Emory's Liz Horvat Nominated for the Honda Division III Athlete of the Year Award

Liz Horvat, of the Emory University women's swimming and diving team, has been nominated as a candidate for the 2008-09 Division III Athlete of the Year, to be presented at the Collegiate Women Sports Awards in June.

Horvat was chosen as the Division III swimming and diving representative, and will be one of 11 nominees selected.  Other current nominees include Marie Borner of Bethel University (cross country), Hillary Klimowicz of the College of New Jersey (basketball), Lindsay McNamara of Bowdoin College (field hockey), Amanda Naeher of Messiah College (soccer) and Amber Thomas of Juniata College (volleyball).

Horvat was named the NCAA Division III Women' Swimmer of the Year, after winning four national championships and setting four Division III records at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships.  Horvat opened the meet with a win in the 500-yard freestyle, setting a Division III record with a time of 4:47.04.  She followed that with a Division III record time of 4:16.17 in the 400-yard individual medley on the second day of the meet.  On day three, Horvat was part of Emory's national champion 800-yard freestyle relay team, which swam a record time of 7:21.05.  The sophomore concluded the meet with her fourth national championship and Division III record time, winning the 1,650-yard freestyle with a mark of 16:30.17.

Horvat became the first Eagle to earn a national Swimmer of the Year honor, and matched a school record with four national championships at one meet.  Her performances during the week helped the Emory women to a second-place finish at the NCAA Division III Championships.

Horvat will try to join former Eagle Mary Ellen Gordon as an Athlete of the Year honoree.  Gordon, a women's tennis player, won the award for her performance during the 2003-04 season.

The Collegiate Women Sports Awards has completed its 33rd year and recognizes the top woman collegiate athlete in each of 11 sports in Divisions III as nominees for the Division III Athlete of the Year.  Divisions III athletes are nominated by national coaches associations for each of the 11 sports:  basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, track and field and volleyball.  The athletes are placed on ballots emailed to all Division III Senior Women Administrators in June every year and the Athlete of the Year is determined by the outcome of the voting.

The awards program is sponsored by American Honda Motor Co., Inc. and to celebrate these awards American Honda Motor Co., Inc. donates $1,000 to the women's athletic fund of each Honda Sports Award nominee's university and each Division III nominee's university.  The Division III winner's institutions receive $5,000 each.

A press conference will be held June 22, 2009 at Columbia University in New York City to announce and present The Divisions II and III Athletes of the Year along with the recipients of the Honda-Broderick Cup the Honda Inspiration Award.