Wheaton, Ill. - Annie Tate, a recent graduate of Wheaton College and the Wheaton Women's Basketball Team, has been announced as one of three finalists for the 2024 Honda Inspiration Award. The Honda Inspiration Award winner for the Class of 2024 will be selected from this year's three finalists by the Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) Board of Directors and honored with the CWSA Class of 2024. Tate will be prominently featured on CBS Sports Network's "Defying the Odds: The 2024 Honda Inspiration Award" – a special telecast highlighting the three finalists that will air on June 17 at 7:00 p.m. (CDT).
An Inspiration Award winner has been selected annually for the past 36 years. The Honda Inspiration Award is given to a deserving female student-athlete in Division I, II or III who has experienced extraordinary physical and/or emotional adversity, injury and/or illness, or experienced extraordinary personal sacrifice during her college enrollment as a student-athlete and yet returns to athletic success. Joining Tate as finalists for the award this year are: redshirt freshman Aaliyah Gayles from the University of Southern California (USC) basketball team, and Brigham Young University senior Meghan Hunter of the BYU women's track and field team. The announcement of the finalists was made earlier today by Judy Sweet, CWSA Board Member and Chair of The Collegiate Women Sports Awards Inspiration Award committee.
"Each of the nominees in 2024 had a truly inspiring story and made the selection process very difficult," said Sweet. "The three finalists demonstrated exceptional strength, resiliency, determination and success in overcoming significant health challenges and ongoing adversities."
Jean Lenti Ponsetto, Chair of the CWSA Board of Directors stated, "I'm in awe of the courage and perseverance of the Inspiration Award finalists. Their stories ring true of gutsy resilience, motivation and loyalty in overcoming all odds to be contributing members of their teams."
Earlier this month, Tate earned her Master's Degree in Humanitarian and Disaster Leadership from the Wheaton College Graduate School. On November 10, 2023, she returned to the basketball court following a nearly two-year absence during which she experienced numerous setbacks, including multiple surgeries and life-threatening complications. Despite enduring Tarsal Tunnel surgery, spinal tumor surgery, pneumonia, and pulmonary emboli, Annie refused to let adversity define her. In her return to the Thunder women's basketball program this season started all 25 game, earned D3Hoops.com All-Region honors and was a First Team All-CCIW selection. She averaged 20.0 points per game, scoring 499 points, which ranks sixth all-time on Wheaton's single-season scoring list. Last month she was awarded the CCIW's "Chris Martin Perseverance Award for her courage and determination in returning to basketball.
