Multi-time NCAA Champion and Olympic gold medallist Missy Franklin was named the Collegiate Woman of the Year and awarded the Honda Cup at a ceremony in Los Angeles Monday night.
The board of directors of The Collegiate Women Sports Awards announced Franklin as the winner after she was chosen in a vote of administrators from over 1,00 NCAA member schools. Among those also in contention for the award were Florida softball player Lauren Haeger and Connecticut basketball player Breanna Stewart.
Franklin became a finalist for the award after winning the Honda Sports Award for swimming and diving in early April.
Franklin, who helped the Golden Bears reclaim the women’s NCAA team title this year, is the first swimmer to win the Collegiate Woman of the Year award since 2004 when Stanford’s Tara Kirk claimed the prize. She’s only the second swimmer from Cal to ever win it after Mary T. Meagher who won in 1987.
This year, Franklin set a school record for the most combined individual and relay NCAA titles at one meet with a total of five. She’s a 14-time All-American and a College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-American.
One of Franklin’s most impressive individual performances this year was her American record setting 200 yard freestyle at NCAAs. There, she became the first woman under 1:40 with a time of 1:39.10.
GO BEARS!!