SAN DIEGO - Sophomore UC San Diego swimmer Reilly Boyt has been selected as the San Diego Hall of Champions (SDHOC) Challenged Athlete of the Year for 2015.
Boyt will be honored at the 70th Salute to the Champions on Tuesday night, Feb. 16, at the Town and Country Resort & Convention Center.
A native of Fort Collins, Colo. (Poudre HS), Boyt starred for Team USA at the 2015 Parapan American Games in Toronto, Canada, totaling four medals. She swam to a pair of golds on the same day, Aug. 11, in the 100-meter breaststroke and 200-meter individual medley, defending her title in the 100 breast from her first Parapan Am appearance in 2011 in Mexico. The wins in Toronto both came in Parapan Am record times of 1:45.69 and 3:23.00, respectively, in her S6 classification. Boyt added a silver as the anchor leg of the mixed 4x50 freestyle relay and a bronze in the 100 backstroke, while placing fifth in the 400 free.
As a result of those efforts, Boyt was named among the SDHOC Stars of the Month for August. Her ultimate goal is to qualify for the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, later this year, Sept. 7-18.
"It's an honor to receive an award such as this one," said Boyt. "I have an amazing support network through my incredible teammates and coaches, to whom I owe a great deal of my success. I am extremely proud to be able to represent UCSD and U.S. Paralympics by receiving this award."
"Reilly has the combination of a tough, 'won't take no for an answer' personality, as well as flexible and 'go with the flow,'" added UCSD head coach Corrie Falcon. "This combination has allowed her to succeed at the highest levels. Reilly has an iron will, and there really is no stopping her."
For UCSD, Boyt competed in six of 10 meets as a freshman a season ago, including her first Pacific Collegiate Swimming and Diving Conference (PCSC) Championships.
In addition to Boyt as Challenged Athlete of the Year, professional and amateur Stars of the Month from throughout 2015 will also be spotlighted on Feb. 16, including a total of 15 UCSD affiliates. They are:
Matt Bowen, track and field
Reilly Boyt, swimming and diving
Chase Cockerill, water polo
Troy Cruz, baseball
Danielle Dahle, volleyball
Justin Donatella, baseball
Drew Dyer, basketball
Adam Klie, basketball
Guido Knudson, baseball
Austine Lee, swimming and diving
Courtney Miller, water polo
Mary Reilly, soccer
Farrah Shokoor, basketball
Stephanie Sin, swimming and diving
Meagan Wright, volleyball
The San Diego Hall of Champions honors outstanding athletes from San Diego, as well as athletes who have achieved stardom for local teams.
For Salute ticket information, please contact Terri Rochon at terrir@sdhoc.com, call 619-699-2302, or order online at ticketsauce.com/e/salute-champions.
ABOUT THE HALL OF CHAMPIONS
The "Hall" is an undisputed national leader in recognition of amateur, prep and professional sports excellence; youth sports-based education; and sports memorabilia exhibition. The Hall was launched by the Breitbard Athletic Foundation, which was founded in 1946 to recognize significant athletic achievement in San Diego. Through its vigilant focus on the community of San Diego and its betterment, SDHOC has developed an outstanding sports museum that enhances the quality of life for San Diegans through sports. For more information, please visit www.sdhoc.com.
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