Athletics: Big Ten Medal of Honor Finalists – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | General
Total of 10 distinguished candidates are up for 2008 award
The 2008 Big Ten Medal of Honor will be awarded to two Ohio State student-athletes tonight at the annual OSU Scholar-Athlete Banquet at the Columbus Convention Center. Ten Ohio State senior student-athletes are up for the award.
OhioStateBuckeyes.com profiled each candidate in the series “With Honor” that ran over the last week. A link to each profile is attached above. The links not only briefly describe each finalist and their accomplishments as Buckeyes, but also features video spots and news clips, as well as a career photo gallery.
2008 Ohio State Big Ten Medal of Honor Finalists
J.D. Bergman – wrestling
Siobhan Byrne – fencing
Dan DeLucia – baseball
Lara Dickenmann – women’s soccer
Jenna Griffin – women’s track and field
Lenny Jatsek – men’s track and field
Daniel Mathews – men’s volleyball
Danielle Meyer – women’s volleyball
Theresa Meyer – pistol
Jimmy Wickham – men’s gymnastics
The Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor
In 1914 the Conference established a Medal of Honor to be awarded annually at each member institution to a student in the graduating class. An additional award for the top female was instituted in 1982. Chosen by the Athletic Council, the winners of this most prestigious award are the male and female senior student-athletes who have attained the greatest proficiency in both academics and athletics. This honor includes a $5,000 post-graduate scholarship which can be used at an institution of the recipient’s choice.
Visit OhioStateBuckeyes.com later Wednesday for an update on the winner and to view photos of the banquet.
Several more awards will be handed out Wednesday. A breakdown is provided below.
Senior Awards
Corwin A. Fergus Memorial Award
Fergus scholars are male or female scholar-athletes who have excelled in athletics, achieved academically (3.00 GPA minimum), demonstrated positive qualities of character and citizenship, and shown potential for success in a graduate or professional program. Established in 1965, the award is given in memory of Corwin A. Fergus, a member of The Ohio State University football teams in 1912, 1913, and 1914; a graduate of The Ohio State college of Law; and later a successful businessman. The award reflects his strong commitment to the pursuit of academic and athletic excellence and the Fergus’ positive contributions to society. These $5,000 post-graduate scholarships, each renewable for up to three years, are a portion of funds from the Fergus endowment which generously supports our student-athlete educational programs in many ways. This award can be utilized for graduate study or professional programs at the Ohio State University.
Leann Grimes-Davidge Award
This award is a tribute to Leann Grimes-Davidge recognizing her many contributions to athletics at The Ohio State University. An outstanding athlete, Leann won four state and four Big Ten tennis titles and represented Ohio State at the national level. She graduated Summa Cum Laude, and then received her master’s degree at Miami University where she was a very successful coach of their women’s tennis team. The recipient of this award is a woman athlete who reflects Leann’s outstanding qualities of athletic performance, scholarship, character, campus or community involvement, and leadership. Among her most remembered qualities was her love of life and wonderful ability to live it to the fullest.
A.K. and Judith A. Pierce phoenix Award
Funded from an endowment established in May of 1996, this post-graduate scholarship was awarded for the first time at the 2003 Scholar-Athlete Recognition Dinner. The award provides a post-graduate scholarship to a senior scholar-athlete who will attend graduate school at The Ohio State University. Preference is given to one who intends to enroll in the Fisher College of Business, but is open to anyone who has excelled in academics, athletics, and personal growth attained through perseverance and hard work.
M/I Homes Foundation Award
Formerly known as the Irving and Melvin Schottenstein Award, this foundation scholarship was established in 1976 and awarded yearly thereafter. This award was among the first designed specifically to recognize and promote women’s achievements in intercollegiate athletics at The Ohio State University. The scholarship provides an outstanding woman scholar-athlete with assistance for postgraduate studies in the program of her choice at Ohio State. The recipient of this scholarship has not only demonstrated academic and athletic success, but has contributed to the community as well through involvement in civic or University organizations.
