Swimmer Gretchen Walsh was named the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year on Monday night, capping a career at the University of Virginia that included 25 total NCAA event titles, nine of them individual.
Walsh was given the Honda Cup during an awards ceremony. She is the ninth swimmer to win the award and the first since Simone Manuel in 2018.
The Class of 2025 top three finalists included Walsh, UConn basketball player Paige Bueckers and Texas Tech softball pitcher NiJaree Canady. The top three are voted on by nearly 1,000 NCAA schools, with the Honda Cup winner determined by the Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards board of directors.
Walsh led Virginia to the 2025 NCAA women’s swimming title and won three individual titles. She also is the two-time ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for swimming and diving.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Walsh won two gold medals and two silvers, and she set two world records.
“We are incredibly proud of her accomplishments both in the pool and in the classroom, and we look forward to watching her continue to rise as she prepares for the World Championships and the 2028 Olympic Games,” said Chris Voel, the executive director of the CWSA. “We’re thrilled to welcome Gretchen to the CWSA family, joining the elite group of swimmers who have earned this prestigious honor before her.”
Caitlin Clark won the prior two Honda Cups.
Previous swimming winners include Jill Sterkel (1981), Tracy Caulkins (1982, 1984), Mary T. Meagher (1987), Cristina Teuscher (2000), Tara Kirk (2004), Missy Franklin (2015), Katie Ledecky (2017) and Manuel (2018).
