After compiling a 24-1 record and leading the 2022 Eastern Connecticut State University softball team to a national tournament berth, right-handed pitcher Alexis Michon (Montville) earned virtually every conceivable honor at the national, regional, conference and institutional levels.

Sunday, the Connecticut Sports Media Alliance (CSMA) made it official when the organization made her the state of Connecticut's top female athlete for 2021-22 when she was presented with the Hank O'Donnell Female Athlete-of-the-Year Award at the 80^th Gold Key Dinner at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington.

Michon, who won her final 21 decisions last spring and finished with a 24-1 record and 1.07 ERA, was earlier named NFCA Division III Pitcher-of-the-Year, first-team NFCA All-America, All-Region, Little East Conference Pitcher-of-the-Year, and Eastern's Female Team Sport Athlete-of-the-Year. She was additionally honored as the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Union, NJ Regionals and Most Outstanding Pitcher of the NCAA Super Regionals.

Michon becomes the 39^th recipient of the CSMA Female Athlete-of-the-Year Award since the award was instituted in 1984. Among the many high-profile athlete who have received the award have been amateur golfer Caroline Keggi, U.S. Women's World Cup soccer star Kristine Lilly, Olympic rowing silver medalist Michelle Guerette, and a host of former University of Connecticut basketball stars including Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart and Tina Charles.

It marks the third fourth that a representative of Eastern has received an award from the CSMA. In 1989, Hall of Fame baseball coach Bill Holowaty was presented with a Gold Key, in 2015, former soccer player Jon DeCasanova received the Bob Casey Courage Award after returning to the team in 2014 after a two-year absence while fighting cancer, and in 2018, All-America baseball outfielder Alex Zachary received the Bill Lee Male Athlete-of-the-Year Award.