Mary Kelly Mulcahy, a junior from the University of Findlay, was named the DII Honda Athlete of the Year finalist for golf as announced today by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.
Mulcahy is now designated one of 11 finalists for the prestigious DII Honda Athlete of the Year. 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 48th year.
“I've worked hard my whole life to be in this position and I've seen that pay off before, but this year was a bit of a breakthrough,” said Mulcahy. “Seeing your hard work pay off is very rewarding. I think I had a lot of success this year because I believed in myself, trusted my preparation and hard work, and most importantly, tried to have fun and trust that I did everything I could to get better.
The support around me from my teammates, family, friends, coaches, and everyone else has been something that has encouraged me and I will be forever thankful for that.”
Mulcahy was recently named the 2024 PING Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) DII National Player of the Year and earned her second nod to the WGCA DII All-America First Team.
The junior collected a program-record seven tournament victories this season, the most of any player in any division in the country this year. Her regular season scoring average of 71.2, entering the national championship, was the best in DII and she held the top spot for most of the season. Her 71.2 scoring average broke her own single-season scoring average record she set last year by 2.4 shots.
Hailing from Lima, Ohio, she is a two-time Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Player of the Year and a three-time G-MAC All-Conference honoree. She also earned G-MAC Athlete of the Week seven times this year and 10 times overall in her career.
Mulcahy posted an individual record of 845-10-3 in 12 tournaments this season and did not finish outside the top-6 in any event all year until the national championship. She was either the winner or runner-up in 11 of 13 tournaments the entire year.
Most recently, Mulcahy was selected as a member of Team USA for the 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup, the only non-Division I female chosen.
“Winning one college event in itself is amazing, but to do it seven times in a season is plainly put, remarkable”, stated head coach and WGCA DII National Coach of the Year Dominic Guarnieri. “What also makes it special is in college golf, the break between the fall and spring seasons is so long so maintaining that momentum is almost unheard of. That is a testament to her dedication and work ethic. She is also an amazing teammate and cares just as much for the success of everyone else on the team as her own. By far, her biggest attribute is her self-belief. Every time she tees it up, she believes she is going to win.”
All Honda Sports nominees from DII and DIII become finalists for the prestigious 2024 Honda Athlete of the Year in their respective divisions, presented in a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on Monday, June 24, 2024, at 7 PM ET, from its new home in New York City.
The Honda Award finalists 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, entering its 48th 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 the areas of education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety and community. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.