Alexis Boykin, a junior from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), was named the DIII Honda Athlete of the Year finalist for Track & Field as announced today by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.
Boykin 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.
“Being a finalist for the DIII Honda Athlete of the Year is very exciting,” said Boykin. “Each season has taught me something new about track and field, and seeing it come together this season was very special. The team this year was the best I've seen, and our coaches worked hard to get us here. I'm excited to see what happens next.”
Boykin captured the hammer throw and shot put at the 2024 NCAA DIII NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship after winning both the weight throw and shot put at the 2024 DIII NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship. She finished the year with four NCAA Championship titles and was just one centimeter shy of winning a fifth this season in the discus at the outdoor championship.
Hailing from Clayton, Ohio, she is a six-time NCAA Champion overall and an 11-time United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-American across outdoor and indoor track.
So far, the junior is ranked fourth all-time in the NCAA in the hammer with a career-best throw of 62.50 meters and eighth all-time in the shot put with a 15.44 meter mark.
“This nomination is a significant and exciting honor for Alexis, and so well deserved,” stated head coach Julie Heyde.
“Alexis is a standout, certainly in what she has done athletically, with 4 individual national titles this year, one runner-up finish, plus another title last year – mastery and dominance in four different track and field disciplines is an understatement – but Alexis may be even more of a standout in the class and quality of how she conducts herself daily. Alexis was one of the very first students to meet with me when I started at MIT, not to speak about her goals and what she wanted to accomplish in the years to come, but to help me better understand the team as a whole and their needs. She is constantly advocating for her teammates and encouraging, coaching, assisting from the sidelines all while she works to improve herself and achieve these greatest of feats. I know we have not seen the pinnacle of what Alexis can and will accomplish in this sport, and we are very appreciative that she is being celebrated for these exciting efforts and amazing outcomes of her dedication, effort, prowess, and talent.”
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/.