(L-R: Ally Carda, Delaney Spaulding, Tairia (Mims) Flowers, Bubba Nickles and Rachel Garcia (photo courtesy of USA Softball)
Photo by: USA Softball
UCLA to be Inducted into U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Inaugural Team USA Collegiate Impact Award Class of 2020
December 01, 2022 | General, Softball
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – UCLA 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 recognizes the top-performing schools represented on Team USA at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. UCLA will also receive an impact award for its contribution to the 2020 U.S. Olympic Softball Team.
"We are immensely proud of our program's tradition of producing Olympians. It has been amazing to watch our Bruins' continued success, dominating both the college level and on the world's biggest stage," said the Shelly Carlin UCLA Head Softball Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. "We added four more Bruins to that legacy in the 2020 Tokyo Games, making it 16 total UCLA softball alumni who have gone on to compete for their country in the Olympics."
UCLA is one of four schools to be inducted into the inaugural class, which will be honored 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 Alice and Nahum Lainer Family Director of Athletics Martin Jarmond will be present at the ceremony.
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; 35 U.S. Olympians and 19 U.S. medalists.
· Olympic Silver Award: UCLA; 21 U.S. Olympians and 14 U.S. medalists.
· Olympic Bronze Award: Florida; 14 U.S. Olympians and 10 U.S. medalists.
· Paralympic Gold Award: Illinois; 20 U.S. Paralympians and nine U.S. medalists.
2020 USA Softball Collegiate Impact Award
It was also announced today that UCLA will be honored with the 2020 USA Softball Collegiate Impact Award, which recognizes the top-contributing school on the 2020 U.S. Olympic Softball Team in Tokyo. The 2020 U.S. Olympic Softball Team consisted of a 15-player roster filled with elite athletes from across the nation – all of which competed at the collegiate level. Leading the college programs in current/former athlete representation was UCLA, with four Bruins wearing the red, white and blue in Tokyo to earn UCLA the 2020 USA Softball Collegiate Impact Award.
Ally Carda and Delaney Spaulding – alumni of UCLA and veterans of the U.S. Women's National Team – helped lead the U.S. squad through pre-Olympic trainings while Rachel Garcia and Bubba Nickles rounded out their senior year and continued their preparations at the collegiate level before joining the WNT in Tokyo. The four Bruins contributed to Team USA's silver medal finish at the Tokyo Olympic Games after softball's 13-year hiatus from the Olympic program. UCLA softball now has 16 total alumni who have gone on to compete in the Olympics for their respective countries.
"It's because of collegiate programs like UCLA and Athletic Directors like Martin Jarmond that help keep the sport of softball strong in our country and around the world," said USA Softball Chief Executive Officer, Craig Cress. "The tireless efforts from the collegiate coaches and staff to help athletes master their craft – both on and off the field – is what makes the professional and international stages so superior. We cannot thank the coaches of UCLA and all our other collegiate softball programs enough for their dedication to preparing athletes for the highest stage."
"We are immensely proud of our program's tradition of producing Olympians. It has been amazing to watch our Bruins' continued success, dominating both the college level and on the world's biggest stage," said the Shelly Carlin UCLA Head Softball Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. "We added four more Bruins to that legacy in the 2020 Tokyo Games, making it 16 total UCLA softball alumni who have gone on to compete for their country in the Olympics."
UCLA is one of four schools to be inducted into the inaugural class, which will be honored 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 Alice and Nahum Lainer Family Director of Athletics Martin Jarmond will be present at the ceremony.
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; 35 U.S. Olympians and 19 U.S. medalists.
· Olympic Silver Award: UCLA; 21 U.S. Olympians and 14 U.S. medalists.
· Olympic Bronze Award: Florida; 14 U.S. Olympians and 10 U.S. medalists.
· Paralympic Gold Award: Illinois; 20 U.S. Paralympians and nine U.S. medalists.
2020 USA Softball Collegiate Impact Award
It was also announced today that UCLA will be honored with the 2020 USA Softball Collegiate Impact Award, which recognizes the top-contributing school on the 2020 U.S. Olympic Softball Team in Tokyo. The 2020 U.S. Olympic Softball Team consisted of a 15-player roster filled with elite athletes from across the nation – all of which competed at the collegiate level. Leading the college programs in current/former athlete representation was UCLA, with four Bruins wearing the red, white and blue in Tokyo to earn UCLA the 2020 USA Softball Collegiate Impact Award.
Ally Carda and Delaney Spaulding – alumni of UCLA and veterans of the U.S. Women's National Team – helped lead the U.S. squad through pre-Olympic trainings while Rachel Garcia and Bubba Nickles rounded out their senior year and continued their preparations at the collegiate level before joining the WNT in Tokyo. The four Bruins contributed to Team USA's silver medal finish at the Tokyo Olympic Games after softball's 13-year hiatus from the Olympic program. UCLA softball now has 16 total alumni who have gone on to compete in the Olympics for their respective countries.
"It's because of collegiate programs like UCLA and Athletic Directors like Martin Jarmond that help keep the sport of softball strong in our country and around the world," said USA Softball Chief Executive Officer, Craig Cress. "The tireless efforts from the collegiate coaches and staff to help athletes master their craft – both on and off the field – is what makes the professional and international stages so superior. We cannot thank the coaches of UCLA and all our other collegiate softball programs enough for their dedication to preparing athletes for the highest stage."
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