Gemma Spofforth Named a Candidate for 2010 Honda Sports Award
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 | Women's Swimming & Diving
Listen to Gemma Spofforth discuss her Gator career, UF's National Championship and more here!
For the third time in her storied career as a Gator, senior swimmer Gemma Spofforth (West Sussex, England) was named a candidate for the 2010 Honda Sports Award, given annually to the top collegiate women's athlete in swimming and diving.
The British backstroker helped the Gators to their first NCAA National Championship Title since 1982 this past weekend in West Lafayette, Ind., picking up seven All-America honors throughout the three-day meet. A seven-time NCAA Champion, Spofforth became one of just five women in NCAA history to win the 100 backstroke three consecutive years after taking home the 100 back and helping the Gators to their first-ever 200-yard free relay NCAA title on the Purdue campus. Spofforth is additionally one of just four women in NCAA history to win three straight of the 200-yard back after taking the title her freshman through junior seasons as a Gator.
A 25-time college All-American, Spofforth has additionally made a splash internationally, most recently shattering the World Record in the 100-meter backstroke last summer in Rome, Italy, to earn her first World Championship. She finished fourth in the 100-meter back and ninth in the 200-meter back at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing for her native, Britain. Spofforth holds three British records in the 50, 100 and 200-meter backstroke races and holds the 100-meter back European record.
The Gator, who was tabbed the 2009 and 2010 SEC Women's Swimmer of the Year, has not only excelled in the pool, but in the classroom and community as well. Holding a 3.40 GPA as a Family, Youth and Community Sciences major, Spofforth is a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection, a 2009 CSCAA Scholar All-American, and a 2009 CoSIDA Academic All-District III honoree. She volunteers at the Alachua County Crisis Center, working the phones for people who call in with crisis situations and was recently named the women's winner of the 2010 Ben Hill Griffin Award, alongside UF quarterback Tim Tebow on the men's side, for her contributions to the Gainesville community and Gator athletics.
Allison Schmitt (Georgia) and Elaine Breeden and Julia Smit, both of Stanford, are the other three candidates for the 2010 award.
Voting will take place this week by Senior Women's Administrators across the country. Honda will donate $1,000 to the women's athletic fund of each nominee's university and $5,000 to the winner's program. The winner will be a nominee for the Honda-Broderick Cup awarded annually to the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year.
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