Beitel, Thompson to Receive Big Ten Medal of Honor
4/13/2001 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Soccer
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan senior student-athletes Kacy Beitel (Midland, Mich./H.H. Dow HS) and Chris Thompson (Roseburg, Ore./Roseburg HS), standouts in the classroom and in athletic competition, have been named the recipients of the 2000-01 Michigan Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor.
The Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor is presented annually to the graduating male and female student-athlete at each conference institution who has attained the greatest proficiency in scholarship and athletics. Beitel and Thompson will be honored at the April 16 Academic Achievement Awards Reception sponsored by the U-M Athletic Department and Michigan Alumni Association.
Beitel, a midfielder and 2000 season co-captain on the women's soccer team, will graduate from the College of Engineering with a degree in industrial operations engineering. She has been selected Academic All-Big Ten three times and has been a James B. Angell Scholar at Michigan. For the past three years, Kacy has been a "Big Sister" to a child in the Ann Arbor area, and she also has been active in the SHARE reading program.
A two-time all-Big Ten first team performer, Beitel will leave Michigan as the all-time leading scorer in school history, with 114 points on 44 goals and 26 assists. She led the Wolverines in goals (10) and points (33) in her senior season, which included a school-record eight-point game (three goals, two assists) against Butler on Oct. 29, 2000.
Beitel was a 2000 NCSAA Division I All-Great Lakes Region first team member, and she helped the Wolverines to Big Ten Tournament titles in 1997 and 1999 and to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. In February Beitel was selected by the Washington Freedom in the third round of the Women's United Soccer Association supplemental draft.
Thompson, one of the nation's top distance swimmers, will graduate from Michigan with a degree in classical civilizations. He has twice been named Academic All-Big Ten, and he is a four-time winner of the University of Michigan Academic Achievement Award. Thompson is a frequent visitor to Mott Children's Hospital and has also spoken to classes in the Ann Arbor School District.
A bronze medalist in the 1,500-meter freestyle at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Thompson won the 500- and 1,650-yard freestyle races at the 2001 Big Ten Championships to become just the fourth swimmer in conference history to win four titles in two individual events. He capped his outstanding career with a national championship in the 1,650 freestyle at the NCAA meet, setting NCAA, American, U.S. Open and pool records with his time of 14:26.62.
A nine-time NCAA All-American, Thompson is a nine-time Big Ten champion and was named the Big Ten Swimmer of the Year in 1999 and 2001. He helped Michigan to a Big Ten team title in 2000 and to top-10 NCAA finishes in 1999 (eighth) and 2001 (10th).
Players Mentioned
