The University of Florida has announced 2 swimmers as members of its 9-member 2020 UF Athletic Hall of Fame Class.
Swimmers Shaune Fraser and Gemma Spofforth were both selected to the class as part of a group that also includes Tim Tebow, who in 2007 became the first sophomore to ever with the Heisman Trophy as college football’s top player.
The two swimmers on the list had careers that overlapped from 2006-2010.
Spofforth was a 7-time NCAA event champion, two-time Olympian, and led the Florida women to an NCAA team title in 2010. In 2009, she also broke the 100 meter backstroke World Record en route to a World Championship.
Fraser is a three-time individual NCAA champion, winning the 200 fly in 2009 and 2010 and the 200 free in 2009. That included a collegiate-record breaking swim in the 200 fly at the 2009 NCAA Championships. He ended his career with 27 out of a possible 28 All-America honors. Shaune was a two-time Olympian representing the Cayman Islands, including carrying their flag in the opening ceremony at the 2008 Olympic Games.
His younger brother, Brett, was a two-time NCAA Champion for Florida from 2007-2011.
Each year, the F Club Committee selects members to the Hall of Fame in three categories: Gator Greats, Distinguished Letterwinners, and Honorary Letterwinners.
This year’s nine-member class is comprised of eight Gator Greats and an Honorary Letterwinner.
Gator Greats are letterwinners who brought recognition and prominence to the University of Florida and themselves through their athletic accomplishments as a student-athlete. An Honorary Letterwinner is a coach or athletic official (after retirement) who was not a letterwinner or athlete at the University of Florida, yet rendered outstanding service to the program through personal time, effort, and interest.
During their Gators careers, members of the 2020 Hall of Fame class led programs to five national titles, 13 Southeastern Conference championships, and five SEC Tournament titles, in addition to 15 individual NCAA titles.
Information related to the induction ceremony will be announced at a later date.
Full Release, including complete bios of all inductees, are below:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A star-studded group is set for enshrinement as members of the 2020 UF Athletic Hall of Fame class, the University of Florida F Club and Gator Boosters, Inc., announced Monday morning.
Each year, the F Club Committee selects members to the Hall of Fame in three categories: Gator Greats, Distinguished Letterwinners, and Honorary Letterwinners.
This year’s nine-member class is comprised of eight Gator Greats and an Honorary Letterwinner.
Gator Greats are letterwinners who brought recognition and prominence to the University of Florida and themselves through their athletic accomplishments as a student-athlete. An Honorary Letterwinner is a coach or athletic official (after retirement) who was not a letterwinner or athlete at the University of Florida, yet rendered outstanding service to the program through personal time, effort, and interest.
During their Gators careers, members of the 2020 Hall of Fame class led programs to five national titles, 13 Southeastern Conference championships, and five SEC Tournament titles, in addition to 15 individual NCAA titles.
Information related to the induction ceremony will be announced at a later date.
2020 UF Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees
Gator Greats
Andrew DeClercq
Andrew DeClercq (Men’s Basketball, 1991-95) – Helped Florida reach the 1994 Final Four … Three-time All-SEC selection (First Team in 1995, Second Team in 1993, and Third Team in 1994) … Started all 128 games of his Gators career, breaking and still holding the record for most consecutive games started … Totaled 958 rebounds, which rank third in school history … 1995 Academic All-SEC honoree … Selected with the 34th overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors.
Shaune Fraser (Men’s Swimming and Diving, 2006-10) – Three-time individual NCAA champion (200-yard butterfly and 200-yard freestyle in 2009, 200-yard butterfly in 2010) … Broke the collegiate record in the 200-yard butterfly at the 2009 NCAA Championships … Seven-time individual SEC champion (200-yard butterfly in 2007, 800-yard freestyle relay in 2007 and 2010, 200-yard freestyle in 2008 and 2009, 100-yard butterfly and 200-yard individual medley in 2010) … … Ended his career with a school-record 27 All-America honors … Two-time Olympian (2004, 2008) who represented Cayman Islands … Flag bearer for Cayman Islands at the 2008 Olympics.
Brandon James
Brandon James (Football, 2006-09) – Two-time BCS National Championship Game winner (2006, 2008) … Two-time SEC Championship Game winner (2006, 2008) … 2008 Sporting News and FWAA All-America First Team selection … 2008 SEC Special Teams Player of the Year … 2008 All-SEC Coaches First Team … 2007 All-SEC Associated Press and Coaches Second Team … Remains the only player in SEC history with 4,000-plus combined kickoff and punt return yards … Concluded his career as the holder of four SEC and school records, including the conference record for career kickoff return yardage with 2,718 yards … Still ranks third in SEC history and holds the school record for career punt return yardage with 1,371 yards.
Mariam Kevkhishvili
Mariam Kevkhishvili (Women’s Track and Field, 2007-10) – Tied the school record with five individual NCAA titles (three indoor shot put, 2008-10; two outdoor shot put, 2009-10) … Five-time individual SEC champion (three outdoor shot put, 2007, 2009-10; two indoor shot put, 2009-10) … Eight-time USTFCCCA All-America First Team honoree … Two-time SEC Field Athlete of the Year (2009 indoors, 2010 outdoors) … Second woman in NCAA history to win consecutive indoor and outdoor NCAA titles in the shot put … Helped the Gators win the 2009 SEC Outdoor Championships and 2010 SEC Indoor Championships.
Hamid Mirzadeh
Hamid Mirzadeh (Men’s Tennis, 2001-05) – Five-time All-America honoree (three in singles, two in doubles) … Four-time All-SEC First Team selection … 2004 SEC Men’s Tennis Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year … Led the Gators to two SEC titles (2003, 2005) and the 2005 SEC Tournament championship … Only Division I player to advance to the quarterfinals in both singles and doubles at the 2004 NCAA Championship … Three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member.
Brandon Spikes
Brandon Spikes (Football, 2006-09) – Two-time BCS National Championship Game winner (2006, 2008) … Two-time SEC Championship Game winner (2006, 2008) … Two-time Associated Press All-America First Team selection (2008-09) … Three-time All-SEC First Team selection (2007-09) … 2009 Chuck Bednarik Award Finalist … 2008 Lombardi Award Finalist … 2008 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Finalist … Two-time Butkus Award Finalist (2008-09) … Still holds the school record with four career interception return touchdowns … Chosen in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.
Gemma Spofforth (Women’s Swimming and Diving, 2006-10) – Led the Gators to a national championship in 2010 and SEC championship in 2009 … Seven-time individual NCAA champion (100-yard backstroke from 2008-10, 200-yard backstroke from 2007-09, 200-yard freestyle relay in 2010) … Broke the collegiate record in the 200-yard backstroke at the 2009 NCAA Championships … Earned 25 All-America honors … 2009 CSCAA Scholar All-American … Two-time SEC Female Swimmer of the Year (2009, 2010) … 11-time individual SEC champion (100-yard and 200-yard backstroke from 2008-10, 200-yard medley relay in 2008 and 2009, 200-yard freestyle relay in 2009 and 2010, 200-yard individual medley in 2010)… Broke the 100-meter backstroke world record en route to a gold medal at the 2009 FINA World Championships … Two-time Olympian (2008, 2012) who represented Great Britain.
Tim Tebow (Football, 2006-09) – Two-time BCS National Championship Game winner (2006, 2008) … Two-time SEC Championship Game winner (2006, 2008) … First sophomore to ever win the Heisman Trophy (2007) … Three-time Heisman Trophy finalist (2007-09) … Only two-time Maxwell Award winner in history (2007, 2008) … Three-time Associated Press All-America selection (First Team in 2007, Second Team in 2009, Third Team in 2008) … Two-time University Division Football CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year (2008-09, 2009-10) … 2009 William V. Campbell Trophy winner … 2008 Wuerffel Trophy winner … Three-time University Division Football CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team selection (2007-09) … Two-time SEC Offensive Player of the Year (2007, 2009) … Remains the only player in FBS history to pass for more than 30 touchdowns and rush for more than 20 touchdowns in a season (2007 – 32 passing, 23 rushing) … Remains the only player in FBS history with 85-plus touchdown passes and 55-plus rushing touchdowns in a career … Still holds the FBS single-season record for touchdowns responsible for (55 in 2007) … Completed career with five NCAA, 14 SEC, and 28 school records … Chosen with the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos.
Honorary Letterwinner
Billy Donovan
Billy Donovan (Men’s Basketball Head Coach, 1996-2015) – Coached Florida to back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007 … Led the Gators to four Final Four appearances (2000, 2006, 2007, 2014) … Three-time SEC Coach of the Year (2011, 2013, 2014) … Six-time SEC champion (2000, 2001, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014) … Four-time SEC Tournament champion (2005, 2006, 2007, 2014) … Led the Gators to 16 consecutive 20-win seasons, and posted three 30-win seasons, as well as school records of 36 wins and 30 straight wins during the 2013-14 season …Coached 15 All-Americans and two SEC Players of the Year (Chandler Parsons, 2010-11; Scottie Wilbekin, 2013-14) … Recipient of the 2010 Legends of Coaching Award.
Go Caymans….there’s a pun there in the homophone.