G. Walsh, Curzan, Cox, and Pellacani Nominated for 2025 Honda Sport Award For Swim/Dive

Swimmers Gretchen Walsh (Virginia), Claire Curzan (Virginia), Jillian Cox (Texas), and diver Chiara Pellacani (Miami) have been nominated for the 2025 Honda Sport Award for Swimming & Diving by the Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA). Chris Voelz, Executive Director of the CWSA, made the announcement on April 1st. This is Walsh’s fourth nomination for the Honda Sport Award, and she’ll have a chance to repeat after winning last year.

The nominees were selected by “a panel of experts and coaches” from the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America. Each of the over 1,000 NCAA member schools receive one vote to select the winner.

The award is presented annually by the Collegiate Women Sports Awards to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports (cross country, soccer, field hockey, volleyball, swimming and diving, basketball, track and field, softball, gymnastics, golf, and tennis). The winner of each sport award automatically becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the 2025 Honda Cup, which will be presented during the live broadcast of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Presented by Honda on June 30, at 7 pm ET, on CBS Sports Network.

In 2023, Virginia’s Kate Douglass became the first swimmer to win the Honda Sport Award more than once since Natalie Coughlin, who earned the honor in 2002 and 2003. Douglass’s first award win came in 2022. The last swimmer to win the overall Honda Cup was Simone Manuel of Stanford, who earned the honor in 2018.

See all of the past women’s sport award winners here.

Swimmers have won the Honda Cup on 9 occasions in the 48 years of the award, second-most to basketball:

• 2018 – Simone Manuel, Stanford
• 2017 – Katie Ledecky, Stanford
• 2015 – Missy Franklin, Cal
• 2004 – Tara Kirk, Stanford
• 2000 – Cristina Teuscher, Columbia
• 1987 – Mary T. Meagher, Cal
• 1984 – Tracy Caulkins, Florida (Tie)
• 1982 – Tracy Caulkins, Florida
• 1981 – Jill Sterkel, Texas

Athlete Bios, courtesy of CWSA:

Cox, hailing from Cedar Park, Texas, had a standout freshman season, capturing the NCAA Championship in the 500 Free and the 1650 Free to sweep the distance events and earn two First Team CSCAA All-American honors. She holds two Texas records in the 500 Free and 1000 Free and helped lead her team to its 13th consecutive conference title (12 Big 12, 1 SEC). Cox also claimed SEC Championship titles in the 500 Free and 1650 Free, setting a new pool and SEC meet record in the latter.

Curzan, a sophomore from Cary, N.C., dominated the 2025 NCAA Championships, winning six titles, including the 100 Back, 200 Back, and four relay events. She became the first female swimmer to win an NCAA title at two different schools, having claimed the 200 Back at Stanford in 2023. A 14-time CSCAA All-American, Curzan helped Virginia capture its fifth consecutive National Championship. She is also a five-time ACC Champion and 10-time Conference Champion.

UVA teammate Walsh was named the Class of 2024 Honda Award winner for Swimming & Diving, marking her third time as a finalist. The senior from Nashville, Tenn., captured CSCAA Swimmer of the Year honors for the second consecutive year, leading Virginia to its fifth straight NCAA team title. She capped off her collegiate career by claiming seven NCAA titles, including individual crowns in the 50 Free, 100 Free, and 100 Fly, bringing her career total to 25 NCAA titles (nine individual).

Pellacani earned 2025 CSCAA Diver of the Year honors after winning the NCAA Championship in the 1-meter event and finishing runner-up in the 3-meter. A two-time CSCAA All-American, she also claimed the 2025 ACC Championship title in the 3-meter and took bronze in the 1-meter. The redshirt junior hailing from Rome, Italy, boasts six total conference medals (two gold, two silver, two bronze) overall.