Ohio State Big Ten Medal of Honor Finalists Announced – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/18/2007 12:00:00 AM | General
May 18, 2007
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Five male and five female Ohio State senior student-athletes have been selected as finalists for the 2007 Big Ten Medal of Honor. The male nominees are: Joe Doyle (Swimming/Centerburg, Ohio), Anthony Gonzalez (Football/Avon Lake, Ohio), Kellen Harkness (Diving/Puyallup, Wash.), Willie Ito (Gymnastics/Huntington Beach, Calif.) and Antonio Smith (Football/Columbus, Ohio). The female finalists are: Annabelle Fago (Rowing/Giessen, Germany), Gulsah Gunenc (Swimming/Edirne, Turkey), Marisa Main (Volleyball/Louisville, Ky.), Saskia Mueller (Field Hockey/Zuerich, Switzerland) and Jessica Stringer (Track/Williamsburg, Ind.).
A male and female honoree will be awarded the 2007 Big Ten Medal of Honor at the Ohio State Scholar-Athlete Dinner. In addition, a record 461 student-athletes will be recognized as Ohio State Scholar-Athletes at the banquet, which will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Terrace Ballroom at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. More than $80,000 in postgraduate scholarships will be awarded at the banquet as well. The complete list of 2007 Ohio State Scholar-Athletes is attached.
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.
Male Finalists
Joe Doyle, Swimming
Centerburg, Ohio
Major: Welding Engineering
Two-time Academic All-American Three-time Academic All-Big Tenselection Four-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete Five-time Dean’sList Four-time All-American 2007 Big Ten Championships – thirdplace in 50-yard freestyle 2007 NCAA Championships – 12th place in50-yard freestyle 2006 US Nationals – sixth place in 100-meterbutterfly 2007 Ranked third in 100m fly 2007 Ranked 26th in theworld in 100m fly 2007 Ranked 28th in the world in 50m fly 2007World University Games USA National Team Member 2007 Second All-BigTen Team OSU Men’s Swimming Outstanding Swimmer 2006 and ’07 2007OSU Men’s Swimming Highest Scoring All-American OSU Men’s SwimmingCaptains Award in 2006 and ’07 OSU Men’s Swimming Power Club Awardin 2006 and ’07 2005 OSU Men’s Swimming Commitment to ExcellenceAward 2004 OSU Men’s Swimming Spirit of Giving Award Six-time OhioState record holder Four-time Top 8 finisher at US Nationals
Anthony Gonzalez, Football
Avon Lake, Ohio
Major: Philosophy
Four-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete Two-time Academic All-BigTen 2006 CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American 2005 ClevelandTouchdown Club Scholar-Athlete of the Year Five-time Dean’s List2006 First Team All-Big Ten (coaches) 2006 Honorable MentionAll-Big Ten (media) 2006 Paul Warfield Award (team outstandingreceiver) Member of 2005 (co) and 2006 Big Ten Championship teamsThree-time varsity letterwinner 2004 Alamo Bowl Champions 2006Fiesta Bowl Champions Three-time Offensive Player of the Week
Kellen Harkness, Diving
Puyallup, Wash.
Major: Operations Management
2006 CSCAA Academic All-America honors 2006 AcademicAll-America Team honors 2004 National Society of CollegiateScholars Member Three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection Four-timeOhio State Scholar-Athlete Dean’s List recipient on multipleoccasions 2007 Big Ten Champion on 3-meter 2007 Big Ten Diver ofthe Year 2007 Big Ten Bronze Medalist on 1-meter 2007 Big Ten Diverof the Meet 2007 Big Ten First Team All-Conference 2007 Men’s NCAAChampionships – Placed second on 3-meter and fourth on 1-meter 2006Men’s NCAA Championships – finished fifth on 3-meter Three-timeAll-American Four-time NCAA Championship qualifier 2006 Big TenSilver Medalist on 3-meter 2006 US Open National DivingChampionship Silver Medalist on 3-meter 2006 & 2007 MillerAnderson Outstanding Diver 2007 Mike Peppe Coaches Award Two-timeBig Ten Diver of the Week recipient for 2006-07 season
Willie Ito, Men’s Gymnastics
Huntington Beach, Calif.
Major: Human Nutrition
Three-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete Academic All-Big Tenselection Dean’s List Four-time varsity letterwinner Member ofthree Big Ten Championship teams (2005, ’06, ’07) Captain of 2006Big Ten Championship squad 2006 Big Ten High Bar Champion 2006All-Big Ten selection All-American on high bar in 2006 All-Americanon parallel bars in 2007 OSU record holder on pommel horse 27career first-place finishes Three-time Big Ten Gymnast of the WeekNissen-Emery Award Finalist (best senior male gymnast)
Antonio Smith, Football
Columbus, Ohio
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Three-time Academic All-Big Ten Five-time Ohio StateScholar-Athlete Three-time Academic Player of the Week Dean’s ListFirst Team All-Big Ten in 2006 Three-time varsity letterwinner 2002National Champions Member of three Big Ten Championship teams (2002(co), 2005 (co), 2006) Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week JimThorpe Semifinalist Agonis Club Rick Myers Award 2006 Bo Rein Award(most inspirational player) Big Ten Sportsmanship Award HonoreeThree-time team defensive player of the week in 2006 An award wascreated by Beechcroft High School titled the Antonio Smith Award
Female Finalists
Annabelle Fago, Rowing
Giessen, Germany
Major: Health Science and French
Minor: Business Administration and Public Health
Dean’s List 2006 CRCA (College Rowing Coaches Association)National Scholar-Athlete Two-time Academic All-Big Ten (2005, ’06)Three-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete (2004, ’05, ’06) Three-timeCRCA Second Team All-American (2004, ’05, ’06) Three-time CRCAFirst Team All-Central Region (2004, ’05, ’06) First Team All-BigTen (2005, ’06) 2004 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Member of thenationally-ranked first varsity eight boat for four years HelpedOhio State to the 2006 Big Ten Championship with a win in the firstvarsity eight Grand Final Won the Central Region 1V8 Grand Final in2004 and 2006, finished second in 2005 and 2007 Member of fourCentral Region championships (2004-07), has raced in the NCAAChampionships Grand Final all four years An eight-time Big Ten Boatof the Week honoree Three-time varsity letterwinner 2000-2002Member of German National Team 2000, 2002 Silver Medalist at WorldChampionships 2001 Bronze Medalist at World Championships
Marisa Main, Volleyball
Louisville, Ky.
Major: English
Three-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete 2005 ESPN AcademicAll-District Third Team Two-time Academic All-Big Ten Three-timeAVCA All-American second team (2004,’05, ’06) Three-time AVCAMideast All-Region (2004,’05, ’06) Three-time All-Big Ten(2004,’05, ’06) Two-time Big Ten Player of the Week 2005 AVCADivision I National Player of the Week 2006 Asics/VolleyballMagazine Second Team All-American 2005, ’06 Preseason All-Big TenThree-time Buckeye Invitational All-Tournament team (2004,’05, ’06)2004 Georgia Tech Invitational All-Tournament team 2004 TempleUniversity Invitational All-Tournament team Third at Ohio State incareer assists (4,655), second in career assists per game (13.41)and second in career attack percentage (.361) OSU record holder forsingle-season assists (1,785/2004)
Saskia Mueller, Field Hockey
Zuerich, Switzerland
Major: Geography, specialization in Urban and Regional Systems
Minor: International Studies
Four-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete 2006 NFHCA (National FieldHockey Coaches Association) National Academic Squad Three-timeAcademic All-Big Ten (2004, 05, 06) Dean’s List 2006 NFHCA SecondTeam All-American Two-time NFHCA Third Team All-American (2004, 05)Three-time NFHCA First Team All-West Region (2004, 05, 06) 2006 BigTen Player of the Year 2006 First Team All-Big Ten (unanimous)Two-time Second Team All-Big Ten (2004, 05) Big Ten All-TournamentTeam (2003) 2006 North-South Senior All-Star 2006 Big TenRegular-Season Champions Played in two NCAA tournaments (2005, 06)Voted Team MVP for 2005 and 2006 seasons Six-time Big Ten Player ofthe Week Led the nation in total assists (19) and assists per game(0.86) in 2005. The 19 assists were the second most in a season bya Buckeye Finished fifth in the nation in assists per game in 2006with 0.74 Led the Big Ten in overall assists in 2005 (19 assists)and 2006 (14 assists) Ranks second all-time at Ohio State with 45career assists and ninth in career points with 89 Led the Buckeyesin assists for three years in a row (2004, 05, 06) Four-timevarsity letterwinner
Jessica Stringer, Track and Field
Williamsburg, Ind.
Major: Human Development and Family Science, Middle Childhood, Math and Science
Academic All-Big Ten Dean’s List 2005 Outdoor Big Ten High JumpChampion 2006 Indoor Big Ten High Jump Champion 2006 Outdoor BigTen High Jump Champion 2006 Indoor All-American Three-time All-BigTen first team All-Big Ten second team
