Alex Loera Wins Honda Award for Soccer

Posted: May 27, 2021

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – For the fourth time in program history, Santa Clara has the Honda Sport Award winner for soccer. Senior defender Alex Loera joins previous winners Brandi Chastain (1990-91), Aly Wagner (2001-02), and Leslie Osborne (2004-05).

The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 45 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies 'the best of the best in collegiate athletics.' The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2021 Honda Cup which will be presented on a telecast on CBS Sports Network, on June 28 at 6 p.m. Pacific.

Loera, the eighth finalist in school history, was chosen by a vote of administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools and beat out other finalists Emily Alvarado from TCU, Jaelin Howell from Florida State, and Ally Schlegel from Penn State.

"To win the Honda Award is one of the biggest honors I could ever receive," Loera said. "I am beyond grateful to be seen amongst the best in the country along with those that were finalists. My heart is full of gratitude to Santa Clara University for giving me a home and a wonderful program to play for. I want to send all the thanks in the world to my coaching staff - Jerry Smith, Curtis McAllister, and Gregg Murphy - for taking a chance on me and developing me into the best player I could be but also continuing to push me to keep getting better. I want to thank my teammates for constantly demanding excellence from me and pushing me to be the person and player I am today. Without Santa Clara I would not be where I am right now."

Loera, from Thornton, Colorado, was the College Cup Defensive Most Outstanding Player as well being named Second Team All-American, First Team All-West Region, the WCC Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row, and First Team All-WCC for the third consecutive season.

She was an anchor in the back for the National Champions, helping the Broncos to a perfect record in the West Coast Conference. In 12 games, Santa Clara conceded just nine goals while posting six clean sheets, including two in the NCAA Tournament.

"We are very proud of Alex Loera," Santa Clara head coach Jerry Smith. "It's great to see her recognized at the highest level. The Honda Award represents one of most prestigious awards a college athlete can win. Alex joins a very exclusive group of Santa Clara athletes to represent her sport and Santa Clara University on a national level. It is wonderful to see one of the student-athletes most responsible for us winning the National Championship being honored with her sport's Honda Award."

The CWSA, celebrating its 45th anniversary 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 commencing 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.

Santa Clara also had a finalists in women's soccer in 1993-94 (Jennifer Lalor), 1996-97 (Ele Johnson), 1999-00 (Mandi Clemens) and 2002-03 (Wagner).

"I am beyond excited to have won the program's second National Championship with such an amazing group of people and to be remembered with those who won in 2001," Loera said. "I want to give a special thank you to Leslie Osborne, who also won the Honda Award and National Championship, for constantly being a role model. I am so thankful to Santa Clara. Go Broncos!"

About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility

For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda's mission is to create products and services that improve the lives of people while conducting its business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Accordingly, Honda believes in helping people reach their life's potential through its focus on improving children's health, inspiring underrepresented students, preserving the environment for future generations, creating safety for everyone, and strengthening our communities. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.

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