Polina Lapshina, a junior from Queen’s (NC) University, was named the DII Honda Athlete of the Year finalist for swimming & diving as announced today by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.

Lapshina is now designated one of 11 finalists for the prestigious DII Honda 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 43rd year.

“It is a great honor for me to be a finalist for the DII Female Athlete of the Year,” Lapshina said. “Also, behind a good performance there are always a huge effort to achieve success. Not only my effort, but also of my coaches John Long, Jeff Dugdale, Bob Groseth, Julia Czentye and the Queens program overall. So, I’m happy to represent Queens and I hope the next swimming season will be even better.”

Lapshina was named the 2019 CSCAA Division II Female Swimmer of the Meet after the NCAA DII Championship. The award is the first for a Royals swimmer since Patricia Ortega won the award in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016. She was also named the Bluegrass Mountain Conference Swimmer of the Year and Swimmer of the Meet.

She concluded the Championship with her fourth individual win of the meet, setting a new NCAA Division II record in the 100-Yard Freestyle with a swim of 48.16. She won three other individual events and was a member of three relay wins.

The freshman was a part of five NCAA record swims, setting benchmarks in the 100-Yard Backstroke (52.07), 100-Yard Butterfly (52.16) and 100-Yard Freestyle (48.16), while also swimming the first leg in both the 400-Yard Freestyle Relay (3:18.04) and the 400-Yard Medley Relay (3:35.70).

“To be a finalist for the Honda Athlete of the year is an honor amongst the elite,” said Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Planning and Leadership Development/Director of Swimming Operations Jeff Dugdale. “Polina’s performances throughout the year and at the championships earned the right to be amongst the best across all sports.  Finally, she will be the second Queens athlete / swimmer to receive the honor as Olympian Patri Castro Ortega was recognized as well.”

All Honda Sports nominees from DII and DIII become a finalist for the prestigious 2019 Honda Athlete of the Year in their respective divisions, presented in a live telecast on CBS Sports on June 24, 2019, in downtown Los Angeles. The Honda Sports nominees are recognized in 11 DII and DIII 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 43 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.

About Honda

Honda seeks to be a company that society wants to exist, creating products and technologies that improve the lives of people while minimizing the environmental impacts of its products and business operations to ensure a sustainable future.

Honda also is committed to making positive contributions to the communities where it does business, conducting socially responsible business practices and promoting diversity in its workforce. From Honda’s involvement in STEM education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to its support of pediatric brain tumor research and volunteer efforts by Honda associates, including environmental clean-up activities, Honda believes in giving back to the communities where its associates live and work.

Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/