McKenzie Long from the University of Mississippi, Harvard University’s Maia Ramsden, Jaida Ross of the University of Oregon and Parker Valby from the University of Florida are the four finalists for the Class of 2024 Honda Sport Award for Track & Field 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 48 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 2024 Honda Cup, which will be presented during 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 track & field finalists were determined by a panel of experts from the United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The Honda Sport award winner for track & field will be announced later this week after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.
All four finalists are on the 2024 Bowerman Watch List which honors the top collegiate female athlete in Track & Field.
Long, a redshirt senior hailing from Ironton, Ohio, captured the NCAA Outdoor Championship titles in the 100-meter, 200-meter and as a member of the 4x100-meter relay. These are her first individual NCAA titles and the first individual title at Ole Miss under 800-meters. A seven-time USTFCCCA First Team All-American, she posted the second-best collegiate time ever in the 200-meters.
Ramsden is a native of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and is a two-time NCAA Outdoor Champion in the 1,500-meter run. The senior is only the third student-athlete in NCAA history to defend the 1,500-meter title and the ninth student-athlete in NCAA history to win the women's indoor mile and outdoor 1,500-meter national titles in the same season.
Ross is a junior from Medford, Ore., and became the first woman at Oregon to capture an NCAA Championship title in the shot put. Her throw of 20.01 meters set a new collegiate record and she is just the seventh woman beyond 20 meters in American history. Named the 2024 Pac-12 Field Athlete of the Year, she is ta two-time Pac-12 Champion in shot put and discus.
Valby is the Class of 2024 Honda Award winner for Cross Country and now a finalist for Track & Field. The junior from Tampa, Fla., set a new collegiate record winning the NCAA Championship title in the 5,000-meter and is now a six-time NCAA individual champion. She won five national titles in 2023-24 alone and holds three collegiate records (Indoor 5,000m, outdoor 5,000m, outdoor 10,000m).
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.
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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/.