Florida Earns Bronze in U.S. Team USA Collegiate Impact Award
Thursday, December 1, 2022 | General
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By: Mary Howard
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida will be inducted into the Team USA Collegiate Impact Award Class of 2020, as announced today by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. The induction honors the top-performing schools represented on Team USA at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. Florida is one of four schools to be inducted into the inaugural class, which will be recognized during the Team USA Collegiate Recognition Awards next week as part of the National Football Foundation's 64th Annual Awards celebration on Dec. 6, 2022, in Las Vegas.
The Gator Nation takes great pride in cheering as University of Florida athletes achieve their goals of representing their nation in the Olympics. The collegiate experience played a huge role in preparing these Gators to compete on the world's largest stage." - Scott Stricklin – Athletic Director, University of Florida The athletic directors for the recipients of the Team USA Collegiate Impact Award Class of 2020 receive their awards at the National Football Foundation's 64th Annual Awards celebration in Las Vegas – Bernard Muir (second from left – Stanford - gold), Martin Jarmond (UCLA-silver) and Scott Stricklin (Florida-bronze). The University of Illinois (left) earned the Paralympic Gold Award.
Team USA Collegiate Impact Award Class of 2020
In Tokyo, 475 U.S. Olympians and 122 U.S. Paralympians competed collegiately during their journey to Team USA. Together they hailed from 223 schools across the country. The inductees into the Team USA Collegiate Impact Award Class of 2020 together helped lead to the success of 70 U.S. athletes at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and 20 U.S. athletes at the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. These four schools had 52 athletes bring home medals for their school communities and country. The Class of 2020 is comprised of:
Olympic Gold Award: Stanford University; 35 U.S. Olympians and 19 U.S. medalists.
Olympic Silver Award: University of California, Los Angeles; 21 U.S. Olympians and 14 U.S. medalists.
Olympic Bronze Award: University of Florida; 14 U.S. Olympians and 10 U.S. medalists.
Paralympic Gold Award: University of Illinois; 20 U.S. Paralympians and nine U.S. medalists.
"The collegiate athletics system is essential to growing and keeping sport strong in our country," said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. "Athletes who competed collegiately were the foundation of Team USA's success in Tokyo and Beijing. We're excited to honor the leaders who foster these sport opportunities and support student-athletes on campus."
Of the 32 Gators representing their nation in the 2020 Olympic Games, 14 competed for Team U.S.A.
Ten Gators earned 15 medals for the U.S. – 7 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze.
Caeleb Dressel's five Olympic gold medals led all competitors at the 2020 Games (50 free, 100 free, 100 fly, 4x100 free relay, 4x100 medley relay).
Double gold-medalist Bobby Finke won the U.S.'s first gold in the 1,500 free since 1984. He also won the 800 free gold – the first time the race was contested since the 1904 St. Louis Games.
Kieran Smith claimed the Gators first medal of the 2020 Games, winning bronze in the 400-meter freestyle.
Natalie Hinds return to swimming was rewarded with an Olympic bronze as part of the U.S.'s 4x100 free relay
A trio of Gators won Florida's first-ever Olympic softball medals when Team U.S.A. claimed silver – Michelle Moultrie, Aubree Munroe and Kelsey Stewart.
Mark Kolozsvary also won silver with U.S. Baseball.
On the track, Grant Holloway won silver in the 110-meter hurdles.
In the first Olympics with mixed relays, Taylor Manson won bronze as part of the U.S.'s 4x400 mixed relay.
Two current Gator coaches helped lead the U.S. effort – Michael Holloway (U.S. Men's Track & Field Head Coach) and Anthony Nesty (U.S. Men's Swimming Assistant Coach)
More information about the Team USA Collegiate Recognition Awards – and about Team USA's collegiate footprint in Tokyo – can be found online at TeamUSA.org/CollegiateImpact.
