Ohio State Female Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor Finalists Announced – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/14/2002 12:00:00 AM | General
May 14, 2002
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Six Ohio State female student-athletes have been selected as finalists for the 2002 Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor. The nominees are Allison Blanton (Field hockey/Newton, N.J.), Carolina Moraes (Synchronized swimming/Sao Paulo, Brazil), Isabela Moraes (Synchronized swimming/Sao Paulo, Brazil), Monica Rincon (Tennis/Lapeer, Mich.), Lauren Shenk (Basketball/Minster, Ohio) and Emily Thorpe (Soccer/Cincinnati, Ohio).
A male and female honoree will be awarded the 2002 Medal of Honor at the Ohio State Scholar-Athlete Banquet. In addition 366 student-athletes will be recognized as Ohio State Scholar-Athletes at the banquet, which will be held at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 22 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
The Big Ten Medal of Honor Award was established by the Big Ten Conference office in 1914 and is awarded at each member institution to a student-athlete in the graduating class. An additional award for the top female was instituted in 1982. The two winners are chosen according to both academic and athletic proficiency. This honor includes a postgraduate scholarship for the recipients who would like to pursue a graduate or professional program at Ohio State.
Allison Blanton
Field Hockey
Allison Blanton, from Newton, N.J., recently was voted Most Valuable Player of the field hockey team by her teammates. She was a 2001 regional All-American, a member of the Big Ten All-Conference First Team and co-MVP of the Big Ten Tournament. Blanton was a 2000 Second Team AstroTurf/NFHCA Division I West Region All-America selection as a goalkeeper and a Second Team All-Big Ten selection. As captain in 2002, Blanton helped lead Ohio State to its first Big Ten regular season and tournament championships in the 30-year history of the program.
Blanton has achieved excellence off the field as well. She is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, a four-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and was nominated for the prestigious GTE Academic All-America honor. The 2001 NFHCA Division I National Academic Squad member also took home The Ohio State University Harriet B. Reynolds Award for achieving the highest team GPA. She is a four-year recipient of the Buckeye Plus Scholarship and the Baxter Scholarship. Blanton received the Kellogg Scholarship in 2001 and is an honors student at Ohio State. She has been a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Board and volunteers for Habitat for Humanity and the Ohio Wildlife Center. Blanton’s love of animals has led her to pursue a major in animal science and a minor in life science. She plans to continue her studies at Tufts University Veterinary School.
Carolina Moraes
Synchronized Swimming
Carolina Moraes, a four-time collegiate champion in synchronized swimming, helped lead the Buckeyes to their 22nd National Championship this season. Moraes and her twin sister, Isabela, natives of Sao Paulo, Brazil, took an unprecedented fourth consecutive duet title at the national championships, the first ever to accomplish the feat. They also are the first to win four consecutive trio titles, along with teammate Mary Hofer. Moraes also added the national solo title to her collection of honors. She has lettered four times and was a two-time high-point athlete for the collegiate nationals. Moraes was named to the Division I All-Collegiate team. In addition to her Ohio State career, Moraes took third place while swimming for the Brazilian national team in the Pan American games in 1999, is a seven-time South American champion in duet and took 12th place in the 2000 Olympic Games. She is looking forward to representing her country in the 2004 Olympics.
Moraes, who has been successful in meeting the challenge of learning in a second language, has been a leader for her team in the pool and in the classroom. She has been on the Dean’s List and also has found time to volunteer at Children’s Hospital in Columbus. A four-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Moraes is working on a degree in art and hopes to continue her studies in the field of design.
Isabela Moraes
Synchronized Swimming
Isabela Moraes, along with twin sister Carolina, helped lead the synchronized swimming team to its 22nd national championship this season. The twins took an unprecedented fourth-consecutive duet title at the national championships and also were the first to win four consecutive trio titles, along with teammate Mary Hofer. For her efforts, Moraes was named to the Division I All-Collegiate team. The Sao Paulo, Brazil, native took third place at the 1999 Pan American games and was a member of her country’s 2000 Olympic team.
Moraes, who has earned Dean’s List recognition six times, was on the Academic All-Big Ten team three times and is a four-time OSU Scholar-Athlete. She is finishing her degree in zoology and her main interest is conservatory biology. She would like to help deal with the problems modern society has visited upon the environment. Her plans following graduation include returning home to Brazil with her twin sister to train for the 2004 Olympics.
Monica Rincon
Tennis
Monica Rincon, from Lapeer, Mich., is the captain of the women’s tennis team. A four-year letterwinner, this season she has led the team with a 25-9 record and has been ranked as high as 51st in the nation in singles. She received the 1999 Coaches Award and 2000 Most Improved Player honor. Rincon, a team leader and role model, earned All-America honors last season and is a three-time All-Big Ten honoree. She was named the Big Ten Player of the Month in March 2002. Rincon was 16-7 at No. 1 doubles this spring and has been ranked nationally. Her career singles record of 101-45 makes her the second Buckeye ever to reach the career 100-win mark and leaves her three wins shy of the OSU record. Rincon qualified to compete in the NCAA singles tournament this season for the first time in her career. In addition, she was named the winner of the ITA’s Arthur Ashe, Jr., Leadership and Sportsmanship Award and Senior Award for the Midwest region.
Rincon works just as hard off the court in her academic pursuits. She is completing a double major in international business and operations management with a minor in Spanish. She is a four-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and a three-time Academic All-Big honoree. Rincon was nominated for the prestigious GTE Academic All-America award and has been on the Dean’s List numerous times. She has been part of the Student-Athlete Advisory Board and also has been active in the Hispanic community at Ohio State. In addition, Rincon has been involved with Campus Crusade for Christ and Athletes in Action. With her degrees, Rincon hopes to become involved with an international corporation dealing with Latin American countries as well as continue playing tennis.
Lauren Shenk
Basketball
Lauren Shenk, a native of Minster, Ohio, has been an outstanding scholar and athlete in her career at Ohio State. Shenk, a member of the basketball team, scored over 1,000 points and helped the team win the Women’s National Invitation Tournament in 2001. She is ranked fourth in career 3-point shots made at Ohio State and ranks 15th in career assists for the Buckeyes. She received the Best Free Throw Percentage Award in 2001 and was a four-year letterwinner.
Shenk has scored just as big in the academic realm. She is a three-time Verizon/CoSIDA Women’s Basketball District IV Academic All-American. She is a three-time Academic All Big Ten recipient and a four-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete. She belongs to the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Golden Key National Honor Society, Mortar Board National College Honor Society and the Dean’s List. Aside from these academic awards, Shenk has served the community well. She has been a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Board and has volunteered at the James Cancer Center and the OSU Sports Medicine Center. She is the co-founder of the “Beth Burns Bounce for Bucks” benefiting the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute and has been active in raising funds for the Komen Race for the Cure. She spoke for the Ohio State Affirm Thy Friendship campaign in 1999 and 2000. A molecular genetics major, Shenk will begin studies this fall at The Ohio State University College of Medicine in order to pursue a career in the medical field.
Emily Thorpe
Soccer
Emily Thorpe, a member of the women’s soccer team, provided invaluable leadership while serving as team captain in 2000 and 2001. In 1999, she was recognized as the team MVP and Best Offensive Player. While the positive impact Thorpe has had on the development and success of the soccer team over the past years cannot be measured, the Cincinnati native finished her career ranked second in assists and seventh in career points.
Thorpe is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and a four-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete. She has been on the Dean’s List every quarter and is a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Golden Key National Honor Society and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. She is a two-time Academic All-Ohio Second Team member, a Mortar Board nominee and an Academic All-America nominee. She has participated in Ohio State women’s soccer clinics, the Special Olympics, Drive-thru Nativity and the Academic Bowl and has read to elementary children. An English major, Thorpe will graduate after spring quarter with honors. She will begin her studies this summer in the Masters in Education program at Ohio State and plans to pursue a career in teaching and coaching at the high school level.
