Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG - The dream season for Hokie softball player Angela Tincher continued on Tuesday when the most decorated female athlete ever at Virginia Tech was named the Honda Award winner for softball. This is the 32nd year that The Honda Award has been presented by the Board of Directors of The Collegiate Women's Sports Awards and Tincher now joins 11 other female athletes who have qualified for the Honda-Broderick Cup, which is awarded to the nation's Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year.
"This has been an amazing year for me as far as team goals and personal goals are concerned," said the Eagle Rock, Va., native. "I'm very honored to be recognized by Honda and to be put in the same category as many players I have looked up to and respected along the way. I'm very grateful to my teammates and coaches, and those who worked behind the scenes to make this all possible."
This is the second national player of the year honor for the senior and she is now only the second player ever to win both the Honda Award and USA Softball National Player of the Year award. Florida State's Jessica van der Linden completed the sweep in 2004. Tincher one-upped her fellow ACC legend by also winning the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award and was also named the Academic All-America of the Year by CoSIDA. She now has hit the grand slam of major college softball awards, which is especially impressive since she didn't have an at bat in college.
A three-time All-American, Tincher finished the 2008 season leading the nation in ERA (0.63) and strikeouts (669). It's the second-straight season she has led the nation in earned run average. Tincher led the Hokies to their first Women's College World Series appearance, where she was named to the all-tournament team. She set career school records for strikeouts, wins, innings pitched, saves, ERA and just about every other positive stat.
On the largest stage of all, Tincher showed the softball world why she was worthy of national player of the year honors. She no-hit the U.S. National Team in Tech's 1-0 upset win, helping break the Red, White and Blue's 185-game pre-Olympic exhibition tour winning streak. This is the team that will head to Beijing this summer looking to defend its three gold medals.
Tincher was the No. 3 overall draft pick of the Akron Racers and will make her pro debut Wednesday at home against defending champion Washington.
The American Honda Motor Car Co., Inc. will donate $5,000.00 to the women's athletic program at Virginia Tech on Tincher's behalf.
Previously announced 2008 Honda Sports Award recipients include: Texas Tech's Sally Kipyego for cross-country, the University of North Carolina's Rachel Dawson for field hockey, Texas A&MUniversity's Ashlee Pistorius for soccer, Stanford University's Foluke Akinradewo for volleyball, University of Florida's Caroline Burckle for swimming & diving, the University of Tennessee's Candace Parker for basketball, the University of Georgia's Katie Heenan for gymnastics, Northwestern University's Hannah Nielsen for lacrosse, Duke University's Amanda Blumenherst for golf and Georgia Tech's Amanda McDowell for tennis. The Honda Sports Award winner in track & field will be announced later this week. 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's Low Library on Monday, June 23.