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Big Ten Announces All-Big Ten Teams and Individual Award Winners
May 19, 2010
The Big Ten Conference announced Wednesday the All-Big Ten Teams and individual awards winners from the 2010 season. On the men's side, Illinois' Andrew Riley was named Track Athlete of the Year and of the Championships, Indiana's Derek Drouin was named Field Athlete of the Year and of the Championships, Penn State's Casimir Loxsom won Freshman of the Year honors and Minnesota's Steve Plasencia was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year. For the women, Indiana's Faith Sherrill won Field Athlete of the Year and of the Championships honors, Illinois' Angela Bizzarri won Track Athlete of the Year laurels, Penn State's Fawn Dorr claimed Track Athlete of the Championships honors, Michigan's Erin Pendleton won Freshman of the Year distinction and Penn State's Beth Alford-Sullivan was named Coach of the Year. Riley was a dominant performer for the Illini at the 2010 Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships, capturing two individual event titles. He crossed the line first in the 100-meter dash, then held off the field in the 110-meter hurdles for the victory. He also helped the Illinois 4x100-meter relay team to a second-place finish. Drouin was name Field Athlete of the Year and of the Championships after having won Freshman of the Year honors following the 2009 championships. The sophomore took home his second straight high jump title during last weekend's Big Ten Outdoor Championships, and also added a sixth-place effort in the 110-meter hurdles to his resume. Loxsom becomes the first Penn State track and field athlete to win Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. He took home the 800-meter run title during last weekend's Big Ten Outdoor Championships, and holds the nation's second-fastest time in the event this season. Sherrill becomes the first Indiana track and field athlete to be named Athlete of the Year or of the Championships. She posted three top-four finishes, including a victory in the shot put in which she set a new Big Ten Championships record. She also placed fourth in the discus and fourth in the hammer throw.
Bizzarri was voted Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year, becoming the second Illini runner to earn the honor in the past six seasons. She posted two first-place finishes at last weekend's Big Ten Outdoor Championships, holding off a talented field to win the 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter runs. Dorr claimed Big Ten Track Athlete of the Championships off the strength of four first-place finishes, two individual victories and two relay wins. She won the 400-meter dash and 400-meter hurdles titles before running the anchor leg on Penn State's winning 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relay teams. Posting a new Big Ten Championships record in the discus, Pendleton was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. The newcomer, who currently holds the nation's second-best toss of the 2010 season, becomes the first Wolverine to win Freshman of the Year honors since 2000. Plasencia wins his second straight Big Ten Coach of the Year honor after leading the Gopher men to their second consecutive Big Ten Championships. After guiding the Nittany Lions to three straight conference crowns, Alford-Sullivan claims her third straight Coach of the Year distinction. The conference office also announced honorees from each team for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. The 20 student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, the student-athletes must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. These student-athletes are now candidates for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, as the conference office will honor one male and one female student-athlete from each institution at the end of the school year. The full list of All-Big Ten honorees and individual award winners can be found below. Track Athlete of the Year: Andrew Riley, ILL Track Athlete of the Year: Angela Bizzarri, ILL Women's All-Big Ten Second Team: Sportsmanship Honorees: Men's All-Big Ten Second Team: Sportsmanship Honorees: |
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