Teammates Mercy Chelangat and Amaris Tyynismaa from the University of Alabama, Mahala Norris from Air Force and Oklahoma State University’s Taylor Roe are the four finalists for the Class of 2021 Honda Sport Award for Cross Country as announced by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) today.
The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 45 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”. The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2021 Honda Cup which will be presented on a telecast on CBS Sports Network.
The nominees were chosen from the top four finishes at the 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championship which was completed in March of 2021 due to COVD-19 related delays. The Honda Sport award winner for cross country will be announced next week after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.
Chelangat, a junior from Kericho, Kenya, was the 2020-21 Cross Country champion and Alabama’s first individual national cross country champion. She ran the fastest final 1,000-meters at the NCAA Championship by six seconds. The All-American also captured the 2020 SEC Cross Country title and is a three-year All-SEC honoree.
Tyynismaa, a sophomore hailing from Montgomery, Ala., had the second-highest NCAA cross country finish in Alabama history after a third-place finish at the 2020-21 NCAA Cross Country Championship. She helped Alabama to a second-place finish at the SEC Cross Country championship finishing 26th and captured a gold medal at the SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships in the distance medley relay.
Norris is a three-time All-American and All-Conference selection and posted a fourth-place finish at the 2020-21 Cross Country Championship which is the best individual finish for Air Force since 1995. A senior from Roseburg, Ore., she also captured a fourth-place finish in the 5,000 meter run at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship. She is the first Air Force female to be named the Mountain West Cross Country Athlete of the Year.
Roe, a sophomore from Lake Stevens, Wash., was the 2020-21 NCAA Cross Country runner-up and the 2020 Big 12 Championship runner-up. She is a two-time All-American and two-time All-Big 12 honoree and posted a fourth-place finish at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championship distance medley relay as the anchor.
The CWSA, celebrating its 45th anniversary year, has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its partnership in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs.
About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility
For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda’s mission is to create products and services that improve the lives of people while conducting its business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Accordingly, Honda believes in helping people reach their life’s potential through its focus on improving children’s health, inspiring underrepresented students, preserving the environment for future generations, creating safety for everyone, and strengthening our communities. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.