Florida gymnast Kytra Hunter is the 2015 Honda Sports Award recipient
Friday, May 1, 2015 | Gymnastics
A big year just got a bit bigger for University of Florida senior and 2015 NCAA all-around champion Kytra Hunter.
| Gator Honda Sports Award Recipients | ||
| Name | Sport | Year |
| Kytra Hunter | Gymnastics | 2015 |
| 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 | ||
She is this year's Honda Sports Award recipient for gymnastics, distinguishing her as the nation's top collegiate female athlete in the sport. The honor was based on the results of national balloting among all NCAA member schools as part of The Collegiate Women Sports Awards program, now in its 39th year.
This is the second such honor for Hunter, as she became Florida's gymnast in 30 years to claim the honor in 2012. A Gator gymnast has claimed the honor three of the last four years, as Bridget Sloan was the 2013 recipient.
Now What?
The Honda Sports Award is presented annually by the CWSA to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”. With this honor, Hunter becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2015 Honda Cup, which will be presented on June 29th in a live nationally televised broadcast on CBS Sports Network at 9 p.m. ET from Los Angeles, California.
Hunter in her Senior Season:
The Honda Award is the latest of a long list of 2015 honors for Hunter:
▪ Won a share of the NCAA all-around title and also became Florida's first in 30 seasons to win the NCAA floor exercise title. Her two titles in 2015 along with her two wins as a freshman (2012 all-around, vault) makes her the Gators' leader in NCAA event titles.
▪ SEC Gymnast of the Year – first such honor for Gator program since 2000.
▪ Four All-America honors earned at NCAA Championships brings her career total to a Florida all-time high of 15 honors earned in NCAA competition.
▪ National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women (NACGC) Southeast Region Gymnast of the Year.
▪ Finished regular season as the nation's top-ranked all-arounder with 39.625 RQS.
▪ Only gymnast to appear in final top-25 national rankings for each of the five events – No. 1 all-around (39.625 RQS), No. 2 in floor (9.96) and vault (9.955), No. T17 bars (9.900) and No. T22 beam (9.885).
▪ Four all-around totals among season's top 12 leads the nation – No. T4 39.75 (twice) and No. T12 39.675 (twice).
▪ SEC Gymnast of the Week four times in 2015. Claimed nine such honors during career.
▪ All-arounder in each of Florida's 14 meets in 2015, claiming a career season-high nine wins.
▪ Shared SEC vault (9.95) and floor exercise (9.975) to be one of five in the 35-year history of the SEC Championships to claim at least one league event title each season of collegiate career. Seven SEC event wins is a Gator career record.
▪ Led Florida in 2015 with 24 events titles (nine all-around, floor, four vault, two beam).
▪ Finished with UF records for career floor (32) and vault (21) wins
▪ Third all-time among Gators in event (83) and all-around (21) wins
▪ Earned All-SEC honors each collegiate season
| 2014-15 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 recipients named so far this season: | |||
| Sport | Name | Yr | School |
| Basketball | Breanna Stewart | JR | Connecticut |
| Cross Country | Kate Avery | JR | Iona |
| Field Hockey | Paula Heuser | SO | Albany |
| Gymnastics | Kytra Hunter | SR | Florida |
| Soccer | Sam Mewis | SR | UCLA |
| Swimming/Diving | Missy Franklin | SO | California |
| Volleyball | Krista Vansant | JR | Washington |
| Honda Award winners in golf, lacrosse, softball, tennis and track & field will be announced later this season. | |||
They Said:
“What a wonderful surprise to such an amazing season. The Honda Award is so special to women's collegiate athletics and I am so honored to receive it on behalf of the University of Florida. I'd like to thank my teammates, coaches and all who cheered the Gators because their support means so much. It has been a privilege representing the University of Florida as a Gator gymnast.” – senior All-American Kytra Hunter
“The Honda Award is an extraordinary honor and I'm so happy that Kytra is receiving it after her exceptional season. She took on much this year, performing as an all-arounder in every single meet and her contributions were a big part of the Gators' success. I am very proud of all she's achieved – Kytra's represented Florida with such class and integrity during her career.” – Rhonda Faehn, who coached Hunter at UF throughout her collegiate career
The Honda Award:
The Honda Sports Award acknowledges athletic achievement as well as scholastics and community involvement, and is given to female athletes in 12 different NCAA-sanctioned sports throughout the year. Each Honda Sports Award winner is recognized as the top collegiate female athlete in her sport, and the award is considered by many as one of the highest honors a female college athlete can receive in the nation.
In honor of Hunter 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 17 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 (renamed Honda Award in 1987), earning the top award in 1982 and 1984.
Visit The Collegiate Women Sports Awards website for more information.
