Axelina Johansson, a senior from the University of Nebraska, has been named the Honda Sport Award winner for Track & Field for the Class of 2026, as announced today by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of The Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.

The announcement comes during a landmark moment for the organization, as the CWSA celebrates its 50th anniversary during the 2025-26 collegiate athletics season. For five decades, the Honda Sport Award has honored the nation’s top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports, symbolizing “the best of the best in collegiate athletics.” Johansson is now a finalist for the prestigious Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and Class of 2026 Honda Cup, to be presented live on Monday, July 27, at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.

Johansson was selected via a nationwide vote of administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. The other finalists for this year’s award were Adaejah Hodge (Georgia), Sanu Jallow-Lockhart (Arkansas) and Dejanea Oakley (Georgia).

“I want to start off by saying thank you to the CWSA voters for selecting me for this award,” said Johansson. “There are so many amazing women in this sport, so being named as the best female college athlete in track and field is such an honor and feels absolutely amazing.

I could not have done it without the team around me, so I truly want to thank Nebraska and all the resources they have provided me during these past 5 years, my family, teammates, friends and coach St. Clair for believing in me."

Senior thrower Axelina Johansson capped one of the most decorated careers in collegiate track and field history by capturing the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championship in the shot put with a meet-record throw of 19.92 meters. The NCAA title came on the heels of her 2026 NCAA Indoor Championship victory, giving Johansson four career NCAA shot put championships across indoor and outdoor competition. Earlier in the season, she claimed her sixth career Big Ten shot put title with a personal-best and conference meet-record mark of 19.72 meters, the second-farthest throw in NCAA history.

A native of Hok, Sweden, and a 2024 Olympian, Johansson earned All-America honors eight times during her career and finished as a six-time national medalist. She was named the Big Ten Women's Field Athlete of the Year twice and the USTFCCCA Midwest Region Women's Field Athlete of the Year three times. Johansson also holds the Swedish national record in the shot put and was a frequent presence on The Bowerman Watch List, earning recognition 11 times throughout her collegiate career.

Johansson's accomplishments extended well beyond competition. A two-time CSC Academic All-American and recipient of an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, she was named Nebraska's 2026 Outstanding Female Student-Athlete across all sports. She also earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors three times, was a four-time Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar, a three-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. In recognition of her leadership and service, Johansson was named to the 2026 Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.

“Winning the Honda Award is an incredible honor and a testament to Axelina’s hard work and dedication,” said head coach Justin St. Clair. “Her perseverance, resilience, and commitment to excellence have made this achievement possible. We couldn’t be prouder of Axelina. This recognition is so well deserved, and we are thrilled to celebrate her success!”

As the CWSA marks its 50th anniversary, the organization continues its longstanding mission to honor excellence in athletics, leadership, academics, and community service. Since 1986, Honda has contributed more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to support women’s athletics programs nationwide.

About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility and the Honda USA Foundation 

For more than 65 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. The company’s mission is to create products and services that help people fulfill their life’s potential, while conducting business in a sustainable manner and fostering an inclusive workplace. Advancing its corporate social responsibility, Honda and the Honda USA Foundation support this direction through giving focused on education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety, and community.  

Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.