Northwestern University Athletics
Kjellman Voted Top Female Lacrosse Athlete, Will Receive Honda Award
6/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
June 4, 2007
NEW YORK -- Kristen Kjellman of Northwestern University has been chosen the nation's top collegiate female lacrosse athlete for 2007, marking the third year in a row that she has won the prestigious award. The honor was based on the results of national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards program, now in its 31st year.
Kjellman's victory will earn her the 2007 Honda Sports Award, given annually to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports, along with automatic nomination for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. She was voted over three other nominees: Caroline Cryer from Duke University, Dana Dobbie from the University of Maryland and Mary Key from Johns Hopkins University. The candidates were selected by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA).
"I'm truly honored to win this award once again, especially since the other three nominees are such great lacrosse players," said Kjellman. "Each year I've played for Northwestern has been so different -- with new team chemistry each season. Ultimately, however, my coaches and teammates are the ones that have pushed and driven me, molding me into the player I am today. This year, as a senior, it was my goal for myself and for the team to go out on top and I couldn't ask for a better finish to the season."
A senior from Westwood, Mass., Kjellman led Northwestern's women's lacrosse team to its third straight NCAA championship this year, and in doing so, set the NCAA all-time tournament record with 39 career goals in 14 games. She finished the season ranked 17th in the nation in goals per game (3.0), and set an NCAA all-time record with 268 draw controls and a career 3.29 draw controls per game average.
Kjellman finished her college career as the only player to score 66 goals and 80 draw controls this season. She posted a school record of 250 goals and 99 assists in her career. In the four years she played for Northwestern, she recorded at least 50 goals and 70 points every year and was named American Lacrosse Conference (ALC) Player of Year for the third time as well as a four-time first team All-ALC selection. Kjellman also won the Tewaaraton Trophy the past two years as the nation's top female lacrosse player, the only player ever to win the award in consecutive seasons.
Previously announced Honda Sports Award recipients include the University of Georgia's Courtney Kupets for Gymnastics; the University of Tennessee's Candace Parker for basketball; the University of Georgia's Kara Lynn Joyce for swimming; the University of Nebraska's Sarah Pavan for volleyball; the University of North Carolina's Heather O'Reilly for soccer; the University of Maryland's Paula Infante for field hockey and Texas Tech's Sally Kipyego for cross-country. Honda Sports Award winners in golf, softball, tennis, and track & field will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year will be determined by separate balloting involving all NCAA-member institutions and the winner will receive the Honda-Broderick Cup at Columbia University in New York on June 25, 2007.
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. sponsors the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Program.
Awards Contact:
Adam Weissman/Harvey Bolgla
Dobbin/Bolgla Associates
156 Fifth Avenue, Suite 523
New York, NY 10010
Phone: (212) 388-1400/ Fax: (212) 388-1490
aweissman@dba-pr.com / hbolgla@dba-pr.com
Northwestern University Contact:
Adam Widman
Northwestern University
Associate Director for Media Services
1501 Central Street
Evanston, IL 60208
Ph: 847-467-3758, Fax 847-491-8818
E-mail: awidman@northwestern.edu
