Hannah Nielsen Named Big Ten Conference Suzy Favor Award Winner
June 20, 2008
PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- Junior Hannah Nielsen (Adelaide, Australia) continues to add accolades to her impressive resume, being named the Big Ten Conference's 2008 Suzy Favor Award winner, given annually to the conference's top female athlete. She becomes the third Wildcat woman to capture the award and the first since field hockey and lacrosse standout Jennifer Averill in 1987. The award is the latest in a long line of accolades for Nielsen, who last month was named the winner of the 2008 Tewaaraton Trophy, given to the nation's top collegiate lacrosse player. She also captured the 2008 Honda Sports Award for lacrosse, was named Player of the Year by the American Lacrosse Conference (ALC), Inside Lacrosse Magazine, the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) and WomensLax.com. Nielsen was named the ALC Championship Most Valuable Player and was named to the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship all-tournament team en route to earning first-team All-American status from both Inside Lacrosse and IWLCA.
An integral part of the Wildcats' fourth-straight national championship run, Nielsen became the first player in the program's history to record back-to-back 100 point seasons, as her 114 points (51g, 63a) was second in the nation. She became Northwestern's all-time assist leader, passing current assistant coach Lindsey Munday in the ALC Championship victory over Vanderbilt and sits at 141 for her career - 37 shy of the NCAA all-time record. Nielsen also ranks fourth all-time in points (256) and 10th in goals (115) at NU. A constant in the box score for the `Cats, Nielsen has recorded at least one point in 44-straight games, dating back to her freshman season. But Nielsen saved her best performances for the postseason. She recorded 16 points in leading NU to its sixth-straight ALC Championship (six goals, 10 assists), then followed that up with 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) in the NCAA tournament, including three goals and three assists in the championship game. "What Candace Parker did at Tennessee, Hannah has done for us," said head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller. "Because we had a relatively young team, we asked her to play a bigger role than she had in the past, and she did. If we needed a goal, an assist or just a big pass, she came through every time. She's just the best." Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that Nielsen becomes the first award winner from a sport in which the Big Ten Conference does not sponsor a championship. She becomes the third Wildcat woman to earn the award, joining softball's Lisa Ishikawa in 1984 and Averill in 1987. Iowa wrestler Brent Metcalf was named the Jesse Owens Award winner, given to the conference's top male athlete. The Big Ten Conference has recognized a Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year since 1982 when Indiana's Jim Spivey earned the inaugural award. The following year, a women's award was created. In 1991-92, as part of the celebration of the 10th anniversary of women's athletics in the conference, the women's award was renamed in honor of former Wisconsin track standout and three-time recipient Suzy Favor. Suzy Favor Female Athlete of the Year Winners
1983 - Judi Brown, Michigan State, track and field
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 MGOLF: Alum Chris Wilson in PGA Debut Lacrosse Championship Celebration Event WLAX On Fox Chicago Morning News BTN: Lax Championship Coverage WLAX: NU vs. UNC Final Highlights WLAX: Amonte Hiller Postgame Interview WLAX: NU vs. Penn Semifinal Highlights Fitz Sings Stretch At Wrigley Field Fitz Shoots Puck At Hawks Clincher
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