Hope Shue, a junior from Middlebury College, was named the DIII Honda Athlete of the Year finalist for Lacrosse as announced today by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.
Shue is designated one of 11 finalists for the prestigious DIII 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.
This is the third straight season that the DIII Honda Athlete of the Year finalist for lacrosse has come from Middlebury College after Jane Earley was a two-time finalist before winning the award for the Class of 2023.
“I feel incredibly honored to be named a finalist for this award”, said Shue. “This recognition is a testament to the exceptional team I have the privilege to play with. None of this would be possible without the constant support of my teammates, coaches, trainers, family, and friends, who have been there for me every step of my lacrosse career. When I committed to Middlebury, I had no idea what an extraordinary program I was becoming a part of. Playing alongside my best friends and competing for a national championship for the past three years has been a dream come true, and I could not be more excited for what lies ahead next year!”
Shue was named the 2024 Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) National Player of the Year and Attacker of the Year and landed on the IWLCA All-America First Team for the second straight season.
She led her team to its third consecutive NCAA Championship title, 10th overall, with an unbeaten record of 23-0. For the second straight season, she was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player after recording 19 goals, 22 points and 20 draw controls en route to the 2024 title.
The attack player was also named the 2024 NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year and is a two-time All-NESCAC First Team honoree. She led her team to the NESCAC Championship title and paced the league in points (106), points per game (4.61) and goals (81).
Shue is just the second player in program history to eclipse the 100-point plateau in a season and enters her senior season in second place in the program's record books in goals (220) and third in points (272). She is just the third player in program history to except the 200-goal mark.
Hailing from Dover, Mass., she became the first athlete from Middlebury to earn the Women’s Lacrosse Elite 90 Award in back-to-back seasons which is given to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA and has earned several All-Academic honors.
“Hope has made a major impact on Division III women's lacrosse since her first season at Middlebury,” stated head coach and NESCAC Coach of the Year Kate Livesay. “She is an elite athlete with tremendous speed and quickness that make her a threat everywhere on the lacrosse field. Beyond her athletic skill set, Hope brings energy and joy to the field. She plays the game with grit, grace and an enormous amount of competitive fire. It doesn't matter if it's practice or game day, Hope brings the same level of intensity, focus and work ethic to the field. Equally impressive is that Hope carries this same effort and drive to the classroom. A two-time Elite 90 award winner, Hope is the epitome of what it means to be a high-achieving collegiate student-athlete. Her impact at Middlebury is certainly not limited to goals scored or draws won but instead can be seen in the work ethic and passion she inspires in the play of her teammates. She has raised the bar for this program in her three years of play. She is a one-of-a-kind athlete and teammate who represents the very best of the Middlebury women’s lacrosse program.”
All Honda Sport Award finalists from DIII and DII will vie for the prestigious 2024 Honda Athlete of the Year in their respective divisions, presented on 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 DIII and DII 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/.