Parley Hannan, a senior from Ithaca College, was named the DIII Honda Athlete of the Year finalist for Cross Country as announced today by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.

Hannan 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 44th year.

“To be a finalist for this award is beyond an honor, “ said Hannan. “If you were to ask me a year ago, I never would have imagined being where I am now, and all of the accolades that I have received this season. The sport of Cross Country as allowed me to not only find myself and my potential as an athlete, but also discover what it means to be a teammate, and mentor. Not only has Cross Country brought vasts amount of light into my life, but it has granted me with the best team and coach I could have ever asked for, a true family. While I am a very self-driven individual, the support of both my team and the IC community continue to help fuel the fire towards reaching my fuller potential."

Hannan became the first student-athlete in school history to win a cross country national title after she bested the field of 277 runners by a convincing 18 seconds. She earned first-team USTFCCCA All-America honors and was twice named the USTFCCCA Runner of the Week during the season.

The senior from Olean, Va., set several course and meet records, including a meet record in winning the Liberty League  individual title, and was the winner in six of the eight races she competed in this season.

“I am so unbelievably proud of not only all of Parley’s athletic accomplishments, but also how much mental preparedness she put forth to get into a place to achieve all her goals she set this season,” stated head coach Erin Dinan. “She embodies the type of student-athlete we have here at Ithaca College by being such a dedicated teammate and a hard worker in the classroom, on top of performing at such a high level athletically. She has set an incredible example for her teammates to see what it takes to compete at this level while remaining focused on all of the other demands in her life. It is such an honor for her to represent Ithaca College and the sport of cross country!”

All Honda Sports nominees from DIII and DII become a finalist for the prestigious 2020 Honda Athlete of the Year in their respective divisions, presented in a live telecast on CBS Sports on June 22, 2020, 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 44 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 $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs at the institutions.

About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility

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/.