Nannan (Dallas) Zhang, a junior from China, was once again named the tennis nominee for the Class of 2016 Division II Honda Athlete of the Year as announced by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.
She is now designated one of 11 finalists for the prestigious DII Honda Athlete of the Year honor. 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 40th year.
"I’m happy with what we achieved as a team this year,” Zhang said. “Our hard work paid off and it was a great season for myself and my teammates. I have to thank my coach for all the training and help he has given all of us to help us reach our potential. My mom always said, “You will never know what you can do until you actually try.” I will continue to do my best to help us return to the championship next year."
Zhang was the nominee for tennis last year and once again finished the season as the nationally ranked No. 1 singles and doubles player in the country. She is a three-time PacWest Player of the Year and is a three-time first-team All-PacWest honoree for both singles and doubles.
She finished this season with a 19-0 singles record winning 35 matches in a row, and was 22-0 in doubles.
"Dallas Zhang is a versatile, aggressive, hard-working young lady who is as focused in the classroom as she is on the court,” BYU-Hawaii head coach David Porter said. “She is a leader by example and plays fairly while maintaining an exemplary competitive attitude. She is respected by opponents, loved by teammates, and awed by fans. Dallas is a wonderful example of a true student-athlete."
All sports nominees from DII and DIII become a finalist for the prestigious 2016 Honda Collegiate Athlete of the Year in their respective divisions, and will be presented on a live telecast on June 27, 2016, in the Founders’ Room at the Galen Center on the campus of the University of Southern California in downtown Los, Angeles.
The sports nominees 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, celebrating its 40th year, has honored 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 thirty years ago 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.