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 26, 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):
*Inky Ajanaku, Volleyball, Stanford University, R-Senior, Middle Blocker, Tulsa, Okla.
Three-time first-team AVCA All-American...2016 first-team Senior CLASS Award All-American...led team to 2016 National Championship... recorded 16 kills and eight blocks in the championship match...2016 NCAA Final Four MOP and All-Tournament Team...four-time first-team AVCA All-Region...two-time VolleyballMag.com National Player of the Year...four-time first-team All-Pac-12 Conference...two-time NCAA Regional MVP...competed for the U.S. National team...two-time Honda Award nominee for volleyball...three-time Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention selection...led the Pac-12 in blocks (192) and blocks per set (1.54) to rank fifth and sixth in the nation, respectively...helped the team lead the nation in blocks per set (3.37)...ranked 13th nationally and second in the Pac-12 in hitting pct. (.407).
*Kelly Barnhill, Softball, University of Florida, Sophomore, Pitcher, Marietta, Ga.
2017 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year...2017 espnW Player of the Year...2017 NFCA First-Team All-American…2017 SEC Pitcher of the Year...All-SEC first-team...five-time SEC Pitcher of the Week...three-time national pitcher/player of the week...topped final NCAA statistics in ERA (0.51) and strikeouts per seven innings (13.0)...ranks second for hits allowed per seven innings (2.86)…third nationally in shutouts (13) and total strikeouts (359)...her 359 strikeouts are second most in a Gator single season...16 wins and 10 shutouts over Top 25 opponents in 2017...two career no-hitters and has thrown four one-hitters this season...has recorded 10 or more strikeouts in 19 of her 37 appearances...CoSIDA Academic All-America first-team...2017 SEC Academic Honor Roll…USA Softball National Team member and will represent Team USA in the USA vs Japan All-Star Series, June 23-25.
*Kadeisha Buchanan, Soccer, West Virginia, Senior, Defender, Brampton, ONT
Three-time first-team NSCAA All-American...first player in school history to earn All-American status in each season at WVU (second-team as a freshman)...2016 Honda Sport Award winner for soccer...2016 MAC Hermann Trophy winner (first in school history)...2016 espnW Player of the Year...2016 TopDrawerSoccer.com Player of the Year...three-time MAC Hermann Trophy semi-finalist and two-time finalist (2015, 2016) ...2016 Senior CLASS Award All-America First Team...2016 NCAA College Cup Most Outstanding Player on Defense...2016 NCAA College Cup All-Tournament Team...four-time Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year...led team to a program-record 18 shutouts in 2016...defense allowed just 12 goals in 27 matches...two-time team captain...added nine points on the year (3g, 3a)...four-time All Big 12 first-team member...three-time Big 12 Tournament Defensive MVP...four-time Big 12 All-Tournament team...2015-16 Honda Sport Award nominee for soccer ...four-time team Defensive MVP...helped WVU win four Big 12 Conference regular-season titles and three tournament titles in four-year career...ranks No. 2 in program history in career matches played (91) and No. 3 in career matches started (91)...member of Canadian National Team and played in 2016 Rio Olympics and 2015 FIFA World Cup...2015 FIFA World Cup Best Young Player honoree…signed professional contract with Olympique Lyonnais in January 2017...helped Lyon win the Women’s Champions League.
Katie Ledecky, Swimming & Diving, Stanford University, Freshman, Bethesda, Md.
Captured five national titles in 2017, most in the nation - 200 free, 500 free, 1650 free, 400 and 800 free relay...earned five All-America honors...set American record in 500 free and NCAA meet record in 1650 free...helped set American and NCAA records in both the 400 and 800 free relays...led Stanford to ninth NCAA women's national championship...2017 Pac-12 Swimming Newcomer of the Year...2017 Pac-12 Conference Championships Swimmer of the Meet...broke American records 9 times, NCAA records 12 times during freshman season...four-time Pac-12 champion...led team to Pac-12 Championship title...broke seven Stanford records...holds three Stanford pool records...holds three individual world records and six individual American records...nine-time world champion...two-time Olympian (2012, 2016)...six-time Olympic medalist (five gold, one silver).
*Alex McMurtry, Gymnastics, University of Florida, Junior, All-Around, Midlothian, Va.
2017 NCAA all-around champion with NCAA semifinal record all-around total of 39.8125...NCAA co-uneven bars champion, matched NCAA Championships’ record with a 10.0 bars routine in NCAA Super Six team final...only gymnast at 2017 NCAA Championships to earn All-America first-team honors on each of the five events...overall 15-time All-American...NCAA Elite 90 winner with a 4.0 GPA...SEC Gymnast and Scholar-Athlete of Year – second in league history to take both honors in same season...2017 CoSIDA Academic All-America first-team…2017 NACGC Southeast Region Gymnast of the Year...SEC Championships’ all-around champion and shared floor exercise title...earned 2017 NACGC All-America regular-season honors for vault, uneven bars and balance beam...won three all-around performances in 2017, with first win coming in the SEC Championships...along with all-around, won bars, beam and floor at NCAA Gainesville Regional...one of two gymnasts in nation to post 10.0 marks in three events in 2017 – vault, bars and floor...led UF with 24 event wins in 2017 and has 48 in her career as a junior.
*Greta Nauck, Field Hockey, University of Delaware, Midfield, Sophomore, Krefeld, Germany
Scored two goals, including game-winner, to lead Delaware to its first-ever field hockey National Championship title... 2016 NFHCA first-team All-American... 2016 NCAA All-Tournament team... 2016 NFHCA Mid-Atlantic Player of the Year... 2016 CAA Player of the Year...led nation in 2016 in goals (33), points (76), goals per game (1.32) and points per game (3.04)...10 game-winning goals in 2016...set school single-season record in points and goals...in just second year, ranks seventh in program history with 103 career goals and sixth with 24 assists.
Kelsey Plum, Basketball, University of Washington, Senior, Guard, Poway, Calif.
All-time NCAA scoring leader...2017 AP & espnW Player of the Year...Pac-12 Player of the Year...AP & espnW first-team All-American...finalist for Wooden, Naismith, Lieberman, Dawn Staley and USBWA Drysdale Awards...Wade Trophy Watch list...Senior CLASS Award finalist...Seattle Female Sports Star of the Year....four-time All-Pac-12 team...UW all-time three-point leader, second all-time in Pac-12...Pac-12 all-time single-season scoring leader...broke single-season NCAA scoring record with 1,109 points in 2016-17...broke 33-year-old NCAA career free throw record (912)...Pac-12 record holder for free throws made (season & career)...Pac-12 single-game scoring record of 57 points vs. Utah...became first player in Pac-12 history, female or male, to score 3,000 career points ... became third player in NCAA history to reach 1,000 points in a single season...six-time Pac-12 Player of the Week.
*Karissa Schweizer, Cross Country, University of Missouri, Junior, Urbandale, Ia.
2016 NCAA Cross Country individual champion... 2016 SEC Women's Cross Country Individual Champion...2016 SEC Women's Runner of the Year...2016 USTFCCCA Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year...2016 NCAA Midwest Regional Champion and Midwest Regional Runner of the Year...five first-place finishes this fall...two-time USTFCCCA All-American...first women's cross country national champion in program history...passed four runners in final 400-meters setting a personal-record time...led Mizzou to its first regional title since 2004...2017 NCAA Indoor 5,000m National Champion...2017 NCAA Indoor 3,000m runner-up...2017 SEC Indoor Track & Field Women’s Runner of the Year...2017 USTFCCCA Midwest Region Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year...2017 SEC Indoor Mile Run & 3,000m Run Champion...2017 SEC Indoor Cliff Harper Trophy winner...2017 NCAA Outdoor 5,000m National Champion...2017 USTFCCCA Midwest Region Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year...2017 SEC Outdoor 5,000m Run Champion
Zoe Stukenberg, Lacrosse, University of Maryland, Senior, Midfielder, Ellicott City, MD
2017 Tewaaraton Award winner...2017 IWLCA National Midfielder of the Year...helped team to third championship title in four years and an undefeated 23-0 record...2017 IWLCA first-team All-American...2017 NCAA All-Tournament team...2017 Big Ten Midfielder of the Year...three-time All-Big Ten...2017 All-Big Ten Tournament team...three-straight Elite 90 Award honors with a 4.0 GPA in biological sciences- fourth student-athlete in the history of the award to win the Elite 90 three times...ranks in the top four on the team in every statistical category, including 53 goals, 31 assists, 84 points, 48 ground balls, 74 draw controls and 21 caused turnovers...CoSIDA Academic All-District.
*Monica Vaughn, Golf, Arizona State University, Senior, Reedsport, Ore.
2017 NCAA Championship individual medalist and individual medalist at 2017 NCAA regionals...two-time Ping/WGCA first-team All-American...Pac-12 Women's Golfer of the Year...2017 Pac-12 first-team All-Conference...set a program record low round vs. par (-8) in round one of Ping/ASU Invitational...completed her senior year with a 71.53 stroke average...five top-three finishes in the last six tournaments, including the NCAA championships...had eight top-10 finishes on the season...ranked 10th in Golfstat.com and in the World Amateur Golf Rankings...three-time first-team Pac-12 All-Academic...CoSIDA Academic All-District...member of 2016 Curtis Cup USA team.
*Kendell Williams, Track & Field, University of Georgia, Senior, Heptathlete, Marietta, Ga.
Completed the NCAA combined event sweep during the indoor (pentathlon) and outdoor (heptathlon) seasons...became the only woman in NCAA Division I Indoor history to win four times in the same event...ends her career with seven of the top-10 pentathlon marks in collegiate history, including the top four, and the fifth-best heptathlon score in collegiate history...three-time SEC pentathlon champion…holds collegiate all-time bests in the pentathlon 60m hurdles (8.03) and heptathlon 100m hurdles (12.83)…four-time USTFCCCA National Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Year...posted the largest margin of victory (306 points) since 2012 in the 2017 NCAA Outdoor heptathlon...extended her streak of 6200-point performances at the NCAA meet to three in a row...two-time USTCCCCAA first-team All-American in Long jump...overall 10-time first-team All-American...two-time Honda Award nominee for track & field...U.S. Olympian...Member of The Bowerman Watch List.
*Belinda Woolcock, Tennis, University of Florida, Senior, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
2017 NCAA DI Singles runner-up...helped team to seventh NCAA team championship in program history...Most Outstanding Player of the 2017 NCAA Championships...2017 NCAA Championships All-Tournament Team for singles & doubles...2017 ITA Regional Senior Player of the Year...2017 ITA National Team Indoor Championships All-Tournament Team, helped UF win its first national indoor title since 1999…final ITA season-high ranking of 5th...two-time singles All-American…two-time first-team All-SEC...played No. 1 singles in every dual match after having played the top spot only once in her career prior to this year...21-10 vs. ranked opponents this year...captured her 100th career singles win (29th Gator to do so)...32 doubles wins, third-most on the team this season...three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll...season record of 29-11 in singles and 32-7 in doubles...finished career 113-39 in singles and 93-37 in doubles...received bachelor’s degree in sports management from University of Florida in April of 2017.
In addition to the Honda Cup being unveiled, the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Show presented by Honda will also recognize the Class of 2017 Honda Inspiration Award winner, Nicole Stafford (Swimming & Diving, Stanford University); the DII Honda Athlete of the Year, Carly Muscaro (Track & Field, Merrimack College) and DIII Honda Athlete of the Year, Lizzy Crist (Soccer, Washington University in St. Louis).
THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards is celebrating its 41st 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 been a 31-year sponsor and provided more than $3.1 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs at the institutions.