Louisiana State University's Kimberlyn Duncan Receives Honda Sports Award for Track and Field

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Jun 14, 2012, 11:40 ET

LOS ANGELES, June 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- After successfully defending her NCAA title in the 200 meters and leading her Louisiana State University team to the 2012 NCAA national outdoor track championship, Kimberlyn Duncan has been named the Honda Sports Award recipient for track and field. Duncan's selection by the Collegiate Women Sports Awards program recognizes her as the country's top female athlete in her sport.

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Duncan, a junior, anchored LSU's victorious 4x100 relay team and was second in the 100 meters as the Lady Tigers won their first national outdoor title since 2008 and 26th in the school's history. The 10-time All-American, seven-time SEC champion, and eight-time All-SEC honoree has been dominant in the 200 meters, finishing the collegiate season ranked No. 2 in the world in the event. She is also the first woman to sweep the indoor and outdoor 200 meter crowns in back-to-back seasons and has posted four of the 10 fastest 200-meter times run under all conditions (wind-aided or wind-legal) in NCAA history.

"I'm certainly honored that I would even be considered for the Honda Sports Award," said Duncan. "This has been an amazing season for our team as our total focus has been on winning a national championship. I'm proud of everyone on this team for how we really stepped it up to achieve that goal last week at Drake (University). That's what our program is known for, and we're proud to be able to continue that tradition of winning national championships at LSU."

As a sophomore, Duncan was the top individual point scorer with 20.5 at the 2011 NCAA championships and became the sixth athlete in history to sweep indoor and outdoor titles in the 200 meters in the same season. She also anchored the Lady Tigers to their 13th national title in the 4x100 relay. That year she received the James J. Corbett Award, presented to the top female athlete at LSU. As a senior at Cypress High School in Katy, Texas, she captured the Region 2-5A championship in the 200 meters and went on to win the state title in that event. At LSU she is majoring in sport administration with an emphasis on sport commerce.

The Honda Sports Award is presented annually to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports. As a Honda prize recipient, Duncan becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious Honda Cup, to be presented this year on June 23, in a live broadcast from the ESPN studios in Los Angeles. She was chosen by a vote of coaches from 1,000 NCAA member schools. Finalists included Brigetta Barrett of the University of Arizona, high jump; Christina Manning of Ohio State University, hurdles; and Jeneva McCall of Southern Illinois University, throws.

Honda has been a sponsor of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards for 26 years. Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has provided more than $2.5 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women's athletics programs at the institutions. Joining Duncan on the current roster of 2012 Honda Sports Award winners are Sheila Reid of Villanova University (Cross Country), Megan Frazer of the University of Maryland (Field Hockey), Teresa Noyola of Stanford University (Soccer), Alex Jupiter of the University of Southern California (Volleyball), Caitlin Leverenz of the University of California, Berkeley (Swimming & Diving), Brittney Griner of Baylor University (Basketball), Kytra Hunter of the University of Florida (Gymnastics), Brooke Pancake of the University of Alabama (Golf), Nicole Gibbs of Stanford University (Tennis), Taylor Thornton of Northwestern University (Lacrosse), Keilani Ricketts of the University of Oklahoma (Softball), Honda Division II Athlete of the Year, Kari Daugherty of Ashland University (Basketball), Honda Division III Athlete of the Year, Stacey Hagensen of Pacific Lutheran University (Softball), and 2012 Honda Inspiration Award Winner, Elena Delle Donne of the University of Delaware (Basketball).