MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - Middlebury's Jane Earley was named the Division III Honda Athlete of the Year finalist for lacrosse for the second time in as many seasons as announced today by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.
 
Earley is now designated one of 11 finalists for the prestigious Division III Honda Athlete of the Year honor. This award 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.
 
"I feel honored to be named a finalist for this award, a recognition that would not be possible without the support of my teammates, coaches, trainers, professors, family, and friends," said Earley. "Being a part of Middlebury women's lacrosse has brought me the greatest joy, and I cannot express how much this team means to me. I am thankful to be able to stand on all the shoulders that came before me, and helped turn this program into the powerhouse of dedicated young women that it is today."
 
For the second-straight season, Earley was selected as the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division III Player of the Year and the Attacker of the Year. A three-time IWLCA All-American, she garnered NESCAC Player of the Year for the second time, as well as first-team all-conference and all-region honors.
 
Earley led the team to the 2023 NCAA Championship and a perfect 23-0 record. The national title was the third-straight crown for the program, with Earley being a part of all three. She paced the conference in points (106) and draw controls (138), while ranking second in goals (74) and assists (32). 
 
Earley ended her Middlebury career second in the program's record books in goals (217), points (290) and draw controls (257) and is just the second player in program history to eclipse the 200-goal mark. Earley also broke the school mark for most draw controls in a single game this year, winning 13 earlier in the season. Her 106 points this year are a single-season program best, surpassing her own record of 99 from last year. This season, Earley was tabbed as the IWLCA National Player of the Week three times and the NESCAC Player of the Week twice. 
 
She earned Middlebury's Hazeltine-Klevenow Memorial Trophy given to a women's team member who best combines ability in athletics and excellence in scholarship. Earley also was the recipient of the Christian A. Johnson Prize for excellence in architecture awarded to the Middlebury graduate with the best senior thesis. She also was lauded as a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District At-Large honoree.
 
"Jane is a special player to coach," said head coach Kate Livesay '03. "A beautiful player to observe, she is a gifted, talented and intensely competitive person. As a student-athlete, she held herself to the highest standard on the lacrosse field and in the classroom. Jane was honored as having the best architecture thesis in the graduating class at Middlebury, all the while, leading her team to a third-consecutive national championship. She is a quiet worker who knows what needs to be done and is not afraid of the work that is necessary to achieve great things. What is most impressive about Jane is her tireless commitment to her teammates. She was the rock for our team and the source of confidence and poise all season long. Jane handled immense personal pressure to perform, and yet, never wavered in how she showed up for her team. Jane's legacy of high standards of excellence and dedication to the team will live long after her departure from Middlebury. The women's lacrosse program is a far better place because of Jane's outstanding contributions and impact."
 
Earley looks to become the second Panther to win the prestigious award in as many years, with former teammate Erin Nicholas '22 winning the accolade last June. 
 
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 on June 26, 2023 from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) campus. 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.
 
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.  
 
About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility
For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda's mission is to create products and services that improve the lives of people while conducting its business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Accordingly, Honda believes in helping people reach their life's potential through its focus on the areas of education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety and community. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.