Courtesy: Pac-12 Conference
SAN FRANCISCO –– The 2018-19 Pac-12 Tom Hansen Conference Medal recipients were announced today. A Conference Medal is awarded annually to each member institution’s outstanding senior male and female student-athlete based on the exhibition of the greatest combination of performance and achievement in scholarship, athletics and leadership.
Conference medal winners have been named every year since the 1960-61 academic year. In 2009, the Pac-12 renamed the award the Tom Hansen Conference Medal in honor of Hansen, who retired at the end of June 2009 after serving for 26 years as Commissioner of the Pac-10.
2018-19 Pac-12 Tom Hansen Conference Medal Winners
ARIZONA
Chatham Dobbs, Swimming & Diving (Nashville, Tenn.) – Philosophy major carries a 3.53 GPA… 2019 Pac-12 All- Academic First Team… Three-time CSCAA Scholar All-American…2019 First Team AllAmerican (100 meter fly) and honorable mention on four relay teams… Part of three AllAmerican honorable mention relay teams in 2018… Pac12 All-Academic honorable mention… Two Pac12 relay titles… Holds four all-time top-10 times in program history… Community service initiatives including, Amazing Grace Swimming for Childhood Cancer Awareness, Team IMPACT and visits to Diamond Children’s Hospital.
Katrina Konopka, Swimming & Diving (Greenville, S.C.) – Chemistry major boasts a 3.55 GPA… 2017 and 2019 All-American… Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Outstanding Senior, and Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award recipient… 2019 Freeman Medal Recipient as an outstanding U of A senior student… Four-time CSCAA Scholar All-America and two-time Pac-12 All-Academic honoree… Team USA gold medal winner at the 2016 FINA Short Course World Championships… Active in #CommunityCats volunteer group, which reads to elementary schools, “Get Well Books” for pediatric patients and visits the Diamond Children’s Hospital.
ARIZONA STATE
David Hoffer, Swimming & Diving (Littleton, Colo.) – Economics and Business (Global Politics) major… Pursuing post-graduate degree in Public Policy… 2019 All-American honoree… Ward O’Connell Most Valuable Men’s Diver… Two-time NCAA qualifier… Fifth-place finish at USA Nationals… Two-time Pac-12 finalists… Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer Diver of the Year… Four-time Dean’s List member… Two-time Pac-12 All-Academic Second Team… Institutional Design & Policy Analysis Fellow… SAAC Executive Board Member… SDA Tip of the Fork Program Graduate… Community service includes Fantasy Flight and visiting homeless shelters.
Kianna Ibis, Basketball (Omaha, Neb.) – Interdisciplinary Studies major with a 3.58 GPA, concentrations in Health Innovations and Wellness Foundations… Two-time All-Pac-12 selection… Ninth in program history in career field goals (494)… Three-time Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention… 2019 All-Pac-12 honors and Pac-12 All-Defense honorable mention… Finished her career with 1,178 points, 563 rebounds, 101 steals and 58 blocks… Compiled over 60 hours of community service, dedicating time to Pat’s Run, basketball camps and clinics with youth non-profit organizations and led Character Code assemblies at elementary schools.
CALIFORNIA
Andrew Seliskar, Swimming & Diving (McLean, Va.) – Environmental Economics & Policy major… 2019 CSCAA National Swimmer of the Year and Pac-12 Men’s Swimmer of the Year… Won three 2019 NCAA Championships individual titles, first Golden Bear to do so since Matt Biondi in 1987… Led Cal to its sixth NCAA title in school history and second-straight Conference crown, its sixth all-time… Three-time Pac-12 Championships Swimmer of the Meet… 21 career Pac-12 Championships victories, 11 individual event wins tied the all-time Conference record… Won a gold (800m free relay) and silver medal (200m free) at the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships.
Kristine Anigwe, Basketball (Phoenix, Ariz.) – Sociology major… 2019 Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year and Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year… Selected ninth overall in the WNBA Draft… First four-time All-American in program history… Four-time All-Pac-12 selection… Earned three All-American honors her senior year… Two-time Pac-12 All-Academic honoree… 2018-19 Senior CLASS Award Second Team… Cal’s career leader in scoring (2,591 – 4th in Pac-12 history), rebounds (1,404 – 3rd in Pac-12 history), and blocked shots (205 – 11th in Pac-12 history)… Posted the sixth-highest single-season rebounds (533, 2018-19) in NCAA DI history.
COLORADO
Wilson Belk, Golf (Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Integrative Physiology major carries a 3.67 GPA… Byron R. White Leadership and Initiative Award… Five-time Dean’s List and six-time Athletic Director’s Honor Roll honoree… Senior Speaker at 2019 Herbst Academic Center Academic Recognition Breakfast… Four-year SAAC representative… Member and Chair of Bolder Buffs, education about mental health… SAAC Distinguished Service Award recipient…University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Orthopedics, Research Faculty, Research Assistant… Atlantis Project Internship, Department of Neurosurgery at Hospital Egas Moniz in Lisbon, Portugal.
Kaitlyn Benner, Cross Country/Track and Field (Superior, Colo.) – Chemical and Biological Engineering major owns a 3.94 GPA… Six-time All-American… Three-time cross country All-American… 2017 Pac-12 Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year…2019 Pac-12 Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year… 2018 CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team and USTFCCCA All-Academic Team…Two-time CoSIDA All-District First Team and Pac-12 All-Academic First Team selection in track and field… Four top-10 marks in school history… Three-year SAAC member… Student-Athlete representative on Athletic Department Safety and Security Committee.
OREGON
Ryan Gronlund, Golf (Pleasanton, Calif.) – Business Administration major… 2019 Pac-12 All-Academic honoree… Recorded first career victory in Oregon’s home tournament at Emerald Valley Golf Club… Two-time All-Pac-12 Second Team selection…2018 PING All-West Region Team selection… Men’s golf SAAC representative… Earned PING All-America honorable mention recognition in 2017… Member of Oregon’s 2016 NCAA Championship team.
Shannon Williams, Lacrosse (Bel Air, MD) – Human Physiology and Biology major boasts a 3.95 GPA… 2019 Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year… Two-time All-Pac-12 honoree and First-Team All-MPSF in 2017… Started every game (69) during her four-year career…. CoSIDA Academic All-District Second Team… Five-time Dean’s List honoree, Magna Cum Laude and Chi Alpha Sigma National Honor Society member… Oregon’s all-time leader in points (525) and goals (158)… 2018 SAAC co-director… Planning committee for St. Baldrick’s Foundation event… Courts for Kids international service trip participant to Nicaragua.
OREGON STATE
Stephen Thompson Jr., Basketball (Los Angeles, Calif.) – Digital Communication Arts major graduated with a 3.57 GPA… Currently in master’s program for interdisciplinary studies… Three-time team captain… 2019 Pac-12 and All-District Second Team…OSU record holder for career three-point field goals (230)…Fourth-most career points in OSU history (1,767)… 2019 Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year… SAAC representative… Two-time Academic All-District…Three-time Pac-12 All-Academic First Team… Community service initiatives include Read With the Beavs, “Holiday Hoop Camp”, Yamhill Youth Basketball, Pen Pals, and Linus Pauling Youth Day.
Alina Hagstrom, Rowing (Seattle, Wash.) – Public Health major… CRCA All-American First Team and All-Pac-12 honoree… Led the Varsity 8 to six-place finishes at the 2017 and 2018 Pac-12 Championships, OSU’s best finish since 2009… Two-time Pac-12 All-Academic selection… Community service activities: SafeHaven Humane Society, Corvallis Caring Place, Tim Tebow Night to Shine, Girls on the Run 5K and Meningococcal B mass vaccination clinic… USA women’s gold medalist at the Under-23 World Championships.
STANFORD
Harrison Williams, Track and Field (Memphis, Tenn.) – Product Design major owns a 3.66 GPA… Five-time All-American… 2018 Pac-12 Decathlon Champion, Stanford’s first in 24 years and won seven of the 10 events at the Pac-12 Championships… 2019 Pac-12 Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year… Two-time Pac-12 All-Academic and Three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree… 2019 NCAA indoor heptathlon champion, first men’s multi-events national title in program history… Highest decathlon score by an American in 2019 and the No. 2 collegian this year… Two-time team captain performed community service in Houston after Hurricane Harvey.
Ella Eastin, Swimming & Diving (Irvine, Calif.) – Human Biology major carries a 3.77 GPA… Two-time Pac-12 Swimmer of the Year, Pac-12 Women’s Swimming Scholar-Athlete of the Year… 11-time Pac-12 champion (nine individual, two relay)…2018 NCAA Championships Swimmer of the Meet… First woman to win four NCAA titles in the 400 IM in history… 12-time NCAA champion (eight individual, four relay)… 20-time All-American (12 individual, eight relay)… Three Pac-12 and NCAA Championship team titles (2017, 2018, 2019)… Two-time Honda Award nominee… Three-time CSCAA Scholar All-American… Three-time Pac-12 All-Academic…SAAC Vice President.
UCLA
Micah Ma’a, Volleyball (Kaneohe, Hawai’i) – Political Science major earned a 3.64 GPA… Three-time AVCA All-America First-Team and All-MPSF First-Team selection (2016, 2018, 2019)… Two-time Off the Block National Server of the Year… School record for most career service aces (208) and most in a single season (67)… Three-time MPSF Scholar-Athlete team selection… Three-time UCLA All-Academic Team… 2019 Academic & Student Services “SUCCESS” Award… Participated in Prime Time Games, helping children with developmental disabilities… NCAA All-Tournament selection (2018)… Named to the 2019 U.S. National Team training squad.
Izzy Carey, Beach Volleyball (Westlake Village, Calif.) – Business-Economics major, double minor in Music History and Accounting, owns a 3.73 GPA… NCAA and Pac-12 All-Tournament Team in 2019… Back-to-back NCAA Champion, went 7-1 during the Bruins’ two national title runs…Two UCLA single-season records- most wins (36) and best winning percentage (.947)… 2018 First Team All-America and VolleyMob Pair of the Year… UCLA’s winningest player in history (123)… 2019 Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year… Academic & Student Services “SUCCESS” Award … Athletic Director’s Academic Excellence Award honoree… Volunteered for Prime Time Games, Dribble for the Cure, Bruin 4 A Day, Bruin Athletic Council Co-Chair and Pac-12 SAAC Representative.
USC
Justin Suh, Golf (San Jose, Calif.) – Business Administration major… 2019 Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year and three-time Pac-12 All-Academic honoree… Four-time All-American and USC’s first back-to-back first team selection since Jamie Lovemark (2007, 2008)… Finished the 2019 season with a team-best 69.39 average, second-best in program history behind his own record (68.73)… Owns USC’s single-season records for wins (five), stroke average (68.73) and rounds under 70 (21). One of five finalists for the Jack Nicklaus Award… Captured USC’s 22nd Pac-12 individual title, his fifth all-time, while leading the Trojans to the team crown… Four-time All-Pac-12 recipient.
Terese Canon, Beach Volleyball (Pittsford, N.Y.) – Master of Accounting, carried a 3.54 GPA… 2019 AVCA All-American… Two-time NCAA Champion… Three-time Pac-12 Champion… Three-time All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Academic selection… Three-time Pac-12 Pair of the Week recipient… Among USC’s top-10 career wins leaders, one of eight Trojans with over 100 career victories… NCAA All-Tournament Team… Three-time USC Dean’s List… Two-time USC team captain… Member of USC Trojan Athletic Senate.
UTAH
Chase Hansen, Football (Highland, Utah) – Consumer and Community Studies major… 2018 All-America linebacker… Ranked fifth in the nation and led all Conference players with 22.0 tackles for loss his senior season… Two-time All-Pac-12 selection… Tied for seventh all-time career solo tackles (164) and tied for sixth-most all-time career tackles for a loss (33.5) in program history… Quarterfinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy… Two-time Lott IMPACT Player of the Week… Volunteer efforts includes visiting hospitals and schools, Boy Scouts of America refugee troop and local homeless shelters… Speaks at local prison and juvenile centers.
Kari Lee, Gymnastics (Peoria, Ariz.) – Business major carried a 3.51 GPA… Three-time All-American (2 NCAA, 1 regular season)… Six-time All-Pac-12 honoree… Four-time Pac-12 All-Academic recipient… Two-time WCGA Scholar All-American… 2019 co-captain won both the 2018-19 Chris Hill Leadership Award and Greg Marsden Leadership Award… Gymnastics Leadership Committee… Tallied 20 career victories and hit 188-195 (96%) of her routines as a Ute… Posted an 39.550 all-around high… NCAA finalist on vault and floor as a freshman.
WASHINGTON
Ben Burr-Kirven, Football (Menlo Park, Calif.) – Comparative Literature (cinema studies) major recorded a 3.68 GPA… First football player in Conference history to win Pac-12 Player of the Year (offense or defense) and Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year in the same season… Led Washington to its second Pac-12 Championship in the last three years… Associated Press, Football Writers Association and ESPN First-Team All-American honoree… Selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the NFL Draft…2019 Pac-12 All-Academic Second Team member.
Stacey Fung, Tennis (Vancouver, Canada) – Communications major… Fifth-most singles wins in program history (91) and top-10 in doubles victories (67)… One of seven All-Americans in program history… Earned Dean’s List recognition twice… Fifth all-time Husky to make three consecutive NCAA individual championship appearances… Became the 10th player in UW history to compete in both singles and doubles NCAA Tournaments.
WASHINGTON STATE
Gardner Minshew II, Football (Brandon, Miss.) – Sport Management major… Bachelor’s degree in communication from East Carolina… Finished fifth in 2018 Heisman Trophy voting… Selected in the sixth round (178 overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars… 2018 Seattle Sports Star of the Year and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award recipient… Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year and All-Pac-12 First Team selection… Led the NCAA in passing (367.6), second in passing yards (4,779) and total offense (376.8) and third in completion percentage (70.7), each Pac-12 bests… Pac-12 and WSU single-season records in passing yards (4,779) and completions (468)… WSU single-season record for total offense (4,898) and tied for passing touchdowns (38).
Taylor Mims, Volleyball (Billings, Mont.) – Sport Management major… Signed professional contract with CV Haris in Spain… Four-time All-Pac-12 honoree… 2018 AVCA All-American Third Team, AVCA Pacific North All-Region First Team and VolleyballMag.com All-American Third Team… Ranks among the top-10 all-time lists in WSU program history in eight categories including third-most total points (1,639.0)… 2017 Seattle Sports Star of the Year finalist… Helped with multiple WSU Community Service Activities, Spokane Hoopfest, Butch’s Bash and Coug Pals… Volunteered with the Special Olympics and WSU Alive Session.
