Allison Hanna and Dan Taylor Honored as Ohio State Athletes of the Year – Ohio State Buckeyes
6/14/2004 12:00:00 AM | General
June 14, 2004
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State student-athletes Allison Hanna and Dan Taylor have been named the 2004 Ohio State Female Athlete of the Year and Male Athlete of the Year, respectively. The award was voted on by an interdepartmental panel of Ohio State administrators and coaches and was based on the 2003-04 season only.
As the top Buckeye athletes, Hanna and Taylor will represent Ohio State on the Big Ten ballot to select the Suzy Favor Female Athlete of the Year and the Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year. Each school in the Big Ten nominates one male and one female student-athlete and a panel of media selects the winners, which will be announced later this summer. Hanna, a senior co-captain and an NGCA First Team All-American, led the Buckeyes this season with a 72.6 stroke average during the 2003-04 season. She posted nine Top 5 finishes, including wins at the Lady Northern Intercollegiate and the Mercedes-Benz Championships. Hanna, a three-time All-Big Ten selection, placed second at the Big Ten Championships and earned a 12th-place finish at the 2004 NCAA Championships. She is a three-time All-Big Ten selection and a two-time All-American. She was named the squad’s 2004 Most Valuable Player.
Taylor concluded his Ohio State career at the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships by earning his eighth and ninth All-America honors after taking runner-up in the shot put and breaking his own OSU and Big Ten record to claim third in the hammer throw. At indoor nationals in March, Taylor completed an undefeated indoor season by becoming the first student-athlete in NCAA history to sweep the shot put and weight throw events. Taylor’s career highlights include seven Big Ten titles and three Big Ten Athlete of the Year awards, following the 2003 indoor and outdoor seasons and 2004 outdoor campaign. Taylor is the American collegiate record holder in the indoor weight throw and completed his Ohio State career as the owner of three all-time program marks and a pair of Big Ten records. Internationally, Taylor threw in the 2003 Pan American Games, where he was the top collegiate performer in the shot put. In July, Taylor will attempt to gain a spot on the 2004 United States Olympic squad in the shot put.
Hanna is the third women’s golfer to be named the OSU Female Athlete of the Year and the first since Amy Langhals won the honor in 1997. Taylor is the fifth track and field athlete to be named the OSU Male Athlete of the Year.
Hanna and Taylor will be honored at halftime of a football game this fall. The game will be determined at a later date.
Ohio State Athletes 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 Synchronized Swimming 1985 Robert Playter Gymnastics Yvette Angel Basketball 1986 Mike Lanese Football Tracey Hall Basketball 1987 Butch Reynolds Track/Field Karen LaFace Diving 1988 Chris Spielman Football Bridgette Tate Track/Field 1989 Joe Greene Track/Field Nikita Lowry Basketball 1990 Mike Rancanelli 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 Gymnastics Donica Merriman Track/Field 2001 Jamie Natalie Gymnastics Donica Merriman Track/Field 2002 Raj Bhavsar Gymnastics Anna Smith Softball 2003 Craig Krenzel Football Stacey Gordon Volleyball 2004 Dan Taylor Track /Field Allison Hanna Golf
* Recipient of the Big Ten Jesse Owens Award # Recipient of the Big Ten Suzy Favor Award
