Stanford’s Ledecky named top female athlete

Stanford swimmer Katie Ledecky won the Honda Cup on Monday as the nation’s top collegiate female athlete.

Ledecky won five medals, including four golds, and set two world records at last summer’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics. She capped an impressive freshman season at Stanford with five national titles at the NCAA championships.

She became the first NCAA swimmer in 29 years to win individual titles in the 200, 500 and 1,650-yard freestyles, and was a member of Stanford’s American-record-setting 400 and 800 free relays.

Ledecky is just the second freshman to win the Honda Cup. She didn’t attend the ceremony Monday night at USC because she is preparing to compete in the U.S. national championships in Indianapolis.

Ledecky beat out finalists Kelsey Plum, who starred in basketball at Washington, and Georgia track and field athlete Kendell Williams.

The NCAA is conducting an “ongoing, pending investigation” into Baylor University in the wake of a sexual assault scandal that led to the firing of football coach Art Briles and the departure of the school president, the school’s lawyers confirmed in a federal court filing.

Baylor officials acknowledged the investigation while asking a judge to protect the school’s communications with the NCAA from attorneys for women who have sued the university.

Baylor contends the school must maintain the confidentiality of the NCAA’s investigation process, though the school could turn over some information to plaintiffs’ attorneys who make specific requests. Providing all communications with the NCAA could compromise the investigation, Baylor’s lawyers argued.