NCAA Woman of Year nomination is mind blowing for Riley Gaines

Riley Gaines is a 12-time All-American, honor student and SEC Community Service award winner. (UK Athletics Photo)

Swimmer Riley Gaines won three individual Southeastern Conference championships, set two SEC records, won the SEC Community Service Award and was a 12-time All-American. She also graduated with a 3.86 grade-point average and was the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in women’s swimming.

Gaines is also UK’s nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year award — an honor that has left her feeling slightly overwhelmed.

“I don’t want to say I feel undeserving but I almost have to,” said Gaines. “This has got to be the top honor. Just comparing myself to other UK female athletes, and knowing how amazing so many are, it is hard to be thought of as one of those people.”

She’s right about being among elite company when it comes to standout female athletes at Kentucky.

— Abby Steiner has emerged as the nation’s best sprinter and is a three-time NCAA champion who also just won a USA Track & Field championship.

— Alli Stumler led Kentucky volleyball to a national championship and is a two-time All-American.

— Rhyne Howard was a three-time All-American and first pick in the 2022 WNBA draft.

— Golfer Jensen Castle was the 2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion.

— Catcher Kayla Kowalik and shortstop Erin Coffel are two of the nation’s best softball players.

“There are more in other sports. To be amongst those names is mind blowing,” Gaines, who helped UK win its first SEC women’s championship in 2021, said. “They are  just as deserving, if not more so, than me. To be thought of so highly by the nominating committee at UK is pretty humbling. They are all just the best of the best.”

Athletic performance, academics, service and character are all part of this award that former UK swimmer Asia Seidt won in 2020.

“We actually just spent time together in Destin (Fla.) at the beginning of June,” Gaines said. “We were both accepting awards from the SEC. She is an incredible athlete and person. Being mentioned with her is humbling.”

Gaines, a two-time team captain, has been involved with God’s Pantry, Special Olympics of Kentucky, Give 10 (R.E.A.L. Read), the Shriner’s Hospital and Amachi during her time in Lexington. She also participated in the Kentucky United Telethon, which raised more than $3 million for the American Red Cross to help tornado victims.

“For me it is deeper than just athletics. I have the academics. I am very involved in community engagement. I think the leadership I have demonstrated the last couple of months and all I have dealt with might have set me apart,” Gaines said.

Gaines has been vocal in her feelings about transgender athletes being able to compete against women and has become a national spokesman with her belief that men should compete against men, women against women and transgender against transgender.

“I have been in the media a lot with the fairness in women’s sports issues. It’s a bit overwhelming but I feel it needs to be done. I took it upon myself to stand up to this and the support I have received is 10-fold more than the backlash. I think it was important to stand  up in this special anniversary year of Tile IX for what I felt was right,” Gaines said.