Taylor Sweeps Indoor and Outdoor Big Ten Athlete of the Year Awards – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
May 21, 2003
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State track and field teams walked away from the 2003 Big Ten Championships with seven title winners, among that group were junior thrower Dan Taylor (Middlefield, Ohio/Berkshire), who won the shot put event, and freshman Amarachi Ukabam (Creve Couer, Mo./ Marquette), the 2003 champion in the discus. For his efforts, Taylor was named Big Ten Outdoor Male Athlete of the Year, while Ukabam earned the Female Freshman of the Year award. Taylor adds the outdoor honor to a resume that includes the 2003 indoor outstanding male athlete award.
Taylor, who is a six-time Big Ten Male Athlete of the Week recipient, was recognized as an All-Big Ten performer as he combined his shot put championship 64-8 effort with second place scores in the discus (175-8) and the hammer, shattering his own OSU program record with a 217-5.
Ukabam solidified the discus title with a 170-11 besting teammate and defending conference champion Krista Keir (Westerville, Ohio/ Westerville North), who took third.
Others receiving conference awards were Michigan senior April Phillips, who earned Big Ten women’s Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Phillips became the first-ever Wolverine to garner the Women’s Track and Field Athlete of the Year title. Fellow Wolverine Nick Willis claimed the Men’s Freshman of the Year honor, while Minnesota’s Mitch Potter and Wisconsin’s Bethany Brewster were tabbed as the League’s Athletes of the Championships. Each coach of the Big Ten championship squads, Minnesota’s Phil Lundin on the men’s side and Michigan’s James Henry on the women’s side, were awarded the Coach of the Year Honors.
As a team, Ohio State claimed fourth place on both the men’s and women’s side of the competition. The men’s fourth place overall finish is its third Top 4 placing in the last four seasons, while the women’s fourth place standing is its highest since scoring third in 2000.
Ohio State is off this week in preparation to play host to the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Regional Championships May 30 and 31 at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
MEN’S AWARDS
Men’s Athlete of the Year
Dan Taylor, OSU
Freshman of the Year
Nick Willis, MICH
Athlete of the Championships
Mitch Potter, MINN
Coach of the Year
Phil Lundin, MINN
WOMEN’S AWARDS
Athlete of the Year
April Phillips, MICH
Freshman of the Year
Amarachi Ukabam, OSU
Athlete of the Championships
Bethany Brewster, WIS
Coach of the Year
James Henry, MICH
