Walsh, Curzan Named Finalists for Honda Sport Award for Swimming & Diving
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia senior Gretchen Walsh and sophomore Claire Curzan have been named as two of the four finalists for the Class of 2025 Honda Sport Award for Swimming & Diving as announced by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) today (April 1).
The other finalists are Jillian Cox from Texas and Miami diver Chiara Pellacani.
The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 49 years, recognizing the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports and symbolizing “the best of the best in collegiate athletics.” The recipient of the sport award will become a finalist for the prestigious Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the 2025 Honda Cup, which will be presented during the live broadcast of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Presented by Honda on June 30, at 7 pm ET, on CBS Sports Network.
The swimming & diving finalists were selected by a panel of experts and coaches from the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). The Honda Sport award winner for swimming & diving will be announced after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.
Curzan, a sophomore from Cary, N.C., won six titles at the 2025 NCAA Championships including the 100 Back, 200 Back, and four relay events. She became the first female swimmer to win an NCAA title at two different schools, having claimed the 200 Back at Stanford in 2023. A 14-time CSCAA All-American, Curzan helped Virginia capture its fifth consecutive National Championship. She is also a five-time ACC Champion and 10-time Conference Champion.
Walsh was named the Class of 2024 Honda Award winner for Swimming & Diving, marking her third time as a finalist. The senior from Nashville, Tenn., captured CSCAA Swimmer of the Year honors for the second consecutive year, leading Virginia to its fifth straight NCAA team title. She capped off her collegiate career by claiming seven NCAA titles, including individual crowns in the 50 Free, 100 Free, and 100 Fly, bringing her career total to 25 NCAA titles (nine individual).
The CWSA, in its 49th 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.