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Princeton University Athletics
Rachael Becker Wins Honda Sports Award For Lacrosse
May 27, 2003 | Women's Lacrosse
May 27, 2003
Princeton, N.J. - Rachael Becker has to be running out of room in her trophy case. The Princeton senior was named the Honda Sports Award recipient for lacrosse after guiding her team to back-to-back NCAA titles and is now a finalist for the Honda-Broderick Cup awarded annually to the nation's most outstanding collegiate women's athlete.
This year's Ivy League Player of the Year, Becker led a defense that allowed a mere 4.5 goals per game this postseason and was named the NCAA Tournament MVP.
"I couldn't ask for a better way to go out than winning the national title," says Becker. "The Honda Award is really icing on the cake."
Becker, a first-team All-America honoree this season, finished tied for the nation's lead in caused turnovers with 56. She had 70 ground balls and for the second straight season and led the Tigers in minutes played while marking the opponents' top offensive threat all season long. A standout all four years, Becker started all 78 games of her collegiate lacrosse career. Also a captain for Field Hockey, she has seven Ivy League titles in eight seasons played. A three-time first-team All-America in lacrosse, Becker is Tewaaraton Trophy finalist for the second year in a row.
This year's Honda recipient for lacrosse, Becker will be placed on a ballot with 12 women for the Honda-Broderick Cup. The Cup winner will be announced and a presentation will be made at a press conference on Monday, June 23 at 11 a.m. in New York City.
Past Cup winners include Jackie Joyner (UCLA), Mia Hamm (North Carolina) and Rebecca Lobo (UConn). There are currently nine nominees on this year's ballot, which will be complete on June 4 and sent out to NCAA institutions for voting.
"It's an honor to be grouped with all those great athletes," adds Becker, who looks to become the first Princeton athlete and first women's lacrosse player to win the Honda-Broderick Cup. "The Honda award is very nice and very special."
Current Nominees for the 2003 Honda-Broderick Cup Rachael Becker lacrosse Princeton University Natalie Coughlin swimming California Shalane Flanagan cross country North Carolina Elva Goulbourne track & field Auburn Christine Sinclair soccer Portland Tiffany Snow field hockey Old Dominion Diana Taurasi basketball Connecticut Logan Tom volleyball Stanford Onnie Willis gymnastics UCLA