University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Latu, Turner Named Pac-12 Tom Hansen Medal Recipients
June 17, 2024 | Football, Women's Soccer
LOS ANGELES โ UCLA student-athletes Laiatu Latu (football) and Reilyn Turner (women's soccer) have been named 2023-24 Pac-12 Tom Hansen Medal recipients, as announced Monday by the Pac-12 Conference office.
A Conference Medal is awarded annually to each member institution's outstanding senior male and female student-athlete based on the exhibition of the greatest combination of performance and achievement in scholarship, athletics and leadership.
Conference medal winners have been named every year since the 1960-61 academic year. In 2009, the Pac-12 renamed the award the Tom Hansen Conference Medal in honor of Hansen, who retired at the end of June 2009 after serving for 26 years as Commissioner of the Pac-10.
Latu became UCLA's first-ever winner of the Lombardi Award (top lineman in NCAA), Ted Hendricks Award (top defensive end in NCAA), and Polynesian Defensive Player of the Year after turning in a superlative senior season in 2023. The consensus All-American led the nation in tackles for loss per game (1.8) and ranked fourth nationally with a 1.08 sacks per game average before being selected in the first round, No. 15 overall, of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts.
Off the field, the sociology major and 2022 College Football Comeback Player of the Year visited "Front Line Kids" and their families at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, took part in a rally at Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory in Houston, and spoke at his alma mater, Jesuit High School in Sacramento, Calif., to speak with young people about his journey.
Turner takes home the Hansen Medal after a storied four-year career in Westwood, helping the women's soccer program to one NCAA title and three Pac-12 Championships. She finished her career with 42 goals (including 16 game-winners) and seven multi-goal games, totals which all rank fifth in UCLA history. She also ranks sixth in UCLA lore with 99 career points. A four-time All-Pac-12 and All-Pacific Region honoree, she was UCLA's first-ever Pac-12 Forward of the Year after posting team highs in goals (10) and points (26) in 2023. Turner was selected as the Most Outstanding Offensive Player at the 2022 College Cup after scoring the game-winning goal in the semifinal and the game-tying goal with 16 seconds remaining in the National Championship game, an eventual 3-2 Bruin victory over North Carolina.
The Aliso Viejo, Calif. native graduated from UCLA with a degree in sociology. A strong student, she was a three-time Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll member and a mainstay on the UCLA Director's Honor Roll. Turner also served as a Nike Community Ambassador.
Turner was selected by Racing Louisville FC with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft.
