GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Two who were named 2015's top collegiate athlete for their sport are also the 2015 Ben Hill Griffin Award winners for their overall contributions to the Gator athletics program and Gainesville community last year. Track & field's Marquis Dendy and gymnast Kytra Hunter receive their 2015 Ben Hill Griffin Award at the 2016 Hall of Fame Banquet on April 9.



Established by Gator Boosters, Inc., and the University of Florida Athletic Association, the award honors the top male and female student-athlete at the University of Florida and is named after Ben Hill Griffin and his family, who have been long-time avid supporters and fans of Gator athletics. The Ben Hill Griffin award is based primarily on athletic achievement; academic achievement and extra-curricular involvement are also considered.





Dendy's 2015 Season Spotlight:

Marquis Dendy departed Florida as a seven-time NCAA Champion and 13-time United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-American in the horizontal jumps.

Became the first Gator to win The Bowerman, track and field's highest honor and the equivalent to college football's Heisman Trophy within the sport.

Named the USTFCCCA Indoor and Outdoor National Field Athlete of the Year, as well as the SEC Indoor and Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year.

Became the only man in collegiate history to finish his career as a 27-foot long jumper and 57-foot triple jumper both indoors and outdoors.? Dendy was the only man ranked in the outdoor world top 20 in both the long jump (fourth) and triple jump (fifth).

Swept the triple jump and long jump titles at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships, joining 1992 Olympic gold medalist Michael Conley, a former Arkansas Razorback, as the only other athlete in history to sweep the horizontal jumps titles at three consecutive NCAA Division I Championships.

Became the fourth athlete in history to sweep the horizontal jumps at the SEC Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the same season.

Posted 2015's top world indoor triple jump and the third-best mark in collegiate history (57 feet/17.37 meters) en route to his NCAA Indoor Championships victory.

Logged the third-best triple jump within a collegiate season (57 feet, 5 inches/17.50 meters) in NCAA history to win the outdoor national title.

Claimed the NCAA Outdoor Championship in the long jump with the third-longest all-conditions mark in collegiate history (28 feet, 5.75 inches/8.68 meters).

Kytra Hunter won a national title each day of the 2015 NCAA Championships. During the semifinals, Hunter won her second NCAA all-around title. The next day in the NCAA Super Six, she helped the Gators win their third-consecutive NCAA team championship. She finished her career by claiming the NCAA floor exercise title in the NCAA Individual Event Championships.

Hunter's 2015 Highlights: