BEN HILL GRIFFIN AWARD
This award is presented annually to the top University of Florida female and male student-athlete for outstanding levels of success in academics, athletics and leadership. The award was established in 1992 in honor of the Griffin family for their loyal support of Gator Athletics over the years. The award is open to all student-athletes and is based on the 2022 calendar year.
Trinity Thomas
Only was a word often associated with Trinity Thomas' 2022 season. As a senior, Thomas was the nation's only gymnast:
- To win every post-season all-around: NCAA Final, NCAA semifinal, NCAA Regional Final, NCAA Second Round and SEC Championship meet. Her winning total of 39.90 in the NCAA Regional Final was the nation's 2022 high and her NCAA title winning tally of 39.8125 equaled the NCAA semifinal record.
- Earning five All-America first-team honors in NCAA Championships competition.
- Collecting five All-America first-team accolades in Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association regular-season awards.
- To claim multiple 2022 NCAA individual titles - winning all-around, uneven bars and floor exercise.
- With a double-digit season 10.0 total. Her 12 10.0s is No. 2 all-time among NCAA gymnasts
- Others recognized Thomas' stand-out 2022 campaign. She picked up her second SEC Gymnast of the Year award after winning all-around, vault and floor at the league's championship meet. At the conclusion of the season, the Honda Award as the top collegiate gymnast went to Thomas. At the Collegiate Women's Sports Awards sponsored by Honda, Thomas was among the final three for the 2021-22 CWSA Athlete of the Year. It was during the CWSA broadcast that Thomas announced she would be back competing for the Gators in 2023.
- Just a couple of weeks after closing the 2022 season, Thomas graduated cum laude with her bachelor's degree in Applied Physiology & Kinesiology - Fitness Wellness.
Ben Shelton
Ben Shelton collected two of the most decorated trophies college tennis has to offer during his 2022 campaign.
Etching his name in the record books, Shelton put the country on notice by becoming the first Gator in program history to win the ITA All-American Singles Championship. His historic run was highlighted by a perfect 12-0 sets record, six ranked victories over his competition, while only allowing his opponents to win 35 games along the way. He was the first player to win the singles title in their debut of the tournament since 2017.
The title boosted Shelton all the way up to the No. 2 spot in the ITA's final fall rankings and set him up for a tremendous spring in dual play. Shelton led the Gators from the top doubles and singles position to their third-straight SEC regular season championship with an undefeated 12-0 record and won the SEC Tournament title for the first time since 2016. After the team reached the NCAA Quarterfinals, Shelton became the fourth Gator to win the NCAA singles title and ended his tremendous season on a 10-match win streak, with a 37-5 singles record, and a team-high 27 of those coming against ranked opponents. The 37 singles wins are the sixth most in a single season in program history.
Along with becoming the youngest player in school history to be named the SEC Player of the Year, Shelton was named the ITA Player of the Year, First Team All-SEC, SEC Tournament MVP, SEC Honor Roll and an ITA Scholar-Athlete. An ITA All-American in both doubles and singles, Shelton finished the season ranked No. 1 in singles and No. 5 in doubles with 2021 Ben Hill Griffin Award recipient Sam Riffice.
