After no hockey players won the honor in its first 19 years, Minnesota defenseman Jordan Leopold became the second straight to capture the Jesse Owens Award as The Big Ten Conference’s Male Athlete of the Year.
Leopold, the 2002 Hobey Baker Award winner as college hockey’s top player, follows Michigan State goalie Ryan Miller, who earned the double honor last season.
Christie Welsh, a soccer player from Penn State, received the Suzy Favor Female Athlete of the Year Award.
Leopold led the Golden Gophers to the NCAA Championship in April, and graduated as a two-time All-American. He ended his career as the all-time leading goal scorer among defenseman in school history. In May, he was a member of the U.S. National Team which competed at the World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Leopold recently signed a two-year deal with the NHL’s Calgary Flames.
