Highland Heights, Ky. – Northern Kentucky University women's track & field athlete Kayla Thompson is this year's recipient of the Horizon League's Bobby Fong Award, the League office announced Wednesday afternoon.  
The award is named after the late Bobby Fong, who served as President of Butler University from 2001-11. The Bobby Fong Award is given to the student-athlete or team that best represents the Horizon League and its core values of integrity, respect and stewardship. As Butler's President, Dr. Fong served on the Horizon League Board of Directors from 2001-11, including a term as its chairman. Under his watch, Butler sustained an athletic program distinguished by its balance between academic achievement and competitive excellence. 
 
"Bobby would have been deeply honored by Kayla Thompson's receipt of the Bobby Fong award," commented Bobby's widow Suzanne Fong.  "He prized academic and athletic excellence; Kayla exemplifies both.  But even more than those, he was delighted by students, like Kayla, who sought to use their knowledge and accomplishments in service to others.  Kayla's work to support her fellow athletes would please him.  As a Chinese-American painfully familiar with hate speech and slurs, Bobby would be even happier with Kayla's work to challenge hate, bridge racial divisions, and to nurture a more caring and inclusive community.  My sons and I congratulate her.  We know she will be a force for good wherever her life takes her."
 
Thompson's dedication to the track & field program, as well as to the myriad organizations to which she commits, is an inspiration to her fellow student-athletes and coaches. 
 
"Individual athletic accolades are always nice, but in our program, individual development and growth is the primary objective," said assistant track & field coach Paul Longano. "In this light, track & field is simply a vehicle we use to unlock young athletes' potential to one day better serve our society. Nobody in our program personifies this ideology better than Kayla Thompson. We are all proud of her." 
 
As the embodiment of what it means to be a student-athlete, Thompson has dedicated herself to working no less than two to three jobs at a time throughout her collegiate career while both competing for the Norse and excelling in the classroom. After capitalizing on the opportunity to earn college credit in high school, she is expected to graduate early with a degree in psychological and behavioral sciences and currently boasts a 3.52 GPA.
 
"Kayla personifies the Horizon League's values of integrity, respect and stewardship," stated Julie Roe Lach, Horizon League Commissioner. "I had the privilege of getting to know Kayla over the past year when she stepped up to serve on #OneHL, a League initiative formed to address social injustices. Kayla is courageous in speaking her truth as she embraces others with a spirit of inclusion. She also leads on her campus and in the community as the president of the campus NAACP chapter while also excelling on the track and in the classroom.  We are grateful for Kayla's impact and excited to name her this year's Bobby Fong Award winner,". 
 
 The native of Stow, Ohio, immerses herself on both NKU's campus and in the local community. Thompson is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and is also the President of Northern Kentucky University's Chapter of the NAACP. She also volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club and at Part of Their World, LLC. 
 
Thompson is a two-time All-Horizon League honoree in both the indoor and outdoor seasons, earning first place in the 100m hurdles at the 2019 Horizon League Outdoor Championships. In addition, she placed second in the 60m hurdles at the 2018, 2019 and 2021 Horizon League Indoor Championships.  
 
"I would sincerely like to thank Debbie Kirch for nominating me for this award," said Thompson. "As a student-athlete it really brings me joy to know that you have people on your side from athletics that think so highly of you.
  
"Thank you so much to the Horizon League for selecting me for this prestigious award! I am extremely grateful for everything being a college athlete has awarded me, whether that be experiences, friendships or opportunities."  
 
This marks the sixth year of the Bobby Fong Award and the third time a Norse student-athlete or team has garnered the accolade. Thompson joins Sami Rutowski (women's soccer) in 2017 and the 2018 NKU baseball team as recipients.