UCLA alumni Gail Devers and John Godina have been selected for induction into the Collegiate Track & Field/Cross Country Athlete Hall of Fame. The announcement was made by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday.
Devers, Godina, and 10 other inductees will be honored at a ceremony scheduled for Sunday, June 7 at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene, Oregon. This event will take place three days before the start of the 2026 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus.
With their induction, Devers and Godina become the fourth and fifth UCLA Bruins to join the USTFCCCA Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame. Previous Bruins inducted include Jackie Joyner-Kersee in 2022, Seilala Sua in 2023, and Amy Acuff in 2025.
Gail Devers competed for UCLA from 1985 to 1988. She was named All-American 13 times and won nine Pac-10 titles across six events: 100 meters, 200 meters, 100-meter hurdles, both relay events (4x100m and 4x400m), and long jump. In her senior year in 1988, she led UCLA to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships by winning the 100 meters (10.86w), finishing second in long jump (21-6), and contributing to both relay teams (second-place finish in the 4x100m with a time of 43.74 seconds; first-place finish in the 4x400m with a time of 3:29.82). As of 2026, she still holds school records at UCLA in both the 100 meters (10.97) and the 100-meter hurdles (12.61).
Devers is a five-time Olympian who participated consecutively from 1988 through 2004. She earned gold medals in the women’s 100 meters at both the Barcelona Games in 1992 and Atlanta Games in 1996, as well as another gold as part of Team USA’s victorious women’s relay squad at Atlanta.
She also collected numerous international medals: Devers was a medalist thirteen times at World Championships indoors and outdoors, including five World Outdoor titles (1993 – both sprints; 1995 – hurdles; 1997 – relay; and again hurdles in ’99) along with four World Indoor crowns spanning sprinting and hurdling events between 1993–2004. Domestically, she claimed ten USA Outdoor national titles in hurdles as well as three Olympic Trials victories.
In addition to her athletic achievements, Devers overcame significant health challenges after being diagnosed with Graves Disease—a thyroid disorder—in 1990. Despite concerns that doctors might need to amputate her feet due to complications from treatment, she recovered following radioactive iodine therapy combined with hormone replacement therapy. She returned to win silver at the World Championships one year later.
Over her career, Devers has received multiple honors beyond competition results: “In 1999, Devers was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame and received the USATF’s Humanitarian Athlete of the Year award.” She later entered both National Track & Field Hall of Fame (2011) and U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame (2012), receiving further recognition such as “the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award” in 2013.
John Godina competed for UCLA between 1992–1995, specializing as a thrower. He won five NCAA titles along with six Pac-10 championships spanning shot put and discus disciplines. As of this year he continues to hold NCAA records for shot put (22.00m /72–2¼) while ranking second all-time among Bruins for discus throw distance (64.92m /213–0). He became an All-American eleven times during his collegiate career before being inducted into UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005.
Godina’s professional career included three outdoor World Championship shot put titles—earned across 1995, 1997, and 2001—as well as an indoor world title (2001). He captured four U.S national shot put championships between 1998–2003 alongside two national discus wins (1997–98). By claiming both throws events nationally in ’98 he became first since Parry O’Brien—who last accomplished it back in 1955—to do so.
On an Olympic level Godina represented Team USA three times collecting silver (Atlanta ’96) then bronze (Sydney ’00). Twice he was recognized with “the Jesse Owens Award,” presented annually to America’s top male track athlete.
Other members joining this year’s class are Earl Bell (Arkansas State), John Carlos (San Jose State), Paul Ereng (Virginia), Carol Lewis (Houston), Earl McCullouch (USC), Dave Patrick (Villanova), Candice Scott (Florida), Dawn Sowell (LSU), Delisa Walton (Tennessee), and Leann Warren (Oregon).
The Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame began recognizing athletes’ collegiate achievements starting with its inaugural class established in 2022. It aims “to honor the best of the best” who left lasting impact during their college careers.
