Teammates Katie Izzo and Taylor Werner from the University of Arkansas, University of New Mexico’s Weini Kalati and Alicia Monson from the University of Wisconsin are the four finalists for the Class of 2020 Honda Sport Award for Cross Country as announced by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) today.

The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 44 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”.  The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2020 Honda Cup which will be presented on a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on Monday, June 22, 2020, in downtown Los, Angeles.

The nominees were chosen from the top four finishes at the 2019 NCAA Cross Country Championship. The Honda Sport award winner for cross country will be announced next week after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.  

Izzo, a senior from Seal Beach, Calif., helped Arkansas to the 2019 NCAA Championship title and the first in program history. The 2019 SEC individual champion, she finished third-place at the NCAA Championship and helped her team to a win in every meet they competed in. She is a USTFCCCA first-team All-American and All-Region performer.

Kelati is a junior hailing from Leesburg, Va., and a two-time Honda Award finalist from the University of New Mexico. She captured the 2019 NCAA Individual Cross Country title after finishing runner-up in 2018. A two-time Mountain West Athlete and Student-Athlete of the Year, she also won back-to-back Mountain Region individual titles and is a two-time first-team All-American in cross country.

Monson was the 2019 NCAA Individual Cross Country Championship runner-up and a two-time Honda Award nominee. The senior from Amery, Wis., is a two-time USTFCCCA Cross Country first-team All-American for Wisconsin and five-time first-team All-American overall. She is also a two-time Big 10 Champion and was named the 2019 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Women's Athlete of the Year.

Werner, a senior from Ste. Genevieve, Mo., helped the Razorbacks to its first national Cross Country title after finishing fourth at the 2019 NCAA Cross Country Championship. She was named the 2019 SEC and South Central Region Athlete of the Year and also the SEC Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She is a two-time All-SEC and USTFCCCA first-team All-American honoree.

Honda Sport Award winners will be presented with the honor during on-campus presentations throughout the year and all Honda Sport Award winners become a finalist for the prestigious 2020 Honda Cup award presented in June.

The CWSA, celebrating its 44th year, has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service.  Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs. 

About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility

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/.