ESPN 98.1 FM – 850 AM WRUF ESPN 98.1 FM – 850 AM WRUF
Leanne Wong, the Gator gymnast star, has tough competition ahead, but this time she’s not on the bars or vault. Instead, Wong will face up against three other women in the 2024 Honda Sports Award with the possibility of advancing to New York.
Twelve Honda Sports Awards are given to elite female student-athletes in their respective NCAA sports. Then, the winners become eligible for the 2024 Honda Cup Award during a ceremony in New York City June 24.
2024 season
Before the NCAA gymnastics season started, Wong competed with the U.S. 2023 FIG World Championship team. The group won gold medal. Then, Wong dominated in collegiate athletics.
She scored 39.875 in the Feb. 23 match against LSU, the fourth highest all-around score nationally. In the competition, Wong also gave a perfect-10 performance on the floor exercise after her teammate, Payton Richards, injured herself.
In the NCAA championships, she was the NCAA uneven bars co-champion. She was the runner-up for all-around performance and the vault. Now, Wong started her preparation for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials June 28.
https://twitter.com/espnW/status/1781151465068810404
The Competition
Her competition includes familiar foes from the NCAA semifinals and championship meets: Haleigh Bryant, Jordan Bowers and Jade Carey.
Senior Haleigh Bryant helped bring the NCAA Gymnastics Championship to LSU for the first time in the school’s history. In the semifinals, Bryant earned the individual all-around title. She scored a 39.7125 in the NCAA championship finals.
https://twitter.com/espn/status/1781793854410166707
Junior Jordan Bowers competed this season for the University of Oklahoma. She was given first-team honors based on her floor and bars performances. She also went into the semifinals as the No. 1 gymnast on uneven bars (she tied with fellow Sooner Audrey Davis). However, Florida and Utah beat the Oklahoma in the semifinals, ending Bowers’ season.
Junior Jade Carey competed as an individual after Oregon State failed to advance past the second round of post-season gymnastics April 4. During the Pac-12 Championships she earned a perfect 10 score on the floor. Carey rotated with the Gators in the semifinals. She earned silver medals in the all-around and on the floor exercise.
Wong will have to beat all four women to earn the award. If she wins, she’ll join Gator greats.
The previous five Gator gymnastics winners include Olympic silver medalists Bridget Sloan and Trinity Thomas, who was the first gymnast to win the award consecutively since 1998.
