Kyla Ross, a senior from UCLA, was named the Honda Sport Award winner for Gymnastics as announced today by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA).
The CWSA has been balancing the recognition of deserving honorees with these unusual times as collegiate athletics have come to a halt. Given the nationwide pandemic, the CWSA will be announcing the winter honorees and the 2020 Inspiration Award finalists and winner, but due to the cancellation of the spring season, the 2020 spring award winners, Honda Top Three and Honda Cup winner will not be chosen.
Ross was chosen by a vote of administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Finalists included Maggie Nichols (Oklahoma), Lexy Ramler (Minnesota) and Trinity Thomas (Florida).
"I am honored to be receiving this prestigious award by Honda and the CWSA that shines a much-needed light on women’s athletics,” said Ross. “Competing in collegiate sports has been such a fulfilling life experience for me. I sincerely thank UCLA for providing me not only the athletic but the academic opportunities that I will carry with me into anything I choose to pursue moving forward.”
Ross, a senior from Aliso Viejo, Calif., is a two-time Honda Sport Award finalist for gymnastics and a two-time Pac-12 and NCAA Region Gymnast of the Year. She is a finalist for the AAI award and is a 24-time All-American, the most in UCLA history. She was the first female gymnast ever to win Olympic, World and NCAA championships and is the first UCLA gymnast ever to win NCAA titles on all four individual events in her career. She finished the year ranked No. 1 on uneven bars, No. 2 on balance beam, No. 3 in the all-around and No. 4 on floor.
During her career, she posted 22 perfect 10s, tying for the fourth-most in NCAA history and was unbeaten in eight all-around attempts in 2020, scoring no lower than 39.575. This season, she won 34 out of a possible 45 individual titles and won at least two titles in every meet.
Internationally, she is a 2014 World Championship gold medalist and 2012 Olympic gold medalist. Overall, she is a five-time World Championship medalist.
“I have never met an individual with more integrity than Kyla Ross,” said UCLA head coach Chris Waller. “Whether she is training, competing, being a friend, being a student, or learning a Tik-Tok, she does it whole-heartedly as if nothing else matters in the world. This appreciation for the present and enthusiasm for life brings light, inspiration and energy to everything she does and moves the world around her. While Kyla’s competitive spirit is literally second to none no matter what competition, challenge, or silly game is at hand, perhaps the most important value she holds is her regard for kindness, which she intentionally expresses enthusiastically and freely. Kyla has impacted the UCLA Gymnastics program in ways that will live on forever, and her example of how to live a thriving, full, well-rounded, and illuminated life is a beautiful example for us all. We will celebrate the Boss's legacy at UCLA for decades to come.”
Honda Sport Award winners will be presented with the honor during on-campus presentations.
The CWSA, in its 44th year, honors the nation’s top NCAA women athletes recognizing superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs at the institutions.
About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility
Honda also is committed to making positive contributions to the communities where it does business, conducting socially responsible business practices and promoting diversity in its workforce. From Honda's involvement in STEM education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to its support of pediatric brain tumor research and volunteer efforts by Honda associates, including environmental clean-up activities, Honda believes in giving back to the communities where its associates live and work. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.