Former Utah Gymnast Hunter Dula Receives NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
SALT LAKE CITY – Former University of Utah gymnast Hunter Dula has been awarded an NCAA postgraduate scholarship of $10,000, the NCAA office announced. The bars specialist for the Red Rocks is one of just 21 women's winter sports athletes to receive the prestigious scholarship.
Dula, a 3.893 student with a kinesiology degree at the University of Utah, competed two seasons as a Ute prior to medically retiring after the 2020 season. The Orem, Utah native was a two-time WCGA Scholastic All-American and Dean's List honoree both years of her career, as well as a Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll selection when she became eligible for the award as a sophomore.
Dula ended her career without a fall, hitting 18-of-18 bar routines during her two seasons. In 2020, Dula set a career-high mark of 9.925 against Arizona State to claim her first career victory. She did not score lower than a 9.80 in her five routines as sophomore while dealing with a back injury. Dula won the starting job on bars as a freshman in just the second meet of the year and scored a 9.90 on bars at the 2019 Pac-12 Championships, which was a season high. At the 2019 NCAA Championships, Dula posted a 9.8375 on bars that counted toward the team score.
The former Red Rock has been accepted into the physical therapy program at Duke University where she will begin her postgraduate work in the fall of 2022. Dula is the fourth Red Rock in history to be awarded the prestigious honor, joining Georgia Dabritz (2016), Theresa Kulikowski (2003), and Shannon Bowles (2002).
The NCAA postgraduate scholarships are awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and who are at least in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition. The one-time non-renewable scholarships of $10,000 are awarded three times a year corresponding to each sport season (fall, winter and spring). Each sports season there are 21 scholarships available for men and 21 scholarships available for women for use in an accredited graduate program.