LEXINGTON, Ky. – Senior Raena Worley has been selected as a finalist for the 2023 Honda Sports Award, the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) announced.
The Honda Sports Award is an annual honor, given to the best collegiate female athlete in each of the 12 NCAA-sponsored female sports. There are four nominees for each, and the 12 award winners are automatically in the running for the Honda-Broderick Cup to be named Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. Three other athletes were honored as Division II Athlete of the Year, Division III Athlete of the Year, and Inspiration Award winner.
Worley is one of Florida’s Trinity Thomas, Oregon State’s Jade Carey and LSU’s Haleigh Bryant as one of four finalists in contention for the prestigious award.
The native of Christiansburg, Va. an eight-time All-American who earned five total honors this season. He was also named a finalist for this year’s AAI Award, which is considered the Heisman Trophy of collegiate gymnastics. Worley received two All-America nods in the regular season and three in this year’s Championships. The senior was recognized as a WCGA Regular Season All-American earning first team honors on the floor and a second team nod for the all-around. She later received first team honors for all-around and second team recognition on bars and floor at the 2023 NCAA National Championships.
Worley placed fourth overall in Session II of the Championship semifinal meet with a combined tally of 39.5875. Her best event of the night was the floor exercise where she led the Wildcats with a 9.9375. An impressive floor rotation for Worley earned her second team honors on the apparatus and an eighth-place Session II overall finish. Her second best event of the night was the second rotation, the uneven bars, which earned a 9.9250 from the judges. The three National Championship All-America nods are the gymnast’s first in her career.
This season alone, Worley has scored a 9.900 or higher in every meet on the floor exercise. Her highest score of 2023 in the event was a 9.975 she scored at Illinois which tied her career best. He has tallied near-perfect scores four times in his career topping the individual apparatus 17 times. Seven of the top finishes have come this season. On the uneven bars, she earned a season-best 9.925 scoring 9.900 or higher eight times. He recorded eight career individual victories in the event.
The all-around has also been a standout on vault and balance beam this season and throughout her career. She has recorded a 9.900 or higher four times on vault this season with a season-high and career-best tied 9.950. He scored the highest score in Missouri, later repeating the score in Florida. She has tallied 10 individual victories in the event in her career, as well as nine on the balance beam. On beam this season, the senior scored a career-best 9.975 at Illinois to add to eight 9.900 or higher routines this season.
Throughout her collegiate gymnastics career, the senior has recorded 20 all-around victories with seven individual wins this season. Her career-high all-around tally was earned at Illinois where Worley recorded a combined 39.775.
Worley is the first Wildcat gymnast named as a finalist for the award since all-time great Jenny Hansen won the award three consecutive times between 1993-1995.
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