Indiana University Athletics
Nicole Volgraf (left) became the first Big Ten Medal of Honor winner in IU Field Hockey history.
High Honors for Field Hockey at Spirit of Indiana Showcase
4/25/2016 8:00:00 PM | Field Hockey
Volgraf wins 2016 Big Ten Medal of Honor
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics honored its student-athletes at the sixth-annual Spirit of Indiana Showcase on Monday, April 25, at the Indiana University Auditorium. The Showcase honored student-athletes with year-end awards from 2015 and 2016.
One of the highlights of the evening was the announcement of the winners of Indiana's Big Ten Medal of Honor, an award given to students who strive for excellence in both athletics and academics. This year, Indiana field hockey senior Nicole Volgraf was the women's honoree, joining men's honoree Nick Zeisloft (Men's Basketball).
Volgraf served as one of Indiana's team captains during her senior season in 2015, when the Hoosiers reached their highest Big Ten Conference win total in program history on their way to a third-place finish in conference. She netted 16 goals in her career, which ranks 12th all-time in Indiana history. From her sophomore to her senior season, Volgraf earned three Academic All-Big Ten honors and three NFHCA National Academic Squad selections, and won the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award her senior season.
The Big Ten, the nation's oldest collegiate conference, commemorates the 101st 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. In the 101 years of the Medal of Honor, almost 1,400 student-athletes have earned this distinction.
In addition to Volgraf's Big Ten Medal of Honor, the following honors were presented to members of the Indiana field hockey team:
Jack D. Tichenor Award (given to a male and female student-athlete with the highest grade-point average across all sports):
Morgan Dye
Big Ten Medal of Honor
Nicole Volgraf
Scholastic Achievement Award (given to the highest grade-point average on each of Indiana's 24 sports):
Morgan Dye
Hoosier Award (recognizing student-athletes for bringing honor and distinction to Indiana University in their representative sport during their academic year):
Karen Lorite
IU Sportsmanship Award (recognizing student-athletes from each sport for demonstrating outstanding sportsmanship in their respective sport throughout the year):
Sydney Supica
Aline Robinson Mental Attitude Award (which recognizes female student-athletes for their mental attitude and distinguished performance in athletics and academics on their respective team):
Mollie Getzfread
Hoosier HEROES (peer mentors who help with the transition to college life for first-year student-athletes):
Karen Lorite
Nicole Volgraf
Leadership & Life Skills Excellence Academy Certificate Honoree
Malia Fujisawa
2015-16 SAAC Leadership
Nicole Volgraf – President
Spring 2015/Fall 2016/Winter 2016 All-Americans
Kate Barber – NFHCA Division I All-American Third Team, Synapse Sports All-American Third Team
One of the highlights of the evening was the announcement of the winners of Indiana's Big Ten Medal of Honor, an award given to students who strive for excellence in both athletics and academics. This year, Indiana field hockey senior Nicole Volgraf was the women's honoree, joining men's honoree Nick Zeisloft (Men's Basketball).
Volgraf served as one of Indiana's team captains during her senior season in 2015, when the Hoosiers reached their highest Big Ten Conference win total in program history on their way to a third-place finish in conference. She netted 16 goals in her career, which ranks 12th all-time in Indiana history. From her sophomore to her senior season, Volgraf earned three Academic All-Big Ten honors and three NFHCA National Academic Squad selections, and won the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award her senior season.
The Big Ten, the nation's oldest collegiate conference, commemorates the 101st 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. In the 101 years of the Medal of Honor, almost 1,400 student-athletes have earned this distinction.
In addition to Volgraf's Big Ten Medal of Honor, the following honors were presented to members of the Indiana field hockey team:
Jack D. Tichenor Award (given to a male and female student-athlete with the highest grade-point average across all sports):
Morgan Dye
Big Ten Medal of Honor
Nicole Volgraf
Scholastic Achievement Award (given to the highest grade-point average on each of Indiana's 24 sports):
Morgan Dye
Hoosier Award (recognizing student-athletes for bringing honor and distinction to Indiana University in their representative sport during their academic year):
Karen Lorite
IU Sportsmanship Award (recognizing student-athletes from each sport for demonstrating outstanding sportsmanship in their respective sport throughout the year):
Sydney Supica
Aline Robinson Mental Attitude Award (which recognizes female student-athletes for their mental attitude and distinguished performance in athletics and academics on their respective team):
Mollie Getzfread
Hoosier HEROES (peer mentors who help with the transition to college life for first-year student-athletes):
Karen Lorite
Nicole Volgraf
Leadership & Life Skills Excellence Academy Certificate Honoree
Malia Fujisawa
2015-16 SAAC Leadership
Nicole Volgraf – President
Spring 2015/Fall 2016/Winter 2016 All-Americans
Kate Barber – NFHCA Division I All-American Third Team, Synapse Sports All-American Third Team
Players Mentioned
Defender/Midfield
/ Field Hockey
Forward/Midfield
/ Field Hockey
Defender
/ Field Hockey
Defender/Midfield
/ Field Hockey
Forward
/ Field Hockey
Defender
/ Field Hockey
Forward
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