Northwestern University Athletics
Zimmer Repeats as Honda Sport Award Winner in Field Hockey
2/3/2026 3:15:00 PM | Field Hockey
NEW YORK — Northwestern field hockey's Maddie Zimmer has been named the Honda Sport Award Winner for Field Hockey for the second consecutive year, the Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) announced Tuesday.
Zimmer, one of three Wildcats to have won the award alongside Jennifer Averill (1986) and Gretchen Schevermann (1994), is the first repeat winner in program history. She is just the sixth back-to-back winner in the award's history.
The honor was awarded via a nationwide vote of administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Other finalists included Bronte-May Brough (Harvard), Bo van Kempen (Syracuse) and Beth Yeager (Princeton).
Zimmer, a two-time National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) National Player of the Year, garnered NFHCA First Team All-American honors on four occasions in her illustrious collegiate career. The midfielder won two Big Ten Player of the Year awards and was a two-time NFHCA West Region Player of the Year.
"I'm incredibly honored and grateful to be named the Honda Sport Award Winner for Field Hockey again this year," Zimmer said. "I owe a big thank you to my family, coaches, teammates, and community at Northwestern for their unwavering support throughout this season and my collegiate career. My time at Northwestern has been nothing short of remarkable, and I'll always be grateful to be a Wildcat and work alongside some of the best coaches and players in the country."
The Hershey, Pa., native helped guide Northwestern to the 2025 national championship, tallying 27 points on 17 assists and five goals in her final season with the Wildcats. The three-time NCAA Tournament MVP (2021, 2024, 2025) was an essential contributor to Northwestern's three national titles, including repeat wins in 2024 and 2025.
Zimmer recorded 30 goals and 34 assists for 94 points in 109 career appearances. She ranks 15th in the program's all-time career points leaderboard. In her final two seasons, Zimmer went undefeated in regular-season Big Ten play.
"Maddie is an exceptional Field Hockey player, but more importantly, an incredible teammate, leader, and competitor," Head Coach Tracey Fuchs (Class of 1988 Honda Award winner) said. "She is so deserving to be the back-to-back Honda Award winner and epitomizes what it means to be a Northwestern Student Athlete!"
For the second consecutive year, Zimmer is a finalist for Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and Class of 2026 Honda Cup. The honor will be presented live on Monday, July 27, at 6 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network.
Honda Award Winner ????. Maddie Zimmer. ??
— Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) February 3, 2026
Olympian, 3x National Champion, 2x NFHCA Player of the Year, 5x All-American. Always a Wildcat.?? pic.twitter.com/EXgHInWWS0
Zimmer, one of three Wildcats to have won the award alongside Jennifer Averill (1986) and Gretchen Schevermann (1994), is the first repeat winner in program history. She is just the sixth back-to-back winner in the award's history.
The honor was awarded via a nationwide vote of administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Other finalists included Bronte-May Brough (Harvard), Bo van Kempen (Syracuse) and Beth Yeager (Princeton).
Zimmer, a two-time National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) National Player of the Year, garnered NFHCA First Team All-American honors on four occasions in her illustrious collegiate career. The midfielder won two Big Ten Player of the Year awards and was a two-time NFHCA West Region Player of the Year.
The 2025 @NFHCA ???????????????? Player of the Year. ??
— Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) December 18, 2025
Maddie Zimmer, the ????????-????-???????? best on the field ?? pic.twitter.com/lQFX5Oasyd
"I'm incredibly honored and grateful to be named the Honda Sport Award Winner for Field Hockey again this year," Zimmer said. "I owe a big thank you to my family, coaches, teammates, and community at Northwestern for their unwavering support throughout this season and my collegiate career. My time at Northwestern has been nothing short of remarkable, and I'll always be grateful to be a Wildcat and work alongside some of the best coaches and players in the country."
The Hershey, Pa., native helped guide Northwestern to the 2025 national championship, tallying 27 points on 17 assists and five goals in her final season with the Wildcats. The three-time NCAA Tournament MVP (2021, 2024, 2025) was an essential contributor to Northwestern's three national titles, including repeat wins in 2024 and 2025.
???????????? ???????????? ??????
— Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) November 25, 2025
Three national titles + three-time Most Outstanding Player. One of the best to ever wear the ??. ???? pic.twitter.com/GRHYITwXp5
Zimmer recorded 30 goals and 34 assists for 94 points in 109 career appearances. She ranks 15th in the program's all-time career points leaderboard. In her final two seasons, Zimmer went undefeated in regular-season Big Ten play.
"Maddie is an exceptional Field Hockey player, but more importantly, an incredible teammate, leader, and competitor," Head Coach Tracey Fuchs (Class of 1988 Honda Award winner) said. "She is so deserving to be the back-to-back Honda Award winner and epitomizes what it means to be a Northwestern Student Athlete!"
Captain, selfless teammate, and a Wildcat forever ??
— Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) November 26, 2025
Couldn't be more proud of ????. ?? ?? pic.twitter.com/aP9fIg2A54
For the second consecutive year, Zimmer is a finalist for Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and Class of 2026 Honda Cup. The honor will be presented live on Monday, July 27, at 6 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network.
Players Mentioned
M
/ Field HockeyField Hockey - Back-to-back. 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒. 🏆 2025 NCAA Final Cinematic Recap
Tuesday, December 09
Field Hockey - Wildcats Repeat as National Champs with 2OT Game-Winner over Princeton (11/29/25)
Sunday, November 23
Field Hockey - With 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭. NCAA Semifinal Cinematic Recap (11/21/25)
Sunday, November 23
Field Hockey - ’Cats Topple No. 1 UNC 4-3 in Overtime, Clinch Fifth Straight Title Appearance
Friday, November 21
