Butler Named Winner Of Honda Sport Award For Track & Field
ATHENS, Ga. — University of Georgia junior sprinter Aaliyah Butler has been named the winner of the Honda Sport Award for Track & Field, as revealed by The Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) Thursday.
Butler joins Kendell Williams (2017) as the only two Bulldogs to ever receive this honor. Butler gives the Southeastern Conference four straight winners and six winners out of the last eight years.
Since Georgia standout Dasha Vidmanova has already been awarded the Honda Sport Award for Women’s Tennis for the 2024-25 academic year, this gives the Bulldogs’ four instances of having two winners from different sports in a year (Karra Lynn Joyce, swimming; Courtney Kupets, gymnastics – 2006-07; Kim Arnold, gymnastics; Marissa Catlin, tennis – 1997-98; Cindy Schreyer, golf; Lisa Spain, tennis – 1983-84).
The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 49 years, recognizing the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports and symbolizing “the best of the best in collegiate athletics.” The recipient of the sport award is now a finalist for the prestigious Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the 2025 Honda Cup, which will be presented during the live broadcast of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Presented by Honda on June 30, at 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
Butler was chosen by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.
“I am so honored to receive this award and have my name mentioned with winners of the past, including the great Bulldog Kendell Williams,” Butler said. “This helps show me the hard work and dedication that I’ve put in is paying off. I want to thank all involved for making me this year’s honoree, and I cannot wait to share this experience with the award winners from the other sports.”
Butler, hailing from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., delivered a standout 2025 season, headlined by her individual national title in the 400-meter dash at last week’s NCAA Outdoor Championships. Her winning time of 49.26 not only set a new school record, but also marked the fifth-fastest performance in collegiate history. Butler also anchored Georgia’s 4x400m relay to victory, securing the program’s first-ever national title in the event and helping propel the Bulldogs to their first NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship.
Throughout the season, the junior dominated the SEC, sweeping both the indoor and outdoor 400m titles. Her consistent excellence earned her four NCAA First Team All-America honors in 2025 alone, bringing her career total to 11 All-America accolades. A fixture on the Bowerman Watch List with seven appearances, she also excelled academically as a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
A 2024 Olympic gold medalist as part of Team USA’s 4x400m relay squad, Butler continues to affirm her place among the elite in collegiate and international track and field.
“What an outstanding accomplishment for such a well-deserving young woman,” Georgia Director of Track & Field Caryl Smith Gilbert said. “Aaliyah is a unique talent. She has superior talent and teams that with an elite work ethic. Aaliyah doesn’t say much, but her actions on the track, in the classroom and in the rest of her life reflect what sort of student-athlete and person she is becoming during this journey in Athens. She and I, along with the rest of the University of Georgia family, understand what an immense honor this is, and are super appreciative of the recognition.”
The CWSA, now in its 49th year, celebrates the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their excellence in athletics, leadership, academics, and community service. Since its partnership began in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of award winners and nominees, supporting the growth and success of women’s athletics programs.
About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility and the Honda USA Foundation
For more than 65 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. The company’s mission is to create products and services that help people fulfill their life’s potential, while conducting business in a sustainable manner and fostering an inclusive workplace. Advancing its corporate social responsibility, Honda and the Honda USA Foundation support this direction through giving focused on education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety, and community.
Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.
Butler joins Kendell Williams (2017) as the only two Bulldogs to ever receive this honor. Butler gives the Southeastern Conference four straight winners and six winners out of the last eight years.
Since Georgia standout Dasha Vidmanova has already been awarded the Honda Sport Award for Women’s Tennis for the 2024-25 academic year, this gives the Bulldogs’ four instances of having two winners from different sports in a year (Karra Lynn Joyce, swimming; Courtney Kupets, gymnastics – 2006-07; Kim Arnold, gymnastics; Marissa Catlin, tennis – 1997-98; Cindy Schreyer, golf; Lisa Spain, tennis – 1983-84).
The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 49 years, recognizing the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports and symbolizing “the best of the best in collegiate athletics.” The recipient of the sport award is now a finalist for the prestigious Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the 2025 Honda Cup, which will be presented during the live broadcast of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Presented by Honda on June 30, at 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
Butler was chosen by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.
“I am so honored to receive this award and have my name mentioned with winners of the past, including the great Bulldog Kendell Williams,” Butler said. “This helps show me the hard work and dedication that I’ve put in is paying off. I want to thank all involved for making me this year’s honoree, and I cannot wait to share this experience with the award winners from the other sports.”
Butler, hailing from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., delivered a standout 2025 season, headlined by her individual national title in the 400-meter dash at last week’s NCAA Outdoor Championships. Her winning time of 49.26 not only set a new school record, but also marked the fifth-fastest performance in collegiate history. Butler also anchored Georgia’s 4x400m relay to victory, securing the program’s first-ever national title in the event and helping propel the Bulldogs to their first NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship.
Throughout the season, the junior dominated the SEC, sweeping both the indoor and outdoor 400m titles. Her consistent excellence earned her four NCAA First Team All-America honors in 2025 alone, bringing her career total to 11 All-America accolades. A fixture on the Bowerman Watch List with seven appearances, she also excelled academically as a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
A 2024 Olympic gold medalist as part of Team USA’s 4x400m relay squad, Butler continues to affirm her place among the elite in collegiate and international track and field.
“What an outstanding accomplishment for such a well-deserving young woman,” Georgia Director of Track & Field Caryl Smith Gilbert said. “Aaliyah is a unique talent. She has superior talent and teams that with an elite work ethic. Aaliyah doesn’t say much, but her actions on the track, in the classroom and in the rest of her life reflect what sort of student-athlete and person she is becoming during this journey in Athens. She and I, along with the rest of the University of Georgia family, understand what an immense honor this is, and are super appreciative of the recognition.”
The CWSA, now in its 49th year, celebrates the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their excellence in athletics, leadership, academics, and community service. Since its partnership began in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of award winners and nominees, supporting the growth and success of women’s athletics programs.
About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility and the Honda USA Foundation
For more than 65 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. The company’s mission is to create products and services that help people fulfill their life’s potential, while conducting business in a sustainable manner and fostering an inclusive workplace. Advancing its corporate social responsibility, Honda and the Honda USA Foundation support this direction through giving focused on education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety, and community.
Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.
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