Florida Gymnast Trinity Thomas is 2023 Southeastern Conference Female Athlete of the Year

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – It’s another honor for Gator gymnast Trinity Thomas.

Thomas is the 2022-23 Roy F. Kramer Southeastern Conference Female Athlete of the Year. Thomas and the male winner, LSU baseball Dylan Crews, were selected by a vote of the league’s athletics directors.

Florida’s SEC Athletes of the Year

Year

Name

Sport

2023

Trinity Thomas

Gymnastics

2019

Grant Holloway

Track & Field

2018

Caeleb Dressel

Swimming

2016

Bridget Sloan

Gymnastics

2015

Lauren Haeger

Softball

2014

Hannah Rogers

Softball

2009

Tim Tebow

Football

2008

Tim Tebow

Football

2005

Ryan Lochte

Swimming

1997

Danny Wuerffel

Football

1996

Danny Wuerffel

Football

1994

Nicole Haislett

Swimming

1993

Nicole Haislett

Swimming

1988

Dara Torres

Swimming

1984

Tracy Caulkins

Swimming

A Gator has now picked up a SEC Athlete of the Year honor a league-leading 15 times. Thomas is the seventh Gator athlete to be named SEC Female Athlete of the Year and first since gymnast Bridget Sloan and UF softball players Lauren Haeger (2015) and Hannah Rogers (2014) won in consecutive seasons.

Florida’s last two SEC Male Athlete of the Year came in back-to-back years – Caeleb Dressel (2018) and Grant Holloway (2019). UF’s seven male honors and eight for female SEC Athlete of the Year leads the league.

Thomas’ Final Year:

In 2023, Thomas led the nation for the third consecutive season for perfect 10.0s – 2021 (4), 2022 (12) and 2023 (8). She is the 10th gymnast to earn the honor in the 40 years a SEC Female Athlete of the Year has been awarded.

Here’s some more highlights from Thomas’ 2023 season:

  *   Honda Award winner for second consecutive year as nation’s top collegiate gymnast
  *   Career NCAA 10.0 co-leader. Earned 28th perfect mark in NCAA Championships team final vault competition to help Florida to a runner-up finish
  *   One of three in nation with five 2023 Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) All-America regular-season honors. First team for all-around, uneven bars and floor exercise; second team vault and balance beam
  *   All-America first-team honors for vault and uneven bars in NCAA Championships semifinal. Competed only two events due to injury suffered in NCAA Regional second round.
  *   2023 Southeastern Conference Gymnast of Year. Joins Alabama’s Andreé Pickens as only three-time recipients in award’s history.
  *   SEC all-around (39.80), uneven bars and floor exercise (10.0) champion. Part of All-SEC team
  *   One of two in SEC Championship meet history with two 10.0 in a single meet.
  *   Nation’s 10.0 leader in each of last three seasons: 2021 (4), 2022 (12), 2023 (8)
  *   Only gymnast in NCAA history with at least five 10.0s on each apparatus for five career Gym Slams
  *   College Gym News National Gymnast of the Year – also won first honor in 2021
  *   WCGA Region V Gymnast of the Year – third such honor (2019, 2020, 2023)
  *   Second consecutive SEC Gymnast of the Week after posting nation’s third-highest all-around total (39.85), winning uneven bars (9.975) and sharing balance beam (10.0) and floor exercise (9.95) titles at LSU
  *   SEC Gymnast of the Week after winning all-around (39.825) and balance beam (10.0) versus Missouri. Also shared floor exercise win at 9.975
  *   Florida’s career all-arounder leader (30), passing Bridget Sloan (27) with win vs Missouri
  *   Opened 2023 floor performances with nation’s first 10.0 on event versus Auburn. Won every floor completed in 2023 (9).
  *   SEC Specialist Gymnast of Week 1 & 4. Posted a 10.0 in Jan. 6 (floor) and Jan. 27 (vault) meets
  *   Beam 10.0 was first in the nation for 2023 – sixth consecutive meet with a 10.0 (dating back to 2022 NCAA Regionals).
  *   Led Florida in 2023 with 29 event wins (9 floor, 7 bars, vault, 5 all-around & vault, 3 beam). Florida’s career leader with 142 event titles

What They Said…

“Wow! Being named the SEC Female Athlete of the Year is such an honor. The SEC is the powerhouse conference of athletics so to even be amongst the names is absolutely unbelievable. I just want to thank my teammates, my coaches, my family, everyone who has supported me in the Gator Nation. I’m so thankful for everyone that’s been along this journey. Go Gators.” – Gator Trinity Thomas

“What a great honor for Trinity! Throughout her career, she put everything – both in and out of the gym – that she could for her team. The SEC Female Athlete of the Year is truly a well-earned and well-deserved honor for Trinity. Her Gator family couldn’t be more proud of her.” – Florida Gymnastics Head Coach Jenny Rowland

“Trinity and Dylan represent what it means for a young person to fully participate and succeed as a student and as an athlete in the Southeastern Conference. Trinity and Dylan both achieved the highest levels of competitive excellence-represented by perfect scores, national awards and championships. We are proud and grateful for their outstanding representation of the SEC and of the accomplishments they have achieved as members of their university communities.” – SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey

Other 2023 Nominees:
Each member school can nominate a male and a female for SEC Athlete of the Year. The league athletic directors vote for the winner. Here’s a complete list of the 2022-23 nominees:

Male: Bryce Young, Alabama (football); Jaydon Hibbert, Arkansas (track & field); Nate Stoffle, Auburn (swimming & diving); Fred Biondi, Florida (golf); Ethan Quinn, Georgia (tennis); Liam Draxl, Kentucky (tennis); Kemp Alderman, Ole Miss (baseball); Cameron Crump, Mississippi State (track & field); Kobe Brown, Missouri (basketball); Toby Samuel, South Carolina (tennis); Hendon Hooker, Tennessee (football); Sam Bennett, Texas A&M (golf); Gordon Sargent, Vanderbilt (golf).

Female: Kensey McMahon, Alabama (swimming & diving); Britton Wilson, Arkansas (track & field); Maddie Penta, Auburn (softball); Jenny Bae, Georgia (golf); Kayla Kowalik, Kentucky (softball); Angel Reese, LSU (basketball); Jalani Davis, Ole Miss (track & field); Julia Lopez Ramirez, Mississippi State (golf); Arianna Fisher, Missouri (track & field); Aliyah Boston, South Carolina (basketball); Kiki Milloy, Tennessee (softball); Lamara Distin, Texas A&M (track & field);  Beatrice Juskeviciute, Vanderbilt (track & field).

All-Time SEC Athletes of the Year:
The SEC Athletes of the Year Awards were first presented in 1976 for men and 1984 for women. The honor was renamed the Roy F. Kramer Athletes of the Year in 2004 to honor the former commissioner who served the conference from 1990-2002.

Roy F. Kramer Southeastern Conference Athlete of the Year Recipients

Year

Male

Female

2023

Dylan Crews, LSU (baseball)

Trinity Thomas, Florida (gymnastics)

2022

Bryce Young, Alabama (football)

Aliyah Boston, South Carolina (basketball)

2021

DeVonta Smith, Alabama (football)

Madison Lilley, Kentucky (volleyball)

2020

Joe Burrow, LSU (football)

Tyasha Harris, South Carolina (basketball)

2019

Grant Holloway, Florida (track)

Maria Fassi, Arkansas (golf)

2018

Caeleb Dressel, Florida (swimming)

A’ja Wilson, South Carolina (basketball)

2017

Brent Rooker, Mississippi State (baseball)

Kendell Williams, Georgia (track & field)

2016

Jarrion Lawson, Arkansas (track & field)

Bridget Sloan, Florida (gymnastics)

2015

Andrew Benintendi, Arkansas (baseball)

Lauren Haeger, Florida (softball)

2014

A.J. Reed, Kentucky (baseball)

Hannah Rogers, Florida (softball)

2013

Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M (football)

Allison Schmitt, Georgia (swimming)

2012

Anthony Davis, Kentucky (basketball)

Brooke Pancake, Alabama (golf)

2011

John-Patrick Smith, Tennessee (tennis)

Kayla Hoffman, Alabama (gymnastics)

2010

Mark Ingram, Alabama (football)

Susan Jackson, LSU (gymnastics)

2009

Tim Tebow, Florida (football)

Courtney Kupets, Georgia (gymnastics)

2008

Tim Tebow, Florida (football)

Candace Parker, Tennessee (basketball)

2007

David Price, Vanderbilt (baseball)

Monica Abbott, Tennessee (softball)

2006

Xavier Carter, LSU (track & field)

Seimone Augustus, LSU (basketball)

2005

Ryan Lochte, Florida (swimming)

Kirsty Coventry, Auburn (swimming)

2004

Alistair Cragg, Arkansas (cross country/track)

Jeana Rice, Alabama (gymnastics)

2003

Alistair Cragg, Arkansas (cross country/track)

LaToya Thomas, Mississippi State (basketball)

2002

Walter Lewis, LSU (track & field)

Andree’ Pickens, Alabama (gymnastics)

2001

Matias Boeker, Georgia (tennis)

Amy Yoder Begley, Arkansas (cross country/track)

2000

Kip Bouknight , South Carolina (baseball)

Kristy Kowal, Georgia (swimming)

1999

Tim Couch, Kentucky (football)

Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee (basketball)

1998

Peyton Manning, Tennessee (football)

Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee (basketball)

1997

Danny Wuerffel, Florida (football)

Trinity Johnson, South Carolina (softball)

1996

Danny Wuerffel, Florida (football)

Saudia Roundtree, Georgia (basketball)

1995

Todd Helton, Tennessee (baseball)

Jenny Hansen, Kentucky (gymnastics)

1994

Corliss Williamson, Arkansas (basketball)

Nicole Haislett, Florida (swimming)

1993

Jamal Mashburn, Kentucky (basketball)

Nicole Haislett, Florida (swimming)

1992

Shaquille O’Neal, LSU (basketball)

Vicki Goetze, Georgia (golf)

1991

Shaquille O’Neal, LSU (basketball)

Daedra Charles, Tennessee (basketball)

1990

Alec Kessler, Georgia (basketball)

Dee Foster, Alabama (gymnastics)

1989

Derrick Thomas, Alabama (football)

Bridgette Gordon, Tennessee (basketball)

1988

Will Perdue, Vanderbilt (basketball)

Dara Torres, Florida (swimming)

1987

Cornelius Bennett, Alabama (football)

Lillie Leatherwood King, Alabama (track & field)

1986

Bo Jackson, Auburn (football)

Jennifer Gillom, Ole Miss (basketball)

1985

Will Clark, Mississippi State (baseball)

Penney Hauschild, Alabama (gymnastics)

1984

Terry Hoage, Georgia (football)

Tracy Caulkins, Florida (swimming)

1983

Herschel Walker, Georgia (football/track and field)

1982

Buck Belue, Georgia (football/baseball)

1981

Rowdy Gaines, Auburn (swimming)

1980

Kyle Macy, Kentucky (basketball)

1979

Reggie King, Alabama (basketball)

1978

Jack Givens, Kentucky (basketball)

1977

Larry Seivers, Tennessee (football)

1976

Harvey Glance, Auburn (track & field)

End of report