Four students named 'Athlete of the Year'

Monday many IU student-athletes were honored with numerous awards. \nThe IU Athlete of the Year honors for the 2001-02 academic year went to junior Danielle Carruthers (women's track and field), junior Pat Noonan (men's soccer), senior Antwaan Randle El (football), and junior Sara Reiling (women's diving).\nCarruthers earned this honor for her accomplishments throughout the season. She was named the 2002 Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Athlete of the Year, and was an All-American for the second consecutive year in the 100 meter hurdles and for the third consecutive year in the 4x100 meter relay.\n"I had a good season and the hard work really paid off," Carruthers said in a prepared statement. "It's nice to get Big Ten awards and now IU awards, and next I want to be recognized in the world while representing Indiana." \nCarruthers also won the 100 meter title at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships with a time of 12.68 seconds, which has been marked as the second fastest time this year put in by any woman in the world on both college and professional levels. She placed first in both the Penn Relays and the Florida Relays, both of which are major track events. \n"This is a great honor for her," women's track and field head coach Randy Heisler said. "Danielle is at another level. She is one of the best in the nation and best in the world at what she does." \nNoonan led the IU men's soccer team to its fifth straight College Cup appearance and the National Championship runner-up. "This award comes as a huge surprise and really quite a shock," Noonan said in a press release. "There are so many great male athletes at Indiana University. It is always nice to be recognized nationally, but this is the highest honor I have received so far."\nNoonan was also named the Big Ten Player of the Year, All-American, and was the 2001 IU men's soccer MVP. Noonan led the Hoosiers offensively with 44 points, 16 goals, including five game-winning goals, 12 assists, 109 shots and 41 shots on goal. \n"Pat is a special player who plays his best in big games," men's soccer head coach Jerry Yeagley stated. "It is a pleasure coaching him and it is players like Pat that make Indiana soccer what it is."\nNoonan's resume is filled with honors. He was among 11 players that Soccer America selected as College Men's MVPs, was one the 15 finalists for the Hermann Trophy, and was the runner-up in the Missouri Athletic Club Player of the Year Award. \nRandle El's accomplishments this past year are not in the least bit modest. He finished his career at IU as the most productive dual-threat quarterback in the history of college football. His honors this past season include first-team All-America quarterback by the Football Writers Association of America, the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, as well as the league's first-team signal caller.\nRandle El also finished sixth in the 2001 Heisman Trophy balloting and had the most votes in the Midwest Region, and he was named as the IU Co-MVP along with the All-Big Ten running back Levron Williams. \nIn Randle El's senior season he completed 118 of 231 passes for 1,644 yards and nine touchdowns and rushed for 964 yards and eight scores. \n"This is a tremendous honor and I can only begin to imagine the names of some of the other IU student-athletes that have been recognized with this award through the years," Randle El said in a press release. \nOver his 44-game career at IU, Randle El passed for 7,469 yards and 42 touchdowns and rushed for 3,895 yards and 44 TDs. He completed his career with more rushing yards than any quarterback in NCAA-Division I-A history, and in his final college game he passed Doug Flutie to be in fifth place on the NCAA Division I-A total yardage list. He is also the first player in major college football to have 2,500 total yards in 4 consecutive seasons, and the first player in major college football history to pass for 40 touchdowns and score 40 touchdowns.\nBeing an incredibly versatile player, Randle El also punted, returned punts and played wide receiver during his career and has become the only player in history to pass for 6,000 yards and rush for 3,000 yards. Randle El also played for IU basketball and baseball during his time as an IU student. He was selected in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.\nReiling, a diver on the women's swimming and diving team, finished as a silver medalist in the NCAA Championships on the three-meter springboard and won a bronze medal in the one-meter springboard competition.\nAt the Big Ten Championships this year Reiling won two conference titles in the one-meter springboard competition and the 10-meter tower. She also finished as a silver medalist in the three-meter springboard.\nShe qualified for the FINA Diving World Cup in Seville, Spain with a third-place finish in on the three-meter springboard and a second-place finish on the 10-meter platform in the 2002 World Cup Team Trials. She will compete in the World Cup in late June.\n"This honor is well-deserved," head coach Dr. Jeff Huber said in a prepared statement. "She has worked hard this year, maybe harder than she ever has. We have had some great divers in the past, but Sara eclipsed all of them with the records she set this year. I am proud of her and we hope that the hard work and dedication continues to carry her to new heights."\nReiling set nine school records in her junior season. She is a current member of the U.S. National team and has been five times during her career.