Bolton Honored at 2022 CWSA Honda Cup Ceremony in Los Angeles

Liberty field hockey’s Jill Bolton, the 2022 Honda Sport Award winner for field hockey, was honored with the rest of the Honda Sport Award Class of 2022 on Monday evening at The 46th Annual Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards (CWSA) Show in Los Angeles.

Bolton was a Top 12 finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year, the CWSA’s highest honor, with Monday evening’s broadcast aired live on CBS Sports Network at USC’s Galen Center.

The Top 3 finalists from the evening included South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston (basketball), Oklahoma’s Jocelyn Alo (softball) and Florida Trinity Thomas (gymnastics), with Boston receiving the prestigious 2022 Honda Cup. The award is chosen by the CWSA Board of Directors.

The 2021 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division I National Player of the Year, Bolton is the first Liberty student-athlete in school history to earn the Honda Sport Award, which she received on Jan. 5.

The award has presented annually by the Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) for the past 46 years to the top female athlete in 12 NCAA sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in college athletics”

Bolton edged out Maryland’s Brooke DeBerdine, North Carolina’s Erin Matson and Iowa’s Maddy Murphy to win receive the Honda Sport Award for field hockey. The field hockey finalists were selected by a panel of coaches and experts from the NFHCA. The Honda Sport Award winner was voted on by administrators from over 1,000 member schools, with each NCAA member institution receiving a vote.

2022 Honda Cup Winner

Aliyah Boston, South Carolina, Basketball

2022 Honda Cup Top 3

Aliyah Boston, South Carolina, Basketball

Jocelyn Alo, Oklahoma, Softball

Trinity Thomas, Florida, Gymnastics

2022 Honda Sport Award Winners

Jill Bolton, Liberty, Field Hockey

Jocelyn Alo, Oklahoma, Softball

Aliyah Boston, South Carolina, Basketball

Kate Douglass, Virginia, Swimming & Diving

Trinity Thomas, Florida, Gymnastics

Dana Rettke, Wisconsin, Volleyball

Rose Zhang, Stanford, Golf

Whittni Orton, BYU, Cross Country

Jamie Ortega, North Carolina, Lacrosse

Abby Steiner, Kentucky, Track & Field

Jaelin Howell, Florida State, Soccer

Peyton Stearns, Texas, Tennis

“It is a huge honor for Liberty to be represented by Jill at the Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards among the very best female student-athletes in the nation.”

Ian McCaw, Liberty Director of Athletics

“We are honored to celebrate Jill as our institution's first recipient of the Honda Award.  Jill is forever a member of an elite sisterhood that solidifies herself as "the best of the best." She has been an exemplary representative of Liberty University and will forever be recognized as one of Liberty's most distinguished student-athletes.”

Erin Hagen, Liberty Senior Associate Athletics Director for Administration/SWA

“The impact Jill had on our program is profound. Winning the Honda Award further solidifies her spot in Liberty Field Hockey history. She truly has been and continues to be a catalyst for this program.”

Nikki Parsley-Blocker, Liberty Field Hockey Head Coach

The Honda Cup has been bestowed in the past on such talented and accomplished athletes as Mia Hamm, Cheryl Miller, Tara Kirk, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Misty May and Candace Parker. This year’s Collegiate Women’s Sports Award Show comes shortly after the 50-year anniversary of Title IX legislation, passed on June 23, 1972. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 was enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Richard Nixon, prohibiting sex discrimination in any educational program or activity receiving any type of financial aid.

“No person in the United State shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving financial assistance.”

The CWSA, in its 46th 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 beginning its partnership 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.

Nominations for the 12 Division I individual Honda Sports Awards came from coaches’ panels, All-America committees or finish at the respective national championships. Four nominees for each sport were received for the 12 Division I Honda Sports Awards.

Bolton’s other career accomplishments include:

• Three-time NFHCA All-American (first team in spring and fall 2021, third team in 2019)

• 2021 NFHCA South Region Player of the Year

• 2021 BIG EAST Championship MVP

• 2021 NCAA Field Hockey Championship All-Tournament team

• 2022 Liberty Athletics Rock Royer/Mac Rivera Award winner

• Five-time All-BIG EAST first team honoree

• Five-time NFHCA All-Region selection (three first team, two second team honors)

• Two-time VaSID Player of the Year

• Five-time VaSID All-State (four first team, one second team)

• Three-time BIG EAST All-Tournament team

• Three-time NFHCA Division I Offensive Player of the Week

• Six-time BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week

• Program record holder in goals (61) and points (156), ranked third in career assists (34)

• Guided Liberty to a nation-best 20 wins in fall 2021 and its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Field Hockey Championship title game

• Earned bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in May 2021 and earned a graduate certificate in management & leadership in Dec. 2021

• 2021 BIG EAST All-Academic team

• Led Liberty to nation-best 20 wins this fall and its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Field Hockey Championship title game. Bolton and the Lady Flames reached an NCAA Elite 8, Final Four and championship game for the first time in any sport in Liberty Athletics history.

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