart, Basketball, University of Connecticut, Senior, Guard, North Syracuse, NY
Three-time Naismith Award winner...three-time Associated Press, USBWA, and WBCA National Player of the Year honors... three-time WBCA, USBWA, AP, espnW first-team All-American... three-time AAC Player of the Year... three-time AAC First-Team honors... Senior CLASS award winner... first player in NCAA history to earn three Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors...led her team in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots... career record for most blocked shots in program history...first women’s NCAA Division I player with at least 400 assists and 400 blocked shots... three-time Honda Sport Award winner for basketball...two-time Honda Top Three award winner...top pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft...six-time gold medalist with USA Basketball.
Kelsi Worrell, Swimming & Diving, University of Louisville, Senior, Mt. Holly, N.J.
Nine-time All-American...two-time ACC Women's Swimmer of the Year...ACC Swimming Scholar-Athlete of the Year...two-time NCAA Champion in the 100 butterfly (American, NCAA and US Open Record) and 200 butterfly (NCAA Championship Record)...4th place in 50 freestyle at 2016 NCAA Championship...member of four Louisville Relays...ACC Championship record winning the 100-fly...five medals, including four gold and four records, at ACC Championship... member of the USA National Team... won gold for Team USA in 4x100 medley at Pan Am games and won gold at USA Nationals in the 100-M Fly... set both a World and American record in her first night of competition at Duel in the Pool (USA vs. Europe) for Team USA... two-time Honda Award nominee for Swimming and Diving...two-time CSCAA Scholar All-American...CoSIDA Academic All-District honors...two-time All-ACC Academic.
In addition to the Honda Cup being unveiled, the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Show presented by Honda will also recognize the Class of 2016 Honda Inspiration Award winner, Emily Fogle (Swimming & Diving, Purdue University); the DII Honda Athlete of the Year, Emily Oren (Track & Field, Hillsdale College) and DIII Honda Athlete of the Year, Sydney Moss (Basketball, Thomas More College).
THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards is celebrating its 40th year of honoring the nation’s top NCAA women athletes, recognizing superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has has been a 30-year sponsor and 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.
Several former Cup winners will be present throughout the weekend’s events to help celebrate this 40th anniversary.