The finalists have been named for the 2011 Honda Award that is given to the nation’s top female swimmer every season. There are 4 finalists this season representing programs from all corners of the country.
Auburn’s Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace won two individual titles at the NCAA Championships (the 50 and 100 freestyles). She was also named the SEC Swimmer of the Year award and also earned the Commissioner’s Cup for being the highest individual point scorer at the meet. She ends the season with the fastest time ever (at any level) in the 100 free (46.81) as well as 4 out of the 5 fastest times in the history of that event.
Georgia’s Allison Schmitt also earned two event victories at the NCAA Championships in leading her team to a 2nd-place overall finish: the 200 and 500 freestyle. In the prelims of the 500 free, she broke the NCAA Record handily with a 4:32.71. This season she was also a part of two American Record relays. At the SEC Championships, she and her teammates (not surprisingly) set the American Record in the 800 free relay at 6:53.58. At the NCAA Championships, she and her teammates (pretty surprisingly) proceeded to set the American Record in the 400 free relay in 3:11.03.
USC’s Katinka Hosszu earned our NCAA Swimmer of the Year award for being the only swimmer at this year’s Championship to win three events. She was the National Champion in the 200 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM. In the 400 IM. She posted the 2nd-fastest time in history (3:59.75) in the latter of those 3 events, which makes her the second woman ever under 4 minutes behind only last year’s Honda Award winner: Julia Smit from Stanford. Her USC Trojans also showed a huge improvement this season, in moving all the way up to a 3rd place finish.
Minnesota’s Jillian Tyler won the NCAA Championship in the 100 breaststroke, as well as placing 4th in the 200 breaststroke. She also earned the Big Ten Swimmer of the Championship award for sweeping the breaststroke races there. Tyler’s breaststroke exploits placed her amongst the three-fastest swimmers in both the 100 yard (58.08) and 200 yard (2:06.01) distances all-time.
All four of these womens are deserving of much recognition, but only one can earn the Honda Award. The winner will be voted upon by administrators from across the nation and will be announced on March 29th. The winner’s school will receive a $5,000 donation from Honda America to the women’s athletic fund, and all four nominees’ schools will receive $1,000.