University of Minnesota Athletics
Brandt, Bartnik Receive B1G Medal of Honor
6/1/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS -- University of Minnesota seniors Aaron Bartnik (men's cross country/track & field) and Hannah Brandt (women's hockey) have been named recipients of this year's Big Ten Medal of Honor, given annually to the top male and female student-athlete at each conference institution. This year, the conference is celebrating the 102nd anniversary of the Big Ten Medal of Honor.
A native of Vadnais Heights, Minn., Brandt led the Gopher women's hockey team to the program's seventh national title in 2016 and has helped the Maroon & Gold to three NCAA titles in her four-year career. The team captain was honored as a Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award finalist for the fourth-straight season in 2016 along with receiving AHCA/CCM First Team All-American, All-USCHO, and All-WCHA honors. Minnesota's all-time leading scorer with 285 points (115 goals, 170 assists), Brandt was a CoSIDA Academic All-American last season as is up for the honor once again this year in addition to her three WCHA Scholar Athlete and WCHA All-Academic Team merits.
A native of Eden Prairie, Minn., Bartnik closed out his collegiate career as a two-time All-Big Ten and two-time NCAA All-Region selection for cross country - earning First Team All-Big Ten honors in 2014 and Second Team All-Big Ten in 2015. A five-time letter winner, he was selected as a cross country team captain this season and helped the Maroon & Gold earn a team bid to the NCAA championships for the first time since 2011 after a runner-up finish in regional action. On the track, Bartnik ranks sixth all-time at Minnesota in the indoor 3,000 meters (8:05.45) and 10th all-time in the outdoor 3,000 meter steeplechase (8:50.37). The six-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree has also collected three USTFCCCA All-Academic merits as well as being a 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree.
About the Big Ten Medal of Honor
The Big Ten, the nation's oldest collegiate conference, commemorates the 102nd anniversary of a very unique tradition - the Big Ten Medal of Honor. The conference's most exclusive award was the first of its kind in intercollegiate athletics to recognize academic and athletic excellence. The Big Ten Medal of Honor was first awarded in 1915 to one student-athlete from the graduating class of each university who had "attained the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work." Big Ten schools currently feature almost 9,500 student-athletes, but only 28 earn this prestigious award on an annual basis. Almost 1,400 student-athletes have earned this distinction.
