Mackenzie Chitwood, a senior from the University of Lynchburg, was named the DIII Honda Athlete of the Year finalist for softball as announced by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.

Chitwood is now designated one of 11 finalists for the prestigious DIII 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.

Most recently, Chitwood was named the 2019 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division III National Player of the Year becoming the first player in program history to win the prestigious award. She was also a 2019 First-Team NFCA All-American and a two-time NFCA All-Region honoree. The senior firstbaseman also earned back-to-back Old Dominion Conference (ODAC) First-Team honors and was named to the ODAC All-Tournament team.

Hailing from Ferrum, Va., Chitwood enjoyed the most productive offensive season in conference history, clubbing a school- and ODAC-record 21 home runs to go with 72 RBI, also a program and conference record. She led Division III in both categories, and also topped the division's leaderboard in total bases with 140. She closed the season hitting .382 with a team-high 63 hits.

 “We are very excited Mackenzie has been nominated for this award!”, said head coach Dawn Simmons. “Mackenzie is a very dedicated, hardworking young lady. She stepped up for her team this past season and helped us accomplish our team goals.”

All Honda Sports nominees from DIII and DII 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 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 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 $3.3 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/