Monday, February 6, 2023
by Western Washington Athletic Communications

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Tera Ziemer, a senior midfielder from Western Washington University, has been named the Division II Honda Athlete of the Year finalist for soccer as announced by Executive Director Chris Voelz of The Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.
 
Ziemer is now designated one of 11 finalists for the prestigious Division II Honda Athlete of the Year. This 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.
 
Ziemer, hailing from Santa Rosa, California, was most recently named the 2022 United Soccer Coaches Division II Player of the Year and was named a United Soccer Coaches DII First Team All-American. The senior led WWU to its second NCAA Division II Championship title and finished the year on top with a 19-2-4 mark.
 
The midfielder started all 25 matches during the national championship season, scoring six goals with four assists for 16 total points. In addition to earning first-team All-Region awards from the United Soccer Coaches and the D2CCA, Ziemer was a unanimous First Team All-GNAC selection and earned a spot on the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team.
 
In two seasons at WWU, Ziemer appeared in 45 matches (44 starts) with 12 goals and 10 assists (34 points).
 
"Winning the National Player of the Year Award and being nominated for the prestigious Honda Award are big honors," said head coach Travis Connell. "Tera was a catalyst for our team success this year with the play on the field and contribution to our team culture as a leader as a good teammate. Tera performed the best in the big games when the lights where brightest. They also inspired their teammates by believing in them and their abilities."
 
All Honda Sports nominees from Division II and Division III 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 this June, in downtown Los Angeles. The Honda Award finalists are recognized in 11 Division II and Division III NCAA-sanctioned sports; cross country, basketball, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, volleyball and track & field.

Ziemer is the third GNAC athlete in recent years to be named as a finalist for the Honda Award. Former Western Washington women's soccer player Sierra Shugarts was a finalist in 2016-17 after winning Division II Player of the Year honors during the Vikings' 2016 championship run. In 2018, former Alaska Anchorage runner Caroline Kurgat won the Division II Honda Award after being named a finalist in cross country.
 
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.