ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference on Wednesday announced that Kaho Cichon of the UCLA track & field/cross country program and Zeke Johnson of the football program were named campus winners for the 2026-27 Big Ten Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award presented by Discover.

Now in its third year, the honor was created to recognize Big Ten student-athletes who strive to have a positive impact within their community in addition to excellence in competition.

A total of 36 winners were chosen from the 18 member institutions. Two overall conference winners will be selected and announced in the spring of 2027. In recognition of their achievement and as an expression of the conference's appreciation, each of the 36 campus winners will receive a medal bearing the likeness of Jackie Robinson and the logo of the Big Ten Conference.

A fifth-year distance runner on UCLA’s cross country and track & field squads, Cichon has been heavily involved in student organizations and community service during her time in Westwood. She is the founder and co-president of the Pacific Islanders & Asians Committed to Excellence (PACE) and co-president of the Bruin Athletic Council (BAC). During her time in those organizations, she has organized numerous events to foster intercultural appreciation and learning. Cichon also collaborated with Athletics and campus partners such as UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and Athletics Nutrition for PACE programming. Outside of Athletics, she has received the President’s Volunteer Service Award for her involvement with the Nova Vita Foundation. With the track team, Cichon has qualified for the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in each of the past two seasons, and recorded the No. 10 mile (4:48.49) in program history during the 2026 indoor season.

A sophomore defensive back on the No. 4-ranked UCLA football squad, Johnson is a representative on the Bruin Athletic Council and Co-Chair of the BAC Mental Health & Well-Being Committee. Johnson has been involved in multiple visits to the UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, both with the football team and his fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi. Through those organizations, as well as Athletes in Action, Johnson has taken an active role in youth outreach and mentorship, participating in events such elementary school visits, career days, and sports clinics. He’s also been a leader in the mental health space within UCLA Athletics, rising to co-chair of the BAC Mental Health & Well-Being Committee and driving conversations around mental wellness within UCLA Athletics. He organized the committee's first-ever event, a yoga session at UCLA's football facility, and remains an active leader in the organization who creates opportunities for Bruin student-athletes to connect outside their respective teams. Growing up, his father taught him to live by the principles of SMILE: Service, Ministry, Integrity, Leadership, and Excellence. Those five values have become the foundation for how Zeke approaches his responsibilities as a student-athlete, teammate, and member of his community.

Jackie Robinson was a standout student-athlete at UCLA, where he was the school's first four-sport letter winner, excelling in football, basketball, track and field, and baseball. Beyond his athletic prowess, however, he is recognized and honored for his contributions off the field: integrating Major League Baseball and his lifelong commitment to social justice. He is the embodiment of the Big Ten's mission to develop strong student leaders, and we honor his legacy and core values of courage, determination, teamwork, persistence, integrity, citizenship, justice, commitment, and excellence. As Jackie famously said, "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."

Honorees were selected based on the following criteria:

• Demonstrated Impact: Significant and tangible contributions to community projects or causes, including measurable outcomes or positive changes resulting from their involvement.
• Collaboration and Teamwork: Ability to work effectively with others, including peers, organizations, and community members, to achieve common goals and enhance community impact.
• Consistency and Commitment: Ongoing and consistent participation in community service activities over an extended period of time.
• Visibility and Advocacy: Efforts to raise awareness and advocate for important groups or causes, leveraging their platform to promote positive change and engage others.

UCLA's Big Ten Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award Campus Winners
2026-27: Kaho Cichon (track & field/cross country), Zeke Johnson (football)
2025-26: Karson Gordon (football, track & field), Jordan Robinson (track & field)
2024-25: Janiah Barker (women's basketball), Chase Griffin (football)