University of Minnesota Athletics
Mead, Studt Big Ten Athletes of the Year
5/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Minnesota’s Hassan Mead and Aaron Studt swept the Big Ten Conference’s Athlete of the Year awards, while Golden Gopher head coach Steve Plasencia was named the Big Ten Outdoor Track Coach of the Year. Mead and Studt were also named the Track Athlete of the Championships and the Field Event Athlete of the Championships, respectively. Minnesota won the 2009 Big Ten outdoor track team title.
Mead, a sophomore from Minneapolis, earned the Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year honor after capturing the double victory in the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter races at the Big Ten Championships last weekend. Mead heads into NCAA action ranked third in the 5,000 meter (13:28.45) in the nation. He has enjoyed an amazing sophomore season overall, winning the Big Ten individual cross country title and Big Ten Cross Country Runner of the Year accord last fall. Mead also won two events, the 3,000 and 5,000 meters, at the Big Ten Indoor Track Championships. He has already gathered All-America honors in cross country and indoor track this year.
Studt, a junior from Ripon, Wis., was named the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year as the most dominating thrower in the Big Ten this season. Studt added the outdoor Big Ten shot put title to his win in the indoor season. He owns the eighth-best throw in the nation (61-11 /12) this season as the NCAA postseason rolls around. Studt was the national runner-up in the shot at the NCAA Indoor Championships earlier this spring.
Plasencia guided his Golden Gopher charges to their first Big Ten outdoor team titles since 2003. He was also honored as the Big Ten Indoor Track Coach of the Year.
The Big Ten officially announced its honor squads for the 2009 outdoor season. As Big Ten champions, Mead and Studt were named to the All-Big Ten First Team. Conference runners-up were accorded All-Second Team honors. Matt Fisher (high jump), Ibrahim Kabia (100 meters) and R.J. McGinnis (decathlon) were honored on the All-Big Ten Second Team.
Golden Gopher senior Ben Puhl was named as Minnesota’s recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. Awardwinners are student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, they must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.
Mead, a sophomore from Minneapolis, earned the Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year honor after capturing the double victory in the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter races at the Big Ten Championships last weekend. Mead heads into NCAA action ranked third in the 5,000 meter (13:28.45) in the nation. He has enjoyed an amazing sophomore season overall, winning the Big Ten individual cross country title and Big Ten Cross Country Runner of the Year accord last fall. Mead also won two events, the 3,000 and 5,000 meters, at the Big Ten Indoor Track Championships. He has already gathered All-America honors in cross country and indoor track this year.
Studt, a junior from Ripon, Wis., was named the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year as the most dominating thrower in the Big Ten this season. Studt added the outdoor Big Ten shot put title to his win in the indoor season. He owns the eighth-best throw in the nation (61-11 /12) this season as the NCAA postseason rolls around. Studt was the national runner-up in the shot at the NCAA Indoor Championships earlier this spring.
Plasencia guided his Golden Gopher charges to their first Big Ten outdoor team titles since 2003. He was also honored as the Big Ten Indoor Track Coach of the Year.
The Big Ten officially announced its honor squads for the 2009 outdoor season. As Big Ten champions, Mead and Studt were named to the All-Big Ten First Team. Conference runners-up were accorded All-Second Team honors. Matt Fisher (high jump), Ibrahim Kabia (100 meters) and R.J. McGinnis (decathlon) were honored on the All-Big Ten Second Team.
Golden Gopher senior Ben Puhl was named as Minnesota’s recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. Awardwinners are student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, they must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.
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