Spofforth and Burckle Named Swimming and Diving Honda Award Candidates
Tuesday, March 25, 2008 | Women's Swimming & Diving
Florida swimmers Caroline Burckle and Gemma Spofforth have been named as two of the four swimming and diving finalists for the 2008 Honda Sports Award. Burckle and Spofforth each won two individual national championships and combined for 14 All-American honors while leading the Gators to a sixth place finish at last week's NCAA meet in Columbus.
The winner of the Swimming and Diving Honda Award will be named as a candidate for the Honda-Broderick Cup, awarded annually to the Collegiate Woman of the Year. Burckle and Spofforth are joined on the ballot by Lacey Nymer of Arizona and Rebecca Soni of Southern California.
Burckle, who was named swimmer of the year at the conclusion of the championship meet, won UF's first national championship of the week in the 500 freestyle. The senior set a new NCAA record en route to the championship, breaking Janet Evans' 20 year record with her swim of 4:33.60. She would later swim the fastest time in Florida history in the 200 free of 1:43.10, to win her second championship of the week. Burckle was a seven-time All-American this year, also placing sixth in the 100 free and swimming as part of four Florida relay teams over the course of the week, including the 200 free and 400 medley teams that went on to break school records.
Spofforth became just the second swimmer in UF history to win both the 100 and 200 backstroke events in the same year as well as the second swimmer in UF history to win both events at the Southeastern Conference and NCAA meet in the same year. Spofforth first won the 100 back with a time of 51.78. She would go on to defend her title in the 200 back two days later, touching the wall with a time of 1:50.70. Along with her individual events, Spofforth was a member of four Florida relays, including the 200 and 400 medley relay teams, and also went on to pick up All-American honors in the 200 IM with a 13th place overall finish. Spofforth would go on to finish with seven All-American honors of her own.
Both Spofforth and Burckle picked up three SEC championships in February, two of them individually. Burckle won the 500 free and 200 breast and Spofforth claimed the 100 and 200 back. Both swimmers were part of the 200 medley relay team that broke the SEC and school record en route to first place on the initial day of competition.
Burckle will go on to compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska in an attempt to make the U.S. Olympic team for the 2008 Games in Beijing, China. Spofforth will attempt to make the British National Olympic team.
