BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana University sophomore swimmer Lilly King, who won her third and fourth career NCAA titles earlier in March, has been nominated for the Honda Sport Award for women’s swimming & diving, Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA), announced Thursday
At the NCAA Championships this season, King successfully defended her crowns in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke, becoming the first woman in Big Ten history to accomplish the feat. King’s four career individual titles are the most for any swimmer or diver in league history.
The sophomore set the American, NCAA, NCAA Meet, U.S. Open, IU Natatorium and IU school record in the 200 breast with the best time in the history of the event – 2:03.18. Overall, she is an eight-time All-American and captured two Olympic gold medals in the 2016 games, including the 100 breaststroke.
The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 41 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 2017 Honda Cup, which will be presented on a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on Monday, June 26, 2017, in Los, Angeles.
In addition to King, the other nominees are Kathleen Baker of California Katie Ledecky and Simone Manuel from Stanford.
The nominees were chosen by a panel of coaches representing the Collegiate Swimming Coaches Association of American (CSCAA). The Honda Sport Award winner for swimming & diving will be announced next week after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.
