Vanessa Budd, a senior defense from Franklin & Marshall College, was named the 2017 DIII Honda Athlete of the Year nominee for Lacrosse as announced by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.

Budd is now designated one of 11 finalists for the prestigious DIII Honda Woman 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 41st year.

"Never did I dream of being nominated for such a prestigious award,” said Budd. “When I look back to see where I was and who I was four years ago, and where I am and who I am today, there is no question that my success is a reflection of my supportive coaches, teammates, and school. This nomination could never really represent one individual, but it represents my team, my coaches, and Franklin & Marshall College."

Budd was named the Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season and is a three-time Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-American earning IWLCA first-team honors this season.  She is a three-time All-CC first-team honoree and started all 22 games en route to a 17-5 overall record and the Centennial Conference Championship.

Hailing from Darien, Conn., she led her team in turnovers (32) and ground balls (30) and was most recently named to the 2017 North-South All-Star game.

 “Vanessa has worked so hard to become the player she is today,” said head coach Mike Faith. “It takes a special person to constantly strive to be the best player she can be. Vanessa has been such a role model for her teammates the last four years and has left quite a legacy at Franklin & Marshall College.”

All Honda Sports nominees from DIII and DII become a finalist for the prestigious 2017 Honda Woman Athlete of the Year in their respective divisions, presented in a live telecast on CBS Sports on June 26, 2017, in downtown Los Angeles. The Honda Sports nominees 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 Collegiate Women Sports Awards has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for 41 years, recognizing superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service.   Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.1 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs at the institutions.