Tori Hansen of the University of North Carolina, Florida State University’s Jenna Nighswonger, Lilly Reale from UCLA and Reyna Reyes from the University of Alabama are the four finalists for the Class of 2023 Honda Sport Award for Soccer as announced by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) today. 

The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 47 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”.  The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2023 Honda Cup which will be presented during the live telecast of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Presented by Honda on CBS Sports Network in June.

The soccer finalists were selected by a panel of experts and coaches from the United Soccer Coaches. The Honda Sport award winner for soccer will be announced later this week after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.  

Hansen, a senior defender from Raleigh, N.C., led the Tarheels to the 2022 NCAA Runner-Up and was named a United Soccer Coaches All-America second-team honoree. She earned All-ACC first-team honors this season and was named to the 2022 NCAA All-Tournament team. She anchored a defense that posted a conference-low 0.60 goals against average in ACC competition.

Nighswonger was recently named a MAC Hermann Award finalist and was a United Soccer Coaches first-team All-American. As a first-team All-ACC honoree, she led her team to its third straight ACC Championship and earned ACC Tournament MVP and ACC All-Tournament Team accolades. The midfielder from Huntington Beach, Calif., posted a career-high 28 points on the year.

Reale led her team to the 2022 NCAA Championship title and was named the 2022 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Defender. The sophomore defender from Hingham, Mass., earned 2022 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors and is a two-time All-Pac-12 first team honoree. She contributed one goal and one assist from the backfield and added the game-winning penalty kick in the NCAA second round.

Reyes, a senior from Garland, Texas, was named a MAC Hermann Award semifinalist and earned 2022 SEC Defender of the Year honors. She is a United Soccer Coaches first-team All-American and a three-time first-team All-SEC member. The defender anchored an Alabama defensive line to a program-record 12 shutouts and 23 wins, including a semifinal appearance in the College Cup.

The CWSA, entering its 47th 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.  

About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility

For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda’s mission is to create products and services that improve the lives of people while conducting its business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Accordingly, Honda believes in helping people reach their life’s potential through its focus on improving children’s health, inspiring underrepresented students, preserving the environment for future generations, creating safety for everyone, and strengthening our communities. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.