Merriman, Natalie Repeat as Ohio State Athletes of the Year – Ohio State Buckeyes
6/18/2001 12:00:00 AM | General
June 18, 2001
COLUMBUS, Ohio– Buckeye gymnast Jamie Natalie (Sr., Hockessin, Del./Alexix I duPont H.S.) and track and field standout Donica Merriman (Sr., Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison H.S.) have been selected the 2001 Ohio State Male and Female Athletes of the Year. The awards, voted on by an interadepartmental panel of administrators and coaches, are based solely on the individual’s athletic accomplishments for the given year. The honorees will be entered into the balloting for the Big Ten Jesse Owens Male and Big Ten Suzy Favor Female Athlete of the Year awards which will be announced June 26 by the conference.
Natalie joins Jim Jackson (basketball, 1991, 1992) and fellow gymnast Blaine Wilson (1995, 1997) as the third two-time OSU male athlete of the year since its inception in 1982. An alternate for the 2000 U.S. men’s gymnastics Olympic team, Natalie helped lead the Buckeyes to the 2001 NCAA Championship. Individually, he captured the 2001 Big Ten All-Around Championship before adding his second-consecutive NCAA All-Around Championship to is resume. Natalie garnered All-America accolades for the 2001 campaign in the all-around, floor exercise and parallel bars for his performances in the national meet held April 6 in the Buckeyes’ home venue of St. John Arena.
Along with his athlete of the year honor, Natalie also was awarded the 2001 Nissen-Emery Award, the 2001 Coaches Award, the 2001 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year and the 2001 Big Ten Medal of Honor.
Merriman likewise had an incredible year. She became the first OSU female track and field athlete to capture a national championship in an indoor and outdoor event in the same year as well as the first indoor champion in nearly 18 years and the first outdoor champion ever for the program. During her indoor campaign, Merriman won her fourth-consecutive Big Ten title in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.98. She improved her time to 7.95 at the NCAA Indoor Championships, the fastest time in the nation for the year, to claim the national title.
Merriman, who joins women’s basketball standout Katie Smith in 1994 and 1996 as the only two-time OSU Female Athlete of the Year, was honored with NCAA Indoor and Outdoor All-America laurels in addition to being named the 2001 Big Ten Indoor Athlete of the Championship and the 2001 Big Ten Indoor Athlete of the Year as she helped lead the Buckeyes to a second-place finish, the highest finish in the program’s history.
Natalie and Merriman will be honored during an OSU football game in the 2001 season. The game and time will be determined at a later date.
Ohio State Athlete of the Year Year Male Sport Female Sport 1982 Art Schlichter Football — — 1983 Chris Perry Golf Cathy Kratzert Golf 1984 John Frank Football Sarah Josephson Synchro. Swim. 1985 Robert Playter Gymnastics Yvette Angel Basketball 1986 Mike Lanese Football Tracey Hall Basketball 1987 Butch Reynolds Track Karen LaFace Diving 1988 Chris Spielman Football Bridgette Tate Track 1989 Joe Greene Track/Field Nikita Lowry Basketball 1990 Mike Racanelli Gymnastics Susan Gottlieb Swimming 1991 Jim Jackson Basketball Holly O’Leary Volleyball 1992 Jim Jackson Basketball Leisa Wissler Volleyball 1993 Chris Nelloms Track/Field Audrey Burcy Basketball 1994 Chris Sanders Track/Field Katie Smith Basketball 1995 Blaine Wilson Gymnastics #Laura Davis Volleyball 1996 *Eddie George Football Katie Smith Basketball 1997 *Blaine Wilson Gymnastics Amy Langhals Golf 1998 Hugo Boisvert Hockey Vanessa Wouters Volleyball 1999 Scoonie Penn Basketball Dominque Calloway Track/Field 2000 Jamie Natalie Gymanstics Donica Merriman Track/Field 2001 Jamie Natalie Gymnastics Donica Merriman Track/Field
* Recipient of the Big Ten Jesse Owens Award # Recipient of the Big Ten Suzy Favor Award
