GLASSBORO, NJ - Kristiina Castagnola, a graduate student midfielder from Rowan University, was named the DIII Honda Athlete of the Year finalist for field hockey as announced today by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.

Castagnola is now designated one of 11 finalists for the prestigious DIII Honda Athlete of the Year. This will be voted on at the end of the academic year by national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of THE CWSA program, now in its 47th year.

"Top of Her Game: Accolades Pour in for Division III Player of the Year Kristiina Castagnola"

"It is such an incredible honor to win the Honda Award for field hockey," said Castagnola. "It means a lot that I was selected for this award because it recognizes my athletic and my academic performance as well as my community involvement. There are so many amazing women who have won this award over the years, and to be able to join them in receiving it is such an honor and a privilege. I could never have done this without the support from my family, friends, teammates, coaches and the athletic department staff at Rowan."

Castagnola, hailing from Voorhees, N.J., was most recently named the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) DIII Player of the Year and is a two-time NFHCA First-Team All-American and three-time NFHCA All-American overall (Second-Team in 2019). She earned NJAC Midfielder of the Year honors for the second straight season and is a four-time First-Team All-NJAC honoree.
 
The midfielder leaves Rowan as the all-time leading scorer with 163 points (66 goals, 31 assists) and owns the single-season record for points by a midfielder with 52 in 2022. She ranks third among current DIII players in career points, fourth in career goals and tied for fifth in career assists.
 
Off the field, she has been named to the NFHCA National Academic Squad three times and is an NFHCA Scholar of Distinction. In addition, she was named a Third-Team CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2021-22.
 
"What an honor it is for Kristiina to be recognized as one of the top student-athletes in Division III," head coach Michelle Andre said. "The standard she has held herself to for all these years in the sport and school makes her very deserving of this honor."

All Honda Sports nominees from DIII and DII become a finalist for the prestigious 2023 Honda Athlete of the Year in their respective divisions, presented in a live telecast on CBS Sports Network in June, 2023, in downtown Los Angeles. The Honda Award finalists are recognized in 11 DIII and DII NCAA-sanctioned sports; cross country, basketball, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, volleyball, and track & field.

ABOUT THE HONDA AWARD

The CWSA, entering its 47th 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.