Virginia’s swimming phenom Gretchen Walsh has officially joined the pantheon of all-time greats after being named the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. The announcement came Monday night in New York City as she hoisted the coveted Honda Cup — and with it, a place in history as the best of the best across all NCAA women’s sports in 2025.
The senior capped off a record-shattering collegiate run by finally winning the big one after being a finalist last year. And honestly? She’s still letting it sink in.
“I feel like I’m on cloud nine right now,” Walsh said at the ceremony, still catching her breath — not from the pool this time, but from the moment itself.
Walsh Finally Gets Her Crown After Years of Dominance
Gretchen Walsh is no stranger to accolades, but the Honda Cup had eluded her — until now.
The Virginia star has already won the Honda Sport Award for Swimming and Diving two years in a row, and she helped turn the Cavaliers into a dynasty. She racked up 25 NCAA titles during her college career, not to mention her Olympic gold. And yet, last year she watched Iowa’s Caitlin Clark — who lit up college basketball like Times Square — take the overall prize.
Not this time.
The Collegiate Women Sports Awards board chose Walsh from a shortlist of three elite athletes: herself, Paige Bueckers of UConn basketball, and NiJaree Canady, the pitching powerhouse from Texas Tech softball. Votes poured in from nearly 1,000 NCAA schools, but in the end, the board made the call.
Her win marks a turning point: swimming, often overlooked in the shadow of court sports, is back in the spotlight.
A Different Kind of Endurance Sport
There’s something about swimming that sets it apart from other college sports — the grind is brutal, the schedule’s relentless, and the rewards can feel fleeting.
Walsh spoke candidly about it.
“This sport never stops. It’s all year long,” she said. “But to have moments like this — where all that work, all those 5 a.m. practices, it finally means something bigger — it’s just… I don’t know. It’s a lot.”
That “lot” is something every swimmer understands. Long hours staring at a black line on the bottom of the pool. Training cycles that feel endless. Taper meets that either make you or break you. There’s no marching band. No halftime. Just you, your lane, and the clock.
That’s part of what makes this award so meaningful.
Representing Swimming, and Something Bigger
Walsh didn’t just take the mic to celebrate herself. She made sure to shine the light on swimming as a whole — and the women who built the path before her.
“I feel like this is a win for swimming, too,” she said. “Especially for women in the sport.”
She shouted out the icons who came before her, like Katie Ledecky — still competing, still dominating, but also mentoring. Especially on international team trips.
In a sport where mentorship doesn’t always get the same attention as individual medals, it meant something.
• “Katie’s always been there for me,” Walsh added. “Just the way she carries herself, the way she talks to younger swimmers — it matters more than people see.”
Beating the Odds in a Stacked Field
Let’s be real — this wasn’t a shallow talent pool.
Walsh wasn’t just the best swimmer — she was the best athlete, full stop. And considering Bueckers had a comeback season worthy of a sports docuseries, and Canady was basically unhittable all spring, that’s saying something.
But it was Walsh’s full resume — the combination of longevity, consistency, and international success — that put her over the top.
The Weight of the Honda Cup
For nearly five decades, the Honda Cup has honored the nation’s top female collegiate athletes. Past winners include legends like Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Misty May-Treanor, and Candace Parker.
So yeah, this isn’t just a “nice trophy.”
It’s validation on the biggest stage for women in college sports.
Walsh becomes just the second swimmer in the last ten years to win it, following Stanford’s Simone Manuel in 2017. It’s a reminder that even in a world obsessed with highlight reels and viral dunks, the pool still produces giants.
And it’s a nod to the people behind the scenes, too.
“The coaching staff, my family, my teammates — this is their award as much as it is mine,” Walsh said, holding back tears. “They’ve all pushed me further than I thought I could go.”
What’s Next? No One Knows—And That’s the Fun Part
Now that her NCAA career is over, what’s next for Gretchen Walsh?
She hasn’t made any official announcements. But with Paris 2028 on the horizon and a name that holds weight internationally, don’t be shocked if she’s headlining again before long.
Still, for tonight, she just wanted to enjoy the moment.
“Being part of this group of women, different sports, different backgrounds, but all doing amazing things — it’s really cool to feel seen,” she said. “I’ll never forget this night.”
She meant it. And you could see it in her smile.
