Florida gymnast Bridget Sloan recognized at 2013 Honda Sports Award ceremony
Tuesday, June 25, 2013 | Gymnastics
University of Florida freshman and 2013 NCAA all-around champion Bridget Sloan (Pittsboro, Ind.) was recognized Monday evening at The Collegiate Women Sports Award presented by Honda show, held in Southern California's Galen Center Founder's Room. Sloan was named in April as the Honda Sports Award recipient for gymnastics, distinguishing her as the nation's top collegiate female athlete in the sport.
| Images from Bridget Sloan's Trip to Honda Cup Ceremony | ||
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| Bridget with Ann Meyers Drysdale, winner of the 1977-78 Broderick Award (previous name for Honda Cup) | Bridget's display at the Award's ceremony | Bridget's Honda Award which will be sent to the University of Florida for display. |
The Honda Sports Award is given annually to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports. From the 12 finalists, Oklahoma senior softball player Keilani Ricketts received the Honda Cup Monday as the nation's top collegiate female athlete of 2012-13. She is the third softball player and the first since 2003 to receive the Honda Cup in the 37-year history of the award.
Sloan was one of three from the Southeastern Conference recognized Monday evening, joining Kimberlyn Duncan (LSU/track & field) and Allison Schmitt (Georgia/swimming). Sloan and Southern California golfer Annie Park were the only two freshmen among the 12 finalists Monday.
| 2012-13 Honda Sports Award Recipients | |||
| Each season, The Collegiate Women Sports Awards program recognizes the top collegiate female student-athlete in 12 sports. Below are the 2012-13 recipients: | |||
| Sport | Name |
| School |
| Basketball | Elena Delle Donne | SR | Delaware |
| Cross Country | Betsy Saina | SR | Iowa State |
| Field Hockey | Katie Reinprecht | SR | Princeton |
| Golf | Annie Park | FR | Southern California |
| Gymnastics | Bridget Sloan | FR | Florida |
| Lacrosse | Kara Cannizzaro | SR | North Carolina |
| Soccer | Crystal Dunn | JR | North Carolina |
| Softball | Keilani Ricketts^ | SR | Oklahoma |
| Swimming/Diving | Allison Schmitt | SR | Georgia |
| Tennis | Nicole Gibbs | JR | Stanford |
| Track & Field | Kimberlyn Duncan | SR | LSU |
| Volleyball | Alaina Bergsman | SR | Oregon |
| ^ - 2012-13 Honda Cup winner | |||
Sloan is only the fourth freshman gymnast to collect the Honda Award and the second consecutive, as sophomore teammate Kytra Hunter was the 2012 recipient. Three Gator gymnasts have received the honor with Ann Woods claiming Florida's first in 1982.
“What a freshman year it has been – being a part of the University of Florida's first NCAA Championship team and now this. I am so honored to receive the Honda Award. This whole season has been one highlight after another and I feel so fortunate to be a part of the collegiate experience,” Sloan said. “I am happy to share this award with my teammates, coaches and the Gator fans as their support is so important.”
Sloan is the first gymnast to claim World, U.S. (both in 2009) and NCAA all-around titles. Her total of 39.60 in NCAA semifinal action earned her the 2013 NCAA all-around title April 19 in Los Angeles. She added the balance beam title on April 21 to become only the sixth in the meet's 32-year history to win multiple event titles as a freshman. In the NCAA Super Six final on April 20, Sloan led all competitors by equaling her collegiate all-around best of 39.75 to help Florida to its first NCAA team title.
Among Sloan's seven all-around wins of 2013 was a share of the Southeastern Conference title, also with a total of 39.75. She also used marks of 9.95 to take a share of the SEC uneven bars and floor exercise titles. Sloan picked up four All-America honors in NCAA Championships competition and also earned four All-America honors in the first National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches (NACGC) All-America regular-season awards. She led the Gators in 2013 with 21 event titles in team competition (seven all-around, six bars, five beam, two vault, one floor).
The SEC Freshman of the Year turned in the Gators' top 2013 beam mark of 9.975 and her all-around high of 39.75 is the nation's third-highest total of 2013.
| Gator Honda Sports Award Recipients | ||
| Name | Sport | Year |
| Bridget Sloan | Gymnastics | 2013 |
| Kytra Hunter | Gymnastics | 2012 |
| Kelsey Bruder | Softball | 2011 |
| Caroline Burckle | Swimming | 2008 |
| Danielle Fotopoulos | Soccer | 1998 |
| Jill Craybas | Tennis | 1996 |
| Nicole Haislett | Swimming | 1994 |
| Lisa Raymond | Tennis | 1993 |
| Lisa Raymond | Tennis | 1992 |
| Shaun Stafford | Tennis | 1988 |
| Page Dunlap | Golf | 1986 |
| Tracy Caulkins | Swimming | 1984^ |
| Tracy Caulkins | Swimming | 1983 |
| Tracy Caulkins | Swimming | 1982^ |
| Ann Woods | Gymnastics | 1982 |
| Renee Laravie | Swimming | 1978 |
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| ^Recipient of Broderick Award (previous name of Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year Award | ||
“Bridget's performance this season was wonderful. She is probably one of the easiest athletes to coach and brings a really fun, light attitude to training and competition. She's worked incredibly hard and that has paid off with outstanding results,” Florida Head Coach Rhonda Faehn said. “Thank you Honda Awards program for sponsoring this prestigious honor to recognize the amazing abilities of collegiate women student-athletes.”
In honor of Sloan winning the award, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., will donate $5,000 to the women's athletic program at the University of Florida. A Gator has been recognized as a Honda Sports winner 16 times across six different sports. Gator Great and U.S. Olympic gold medalist swimmer Tracy Caulkins is the only Gator to win the Broderick Cup, earning the top award in 1982 and 1984.
Visit The Collegiate Women Sports Awards website for more information about this award.
