Johansson Named Honda Sport Award Finalist

Axelina Johansson of the University of Nebraska, University of Georgia teammates Adaejah Hodge and Dejanea Oakley, and Sanu Jallow-Lockhart from the University of Arkansas have been announced as the four finalists for the Class of 2026 Honda Sport Award for track & field, as revealed today by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of The Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA).

The announcement comes during a landmark moment for the organization, as the CWSA celebrates its 50th anniversary during the 2025-26 collegiate athletics season. For five decades, the Honda Sport Award has honored the nation’s top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports, symbolizing “the best of the best in collegiate athletics.” The recipient will become a finalist for the prestigious Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the Class of 2026 Honda Cup, to be presented live on Monday, July 27, at 6 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network.

The track & field finalists were selected by a panel of experts and coaches from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The Honda Sport award winner for track & field will be announced later this week after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools.

Johansson, a senior from Hok, Sweden, capped her outstanding career by winning the 2026 NCAA outdoor shot put title with a meet-record throw after setting the second-farthest mark in NCAA history to win the Big Ten championship. A four-time NCAA champion, eight-time All-American and six-time Big Ten champion, Johansson was a two-time Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year and three-time USTFCCCA Midwest Region Field Athlete of the Year.

As the CWSA marks its 50th anniversary, the organization continues its longstanding mission to honor excellence in athletics, leadership, academics, and community service. Since 1986, Honda has contributed more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to support women’s athletics programs nationwide.