On Monday, graduate student Montana Fouts was named as one of the Honda Sports Award winners of the 2023 season. This prestigious award is given to the top female collegiate athlete in each of the 12 NCAA-affiliated sports. 

As if Fouts has not made a big impact on the Alabama softball team already, she is the first member of the program to receive the award, but the 12th Crimson Tide athlete to win the award in the 47 years of its existence. 

Coming off her final season of collegiate softball, Fouts will add this award to her already substantial resume of awards and recognitions. 

The five-year veteran pitcher credited the many people involved in her journey to receive this honor. 

“I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today without my amazing support system,” Fouts said. “I want to thank Coach [Patrick] Murphy and the rest of our coaching and support staff for allowing me to live out my dream and creating this family for me the past five years that will have a piece of my heart forever.” 

As the recipient of the award, Fouts will be named as a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year Award and the 2023 Honda Cup, which will be presented on June 26 at 4:30 p.m. CDT. 

In 2014, former Crimson Tide gymnast Kim Jacob became the only Alabama athlete to win the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year Award.  

Of the 12 nominees, the ace pitcher is the ninth overall. Joining her are Rose Zhang (golf, Stanford), Trinity Thomas (gymnastics, Florida), Caitlin Clark (basketball, Iowa), Kate Douglass (swimming and diving, Virginia), Logan Eggleston (Texas, volleyball), Erin Matson (field hockey, North Carolina), Lilly Reale (soccer, UCLA) and Katelyn Tuohy (cross country, NC State). 

Going up against the top female athletes in collegiate sports, Fouts will be in a tightly contested voting battle for the Collegiate Woman of the Year Award, but is sure to have the Alabama athletics community to back her up.