Gabrielle Noland, a junior from Loras College, was named the DIII Honda Athlete of the Year finalist for track & field as announced by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.

Noland is now designated one of 11 finalists for the prestigious DIII Honda 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 43rd year.

Noland closed out her junior season being named the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) National Track Athlete of the Year and leading her program to its first NCAA DIII National Championship in school history.

Hailing from Rockford, Ill., Noland now has a school record five national championships including four individual titles in the 100m and 200m. Her performance in the 2019 NCAA Championship to win the 200m crown set an NCAA DIII Championship record. She holds the all-time school record in the 100m and 200m and is part of the relay team that holds school records in the 4x100 and 4x400.

During the outdoor season, Noland recorded 11 victories in 14 races. Of the three races she did not win, she earned two second place finishes and a fourth-place finish, which came at the Drake Relays while competing against Division I athletes. In that race, Noland was the only non-Division I runner in the top-10. She finished her outdoor season with a top-five time in four events, including the 100m (11.82-No. 1), 200m (23.94-No. 1), 400m (55.70-No. 4) and the 4x400 Relay (3:46.35-No. 1).

All Honda Sports nominees from DIII and DII become a finalist for the prestigious 2019 Honda Athlete of the Year in their respective divisions, presented in a live telecast on CBS Sports on June 24, 2019, 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 43 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 $3.3 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs at the institutions.

About Honda

Honda seeks to be a company that society wants to exist, creating products and technologies that improve the lives of people while minimizing the environmental impacts of its products and business operations to ensure a sustainable future.

Honda also is committed to making positive contributions to the communities where it does business, conducting socially responsible business practices and promoting diversity in its workforce. From Honda’s involvement in STEM education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to its support of pediatric brain tumor research and volunteer efforts by Honda associates, including environmental clean-up activities, Honda believes in giving back to the communities where its associates live and work.

Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/