Margaret Loncki, a senior from Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, was named the DIII Honda Athlete of the Year nominee for Golf as announced by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.

Loncki is now designated one of 11 finalists for the prestigious DIII Honda Woman Athlete of the Year. This will be voted on at the end of the academic year by national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of THE CWSA program, now in its 42nd year.

“It has been an honor to serve CMS Athletics and Claremont McKenna College as a member of both the golf and soccer programs, “ said Loncki. “This nomination and my success this year would not have been possible without the support of Claremont McKenna College, CMS Athletics, my family, my coaches and most of all, my inspiring teammates.  Competing alongside of my fellow Athenas over the past four years has taught me invaluable lessons for which I am enormously grateful."

Loncki, hailing from Paradise Valley, Ariz., was named the 2018 PING Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) DIII Player of the Year after leading Division III in scoring average for the 2017-18 season (73.70) and was the NCAA DIII National Championship medalist with a four-round total of 303. She was named a WGCA first-team All-American this season after earning second-team honors last year.

In addition to winning the individual title, she led her team to its first-ever NCAA National Championship after making a 15-foot putt in the playoff to secure the win. She also captured the individual Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) crown by three strokes and led her team to its second straight SCIAC team title being named the SCIAC Athlete of the Year for her efforts.

“As a leader in two sports on our campus, Margaret responds and loves the pressure that goes with competition,” stated CMS head coach Jodie Burton. “Yet she also balances it with fun, which brings out the best in herself and her teammates.  She is extremely resilient, was an honor to coach…and whoa can she putt!”

All Honda Sports nominees from DIII and DII become a finalist for the prestigious 2018 Honda Woman Athlete of the Year in their respective divisions, presented in a live telecast on CBS Sports on Monday, June 25, 2018, in downtown Los Angeles. The Honda Sports nominees are recognized in 11 DIII and DII NCAA-sanctioned sports; cross country, basketball, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, volleyball, and track & field.

THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for 42 years, recognizing superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service.   Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.1 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs at the institutions.