Belinda Woolcock is one of three Gators among the finalists for the 2016-17 Honda Cup, given annual to the top collegiate female athlete. The winner is announced Monday, June 25 at 9 p.m. ET on the CBS Sports Network.
Trio of Gators in L.A. for 2017 Honda Sports Award ceremony
Sunday, June 25, 2017 | Women's Tennis
A quarter of the finalists for the 2016-17 Honda Cup for the nation’s top collegiate female athlete are Gators - Kelly Barnhill (softball), Alex McMurtry (gymnastics) and Belinda Woolcock (tennis).
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – A trio of Gators – Kelly Barnhill (softball), Alex McMurtry (gymnastics) and Belinda Woolcock (tennis) - join the other sport winners for The Collegiate Women Sports Award presented by Honda show. The Honda Sports Award is given annually to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports.
On Monday's broadcast, the 12 sport winners are narrowed to three finalists. One receives the Honda Cup as the nation's top collegiate female athlete of 2016-17.
One Gator has twice been named the top collegiate female athlete of the year. Gator Great swimmer Tracy Caulkins shared the 1983-84 Broderick Cup (previous name of award) with Southern California's Cheryl Miller and also won as a freshman in 1981-82. Gator softball's Lauren Haeger was among the final three for the 2015 honor. A Gator has been named their sport's winner 22 times since 1978.
Three Honda Award winners for the Gators equals the high single season total for a school in the award's 41-year history. Florida is the first program with a trio of award winners since Arizona also had three in the 1997-98 season.
Want to Watch? Here's How:
The Collegiate Women Sports Award presented by Honda airs Monday, June 26 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Here's how to tune in:
1269 – Cox Cable (Gainesville/Ocala)
221 – DIRECTV
158 – Dish Network
CBS Sports Network app
How were the Gators selected?
After the conclusion of each of the 12 recognized sport seasons, the Honda Sport Award sends a ballot with four sport finalists to administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.
Here's what the Gators named the best in their sport accomplished in 2017:
Kelly Barnhill
Alex McMurtry
Belinda Woolcock
American Honda Motor Co., Inc., sponsor of the program, celebrates each nominee by donating $5,000 to each Honda Sports Award recipient school and $1,000 to each nominee school.
Visit The Collegiate Women Sports Awards website for more information about this award.
On Monday's broadcast, the 12 sport winners are narrowed to three finalists. One receives the Honda Cup as the nation's top collegiate female athlete of 2016-17.
| 2016-17 Honda Sports Award Recipients | |||
| Each season, The Collegiate Women Sports Awards program recognizes the top collegiate female student-athlete in 12 sports. | |||
| Sport | Name | Yr | School |
| Basketball | Kelsey Plum | SR | Washington |
| Cross Country | Karissa Schweizer, | JR | Missouri |
| Field Hockey | Greta Nauck | SO | Delaware |
| Golf | Monica Vaughn | SR | Arizona State |
| Gymnastics | Alex McMurtry | JR | Florida |
| Lacrosse | Zoe Stukenberg | SR | Maryland |
| Soccer | Kadeisha Buchanan | SR | West Virginia |
| Softball | Kelly Barnhill | SO | Florida |
| Swimming/Diving | Katie Ledecky | FR | Stanford |
| Tennis | Belinda Woolcock | SR | Florida |
| Track & Field | Kendell Williams | SR | Georgia |
| Volleyball | Inky Ajanaku | RS-SR | Stanford |
Three Honda Award winners for the Gators equals the high single season total for a school in the award's 41-year history. Florida is the first program with a trio of award winners since Arizona also had three in the 1997-98 season.
Want to Watch? Here's How:
The Collegiate Women Sports Award presented by Honda airs Monday, June 26 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Here's how to tune in:
1269 – Cox Cable (Gainesville/Ocala)
221 – DIRECTV
158 – Dish Network
CBS Sports Network app
How were the Gators selected?
After the conclusion of each of the 12 recognized sport seasons, the Honda Sport Award sends a ballot with four sport finalists to administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.
Here's what the Gators named the best in their sport accomplished in 2017:
Kelly Barnhill
- 2017 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year
- 2017 espnW Player of the Year
- 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-America first team
- NFCA All-American First Team
- SEC Pitcher of the Year
- All-Southeastern Conference first team
- SEC Pitcher of the Week – 5x (2/20, 4/11, 4/18, 4/25, 5/2)
- USA Softball Co-Player of the Week – (4/18)
- Louisville Slugger/NFCA Pitcher of the Week – (4/18)
- ESPNW Player of the Week – (4/18)
- Led final NCAA statistics in ERA (0.51) and strikeouts per seven innings (13.0)
- Ranked second for hits allowed per seven innings (2.86) & third nationally in shutouts (13) and total strikeouts (359)
Alex McMurtry
- NCAA all-around champion with NCAA semifinal record total (39.8125)
- NCAA co-uneven bars champion
- Matched NCAA Championships' record with a 10.0 bars routine in NCAA Super Six team final
- Only gymnast at 2017 NCAA Championships to earn All-America first-team honors on each of the five events
- NCAA Elite 90 winner with a 4.0 GPA
- SEC Gymnast and Scholar-Athlete of Year – second in league history to take both honors in same season
- CoSIDA Academic All-America first-team
- 2017 NACGC Southeast Region Gymnast of the Year
- SEC Championships' all-around champion and shared floor exercise title
- One of two gymnasts in nation to post 10.0 marks in three events in 2017 – vault, bars and floor
- Led UF with 24 event wins in 2017
Belinda Woolcock
- Most Outstanding Player of the 2017 NCAA Tennis Championships
- Helped Florida to seventh NCAA team title
- 2017 NCAA DI Singles runner-up
- 2017 NCAA Championships All-Tournament Team for singles & doubles
- 2017 ITA Regional Senior Player of the Year
- Final ITA season-high ranking: No. 5
- First-team All-Southeastern Conference for singles & doubles
- Played No. 1 singles in every dual match after having played the top spot only once in her career prior to this year, earning a 23-11 season record (16-8 versus ranked opponents)
- SEC Academic Honor Roll for third straight season
- Received bachelor's degree in sports management from University of Florida in April of 2017
American Honda Motor Co., Inc., sponsor of the program, celebrates each nominee by donating $5,000 to each Honda Sports Award recipient school and $1,000 to each nominee school.
Visit The Collegiate Women Sports Awards website for more information about this award.
| Gator Honda Sports Award Recipients | ||
| Name | Sport | Year |
| Kelly Barnhill | Softball | 2017 |
| Alex McMurtry | Gymnastics | 2017 |
| Belinda Woolcock | Tennis | 2017 |
| Bridget Sloan | Gymnastics | 2016 |
| Lauren Haeger | Softball | 2015 |
| Kytra Hunter | Gymnastics | 2015 |
| Bridget Sloan | Gymnastics | 2013 |
| Kytra Hunter | Gymnastics | 2012 |
| Kelsey Bruder | Softball | 2011 |
| Caroline Burckle | Swimming | 2008 |
| Danielle Fotopoulos | Soccer | 1998 |
| Jill Craybas | Tennis | 1996 |
| Nicole Haislett | Swimming | 1994 |
| Lisa Raymond | Tennis | 1993 |
| Lisa Raymond | Tennis | 1992 |
| Shaun Stafford | Tennis | 1988 |
| Page Dunlap | Golf | 1986 |
| Tracy Caulkins | Swimming | 1984^ |
| Tracy Caulkins | Swimming | 1983 |
| Tracy Caulkins | Swimming | 1982^ |
| Ann Woods | Gymnastics | 1982 |
| Renee Laravie | Swimming | 1978 |
| ^Recipient of Broderick Award (previous name of Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year Award |
||
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
Florida Women's Tennis | Scarlett Nicholson Mic'd Up
Thursday, February 12
NCAA: Roland Thornqvist Press Conference 5-5-24
Sunday, May 05
NCAA: Coach Thornqvist & Rachel Gailis 5-4-24
Saturday, May 04
Roland Thornqvist Postmatch NCAA Second Round 5-6-23
Saturday, May 06
