June 5, 2007

Amanda Blumenherst, a Duke University sophomore and second-time Honda Sports Award nominee, has been chosen the nation's top collegiate female golfer for 2007. The honor was based on the results of national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards program, now in its 31st year.

Blumenherst's victory will earn her the 2007 Honda Sports Award, given annually to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports, along with automatic nomination for the 2007 Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. She was voted over three other nominees: Christel Boeljon, a sophomore at Purdue University, Stacy Lewis, a junior at the University of Arkansas, and Anna Nordqvist, a freshman from Arizona State University. The candidates were selected based on their finish at the NCAA Championships and Golfweek/Sagarin rating.

"It was a great honor for me just to be nominated for this award last year as a freshman," said Blumenherst. "And this year, as much as I wanted to win the award, I knew the best thing I could do would be to focus on my game and play solid golf. When I found out I won, I was surprised and truly honored! It's also really inspiring for me to see how previous Honda Award winners have gone on to become pro and done so much on the LPGA tour, and I'd love to join them after I graduate."

Blumenherst, a native of Scottsdale, AZ, led the Duke women's golf team to its third consecutive NCAA championship this year, personally posting 20 rounds even or under par for the season. She also claimed her second National Player of the Year Award, becoming one of only four players to win twice. A first team All-American, she finished her 2007 season with a #1 ranking in the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index.

Blumenherst posted a school-record stroke average (71.00), along with seven top-5 and 10 top-10 finishes in 10 tournaments this year. She also earned the Golfstat Cup for the second consecutive year, joining current LPGA player Lorena Ochoa as the only Division I golfer to win this honor on two different occasions. As a sophomore, Blumenherst earned her second straight PING NGCA College Player of the Year award, as well as the ACC Player of the Year award.

In addition to her achievements in golf, Blumenherst is an academic standout. She holds a 3.756 GPA and is majoring in history.

Previously announced Honda Sports Award recipients include Northwestern University's 3-time award winner, Kristen Kjellman for lacrosse; the University of Georgia's Courtney Kupets for gymnastics; the University of Tennessee's Candace Parker for basketball; the University of Georgia's Kara Lynn Joyce for swimming; the University of Nebraska's Sarah Pavan for volleyball; the University of North Carolina's Heather O'Reilly for soccer; the University of Maryland's Paula Infante for field hockey and Texas Tech's Sally Kipyego for cross-country. Honda Sports Award winners in softball, tennis and track & field will be announced shortly. 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 in New York on June 25th 2007.

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. sponsors the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Program.