University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Rachel Garcia Wins 2018 Honda Award
June 11, 2018 | Softball
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LOS ANGELES - Redshirt sophomore Rachel Garcia has been named the Honda Sport Award winner for Softball, as announced on Monday by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA).
The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 42 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports and signifies "the best of the best in collegiate athletics". With this honor, Garcia becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2018 Honda Cup, which will be presented on a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on Monday, June 25, 2018, in downtown Los Angeles. Garcia joins UCLA women's gymnastics' Christine Peng-Peng Lee as two of the 12 finalists for the award.
Garcia was chosen by a vote of administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Softball finalists included Kelly Barnhill (Florida), Amanda Lorenz (Florida) and Paige Parker (Oklahoma).
Garcia is the seventh Bruin to earn the Honda Sport Award for Softball, and it is also the 10th time a UCLA softball player has won the honor. Garcia joins Debbie Doom (1984), two-time winner Lisa Longaker (1988, 1990), Janice Parks (1989), three-time winner Lisa Fernandez (1991, 1992, 1993), Jennifer Brundage (1995) and Natasha Watley (2003). Both Fernandez (1993) and Watley also went on to win the Honda Cup.
"I am so grateful to receive the Honda Award for Softball," Garcia said. "It is extremely humbling and a great honor to be named in the same sentence with softball Bruin greats who have won this award, including Lisa Fernandez and Natasha Watley, who I have looked up to throughout my softball career. Our team was so special and we had a great run this season. Anything that I have accomplished I did for my teammates who were with me the entire way. I want to thank my coaching staff for believing in me and allowing me to do what I needed to do. I want to thank my family for their continued support day in and day out. It is so special to be a Bruin and I am pleased that I can represent UCLA as a student-athlete."
This season, Garcia earned a plethora of awards: All-Women's College World Series Team, NFCA First Team All-American, NFCA First Team All-Region, Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year, All-Pac-12 First Team, two-time NFCA National Pitcher of the Week (April 17 and 24), two-time USA Softball National Player of the Week (Feb. 27 and April 17), one-time NFCA National Player of the Week (Feb. 27), four-time Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week (April 16, April 23, May 7 and May 14) and one-time Pac-12 Player of the Week (April 16).
Garcia pitched in 23 of the Bruins' 27 innings in the WCWS, recording 42 strikeouts, a pair of wins and three complete games. She struck out 15 in both Bruin victories against Florida State (May 31) and Florida (June 1), adding 12 strikeouts in nine innings on June 3 versus FSU. At the plate, she had an RBI single in game one of the June 3 doubleheader against FSU. Garcia threw 65 1/3 of UCLA's 75 1/3 innings in the NCAA Tournament, striking out 97 and posting a 1.82 earned run average and an 8-2 record. At the plate, she hit .273 (9-for-33) with 10 RBI, which was second on the team, and two homers, which was tied for second.
"What an honor for Rachel to be named the 2018 Honda Sport Award winner for Softball," said UCLA head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. "Rachel is a fierce competitor who plays with passion and fire and loves to compete on the big stage. She plays for her team and they play BIG behind her. Rachel represents UCLA Softball with class and we are proud."
Honda Sport Award winners will be presented with the honor during on-campus presentations throughout the year.
The CWSA, in its 42nd year, honors the nation's top NCAA women athletes 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.
Players Mentioned
