Florida’s Trinity Thomas revealed the news collegiate gymnastics fans have been waiting to hear since she closed her senior campaign winning every post-season all-around title. During the interview segment of the broadcast, Thomas was asked about her future plans.
Those future plans include competing a fifth year for the Gators gymnastics team.
She’s coming back!!
??♀️ @Gym_Trin reveals that she’s coming back for Year 5⃣ tonight on @CWSA_HondaCup Show!
Show airing now on ?@CBSSportsNet#GoGators pic.twitter.com/AQV9PZNOuw
— Gators Gymnastics (@GatorsGym) June 28, 2022
Later in the broadcast, Thomas was among the final three for The Collegiate Women Sports Award. She is the second Gator to be among the final three and first since softball’s Lauren Hager in 2015.
The final question was answered when South Carolina basketball player Aliyah Boston was named the overall winner. This is the seventh time the Honda Cup goes to a Southeastern Conference student-athlete and first since Alabama gymnast Kim Jacobs in 2014.
| 2021-22 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 2022 recipients: | |||
| Sport | Name | Yr | School |
| Basketball | Aliyah Boston* | JR | South Carolina |
| Cross Country | Whittni Orton, | SR | Brigham Young |
| Field Hockey | Jill Bolton | SR | Liberty |
| Golf | Rose Zhang | FR | Stanford |
| Gymnastics | Trinity Thomas | SR | Florida |
| Lacrosse | Jamie Ortega | SR | North Carolina |
| Soccer | Jaelin Howell | SR | Florida State |
| Softball | Jocelyn Alo | SR | Oklahoma |
| Swimming/Diving | Kate Douglass | JR | Virginia |
| Tennis | Peyton Stearns | SO | Texas |
| Track & Field | Abby Steiner | SR | Kentucky |
| Volleyball | Dana Rettke | SR | Wisconsin |
| *Honda Cup winner | |||
The Collegiate Women Sports Award brings the 12 student-athlete who represent the top in NCAA-sanctioned sport to Los Angeles. The 12 are narrowed to three finalists. This year, the three finalists were: Thomas, Boston and Jocelyn Alo (Oklahoma/softball).
The 12 recipients being named the top collegiate athlete of their sport came from 12 different schools. Thomas is among six Gator gymnasts to claim the Honda Award in the last 11 years. Gator Greats Bridget Sloan (2013, 2016), Kytra Hunter (2012, 2015) and Alex McMurtry (2017) also received the Honda Award for gymnastics. The first Gator gymnast to receive the honor was Ann Woods in 1982.
Florida is No. 3 all-time with 26 Honda Award recipients. Gator winners in eight sports leads all programs (Texas and UCLA each with winners in seven different sports).
One Gator has twice been named the top collegiate female athlete of the year. Gator Great swimmer Tracy Caulkins shared the 1983-84 Broderick Cup (previous name of award) with Southern California’s Cheryl Miller and won as a freshman in 1981-82.
How Trinity Thomas got to L.A.:
After the conclusion of each of the 12 recognized sport seasons, the Honda Sport Award sends a ballot with four sport finalists to administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.
A Gator gymnast has claimed the Honda Award six of the last 11 years. Gator Greats Bridget Sloan (2013, 2016), Kytra Hunter (2012, 2015) and Alex McMurtry (2017) also received the Honda Award for gymnastics. The first Gator gymnast to receive the honor was Ann Woods in 1982.
Thomas’ 2022 Season
All-around winner in every 2022 post-season meet, Thomas won the NCAA title by equaling the meet record of 39.8125 set by UF’s last Honda Award winner, Alex McMurtry, in 2017.
In the NCAA team final, Thomas’ winning all-around total of 39.8625 equals the second-highest ever in NCAA competition. The 10.0 in the NCAA team final was her fourth consecutive perfect floor exercise mark – all coming in NCAA regional or NCAA final site competition.
Here’s some more highlights from Thomas’ 2022 season:
- Won every post-season all-around – NCAA Final, NCAA Semifinal, NCAA Regional Final, NCAA Second Round and Southeastern Conference Championship
- Only gymnast with five All-America first-team honors in NCAA competition
- Nation’s only gymnast with All-America first-team honors for each apparatus in 2022 WCGA regular-season awards.
- SEC Gymnast of Year. Won SEC all-around, vault and floor exercise. All-SEC
- 12 perfect marks is second all-time nationally in a single season. Career total of 20 10.0s ties for No. 7 all-time among NCAA gymnasts. Perfect mark for each of four NCAA floor routines in 2022.
- Completed career Gym Slam (10.0 in each apparatus) and also posted a Season Slam (10.0 in each event in a single season) in 2022
- Nation’s all-around high of 39.90 equals the fifth-highest ever in collegiate gymnastics. NCAA all-around title winning total (39.8125) equals NCAA semifinal record and NCAA final winning total (39.8625) equals second highest ever in event. Tallied each of the nation’s top five all-around totals of 2022 – 39.90, 39.875, 39.8625, 39.85 and 39.825.
- Led Gators with school-record 39 event wins in 2022 – nine vault, floor; eight all-around; seven bars; six beam. UF career leader with 113 wins.
Honda Contributes to Each School:
American Honda Motor Co., Inc., sponsor of the program, celebrates each nominee by donating $5,000 to each Honda Sports Award recipient school and $1,000 to each nominee school.
| Gator Honda Sports Award Recipients | ||
| Name | Sport | Year |
| Trinity Thomas | Gymnastics | 2022 |
| Yanis David | Track & Field | 2019 |
| Rhamat Alhassan | Volleyball | 2018 |
| Belinda Woolcock | Tennis | 2017 |
| Alex McMurtry | Gymnastics | 2017 |
| Kelly Barnhill | Softball | 2017 |
| Bridget Sloan | Gymnastics | 2016 |
| Lauren Haeger | Softball | 2015 |
| 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 |
| Deb Richard | Golf | 1985 |
| Tracy Caulkins | Swimming | 1984^ |
| Tracy Caulkins | Swimming | 1983 |
| Tracy Caulkins | Swimming | 1982^ |
| Ann Woods | Gymnastics | 1982 |
| Renee Laravie | Swimming | 1978 |
| ^Recipient of Broderick Award (previous name of Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year Award |
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Visit The Collegiate Women Sports Awards website for more information about this award.
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