SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Fresh off a National Championship, No. 1 Santa Clara women's soccer senior defender Alex Loera was named one of four finalists for the Honda Award. The other nominees are Emily Alvarado from TCU, Jaelin Howell from Florida State, and Ally Schlegel from Penn State.

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.

The soccer finalists were selected by a panel of coaches and experts from the United Soccer Coaches association. The Honda Sport award winner for soccer will be announced next week after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.

Loera, from Thornton, Colorado, was 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.

She was an anchor in the back for the 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.

Santa Clara has three previous Honda Award winners: Brandi Chastain in 1990, Aly Wagner in 2001, and Leslie Osborne in 2004.

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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