TEMPE, Ariz.—Arizona State University’s student athletes Shelby Houlihan (Track & Field and Cross Country) and Taylor Kelly (Football) were selected as the recipients of the 2014-15 Pac-12 Tom Hansen Conference Medal of Honor, the league announced on Tuesday.
The Conference Medal is awarded annually at each institution to the outstanding senior male and female student-athletes who exhibit “the greatest combination of performance and achievement in scholarship, athletics, and leadership”.
Houlihan, who received her degree in May 2015 in business and computational math sciences, finished her four-year Sun Devil career as a 12-time All-American, the second-most in program history. In 2015, Houlihan earned four First-Team All-America honors, two during the indoor season (mile & 3000m) and two during the outdoor season (1500m & 5000m).
The 2014 NCAA Champion in the 1500m run, Houlihan was named the 2015 Pac-12 Women’s Track Athlete of the Year and was nominated for the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
A three-time Pac-12 Champion in the 1500m, and two-time conference champion in the 5000m, Houlihan holds the school record in the outdoor 800m (2:01.12; 2014), the outdoor 1500m (4:09.67; 2015), the indoor 800m (2:04.94; 2013), the indoor mile (2:28.71; 2015), and the indoor 3000m (9:03.71; 2015). She also holds the No. 5 time in the outdoor 3000m (9:28.94; 2015) and the No. 2 time in the 5000m (15:49.72; 2015). In 2015, Houlihan ran the Pac-12 Championships meet record for the 1500m with her finish at 4:11.06.
In cross country, Houlihan became ASU’s second three-time All-American, and was ASU’s first Pac-12 Champion since 2004. Houlihan also won the NCAA West Region and was a three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic Honoree. Additionally throughout her career, the Pac-12 Conference has recognized her academically seven times.
Kelly graduated from ASU in May 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies and is working toward a Master’s of Legal Studies with a focus in Sports Law and Business. He was a four-year letterwinner and three-time Pac-12 All-Academic honoree, including a first-team member in 2014 and a second-team member in 2013, and was named the Pac-12 Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
A native of Eagle, Idaho, Kelly was named on of the 12 finalists for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award and the Wuerfell Trophy, which honors the college football player who exhibits exemplary community service. He was also named a finalist of the 2014 Campbell Trophy, which is college football's premier scholar-athlete award and recognizes an individual as the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation.
Kelly was recognized as a member of the 2015 National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society, the 2014-15 Valley of the Sun Chapter College Scholar Athlete of the Year, and 2014 NFF National Scholar-Athlete.
On the field, Kelly finished his career with a school-record 10,223 career yards of total offense. He was just the third player in school history with 10,000-plus career yards of total offense. He also set the school record for most career rushing yards by a quarterback with 1,404. Kelly helped lead the Sun Devils to back-to-back 10-win seasons and three straight bowl appearances.
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.
Arizona State's Pacific-10/12 Conference Medalists
1979: Chris Mott, Football
1980: Dave Severn, Wrestling
1981: Dan Severn, Wrestling
1982: Alvin Davis, Baseball
1983: Gary Bohay, Wrestling
1984: Jim Carter, Golf and Mike Orn, Swimming
1985: Brad Rot, Gymnastics
1986: John Sweeney, Gymnastics
1987: Jeff Whitham, Swimming and Sherry Poole, Basketball
1988: Peter Boden, Swimming and Robyn Benincasa, Diving
1989: Chris Garrett, Football and Jacinta Bartholomew, Track & Field
1990: Dan St. John, Wrestling and Fran Ciak, Basketball
1991: Brian Gyetko, Tennis and Gea Johnson, Track & Field
1992: Richard Tapper, Swimming and Mindy Gowell, Volleyball
1993: Adam Brass, Football and Jennifer Helfrich, Volleyball
1994: Stevin Smith, Basketball and Tracy Cone, Golf
1995: Todd Demsey, Golf and Beata Kaszuba, Swimming
1996: Justin Dragoo, Football and Katie Freeland, Gymnastics
1997: Chris Hanell, Golf and Alyssa Johnson, Basketball/Softball
1998: Pat Tillman, Football and Reka Cseresnyes, Tennis
1999: Bobby Lazor, Basketball and Amy Shelton, Gymnastics
2000: Ed Carter, Tennis and Elizabeth McNabb, Gymnastics
2001: Casey Myers, Baseball and Amanda Burbridge, Volleyball
2002: Brandon Strong, Cross Country/Track & Field and Kelly MacDonald, Cross Country/Track & Field
2003: Eric Larkin, Wrestling and Lisa Aguilera, Cross Country/Track & Field
2004: Nick Brunelli, Swimming and Phelan Wright, Softball
2005: Andrew Walter, Football and Kylan Loney, Basketball
2006: Alejandro Canizares, Golf and Ashley Kelley, Gymnastics
2007: Niklas Lemke, Golf and Amy Hastings, Track and Field
2008: Kyle Alcorn, Track and Field and Jacquelyn Johnson, Track and Field
2009: Jeff Pendergraph, Basketball and Katie Cochran, Softball
2010: Ryan Whiting, Track and Field and Liz Harkin, Soccer
2011: Anthony Robles, Wrestling, and Kelcy McKenna, Tennis
2012: Aaron Pflugrad, Football and Kaitlyn Boyd, Softball
2013: Carrick Felix, Basketball and Constance Ezugha, Track and Field
2014: Cory Hahn, Baseball and Stephanie Preach, Volleyball
2015: Shelby Houlihan, Track & Field and Cross Country and Taylor Kelly, Football
The Conference Medal is awarded annually at each institution to the outstanding senior male and female student-athletes who exhibit “the greatest combination of performance and achievement in scholarship, athletics, and leadership”.
Houlihan, who received her degree in May 2015 in business and computational math sciences, finished her four-year Sun Devil career as a 12-time All-American, the second-most in program history. In 2015, Houlihan earned four First-Team All-America honors, two during the indoor season (mile & 3000m) and two during the outdoor season (1500m & 5000m).
The 2014 NCAA Champion in the 1500m run, Houlihan was named the 2015 Pac-12 Women’s Track Athlete of the Year and was nominated for the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
A three-time Pac-12 Champion in the 1500m, and two-time conference champion in the 5000m, Houlihan holds the school record in the outdoor 800m (2:01.12; 2014), the outdoor 1500m (4:09.67; 2015), the indoor 800m (2:04.94; 2013), the indoor mile (2:28.71; 2015), and the indoor 3000m (9:03.71; 2015). She also holds the No. 5 time in the outdoor 3000m (9:28.94; 2015) and the No. 2 time in the 5000m (15:49.72; 2015). In 2015, Houlihan ran the Pac-12 Championships meet record for the 1500m with her finish at 4:11.06.
In cross country, Houlihan became ASU’s second three-time All-American, and was ASU’s first Pac-12 Champion since 2004. Houlihan also won the NCAA West Region and was a three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic Honoree. Additionally throughout her career, the Pac-12 Conference has recognized her academically seven times.
Kelly graduated from ASU in May 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies and is working toward a Master’s of Legal Studies with a focus in Sports Law and Business. He was a four-year letterwinner and three-time Pac-12 All-Academic honoree, including a first-team member in 2014 and a second-team member in 2013, and was named the Pac-12 Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
A native of Eagle, Idaho, Kelly was named on of the 12 finalists for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award and the Wuerfell Trophy, which honors the college football player who exhibits exemplary community service. He was also named a finalist of the 2014 Campbell Trophy, which is college football's premier scholar-athlete award and recognizes an individual as the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation.
Kelly was recognized as a member of the 2015 National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society, the 2014-15 Valley of the Sun Chapter College Scholar Athlete of the Year, and 2014 NFF National Scholar-Athlete.
On the field, Kelly finished his career with a school-record 10,223 career yards of total offense. He was just the third player in school history with 10,000-plus career yards of total offense. He also set the school record for most career rushing yards by a quarterback with 1,404. Kelly helped lead the Sun Devils to back-to-back 10-win seasons and three straight bowl appearances.
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.
Arizona State's Pacific-10/12 Conference Medalists
1979: Chris Mott, Football
1980: Dave Severn, Wrestling
1981: Dan Severn, Wrestling
1982: Alvin Davis, Baseball
1983: Gary Bohay, Wrestling
1984: Jim Carter, Golf and Mike Orn, Swimming
1985: Brad Rot, Gymnastics
1986: John Sweeney, Gymnastics
1987: Jeff Whitham, Swimming and Sherry Poole, Basketball
1988: Peter Boden, Swimming and Robyn Benincasa, Diving
1989: Chris Garrett, Football and Jacinta Bartholomew, Track & Field
1990: Dan St. John, Wrestling and Fran Ciak, Basketball
1991: Brian Gyetko, Tennis and Gea Johnson, Track & Field
1992: Richard Tapper, Swimming and Mindy Gowell, Volleyball
1993: Adam Brass, Football and Jennifer Helfrich, Volleyball
1994: Stevin Smith, Basketball and Tracy Cone, Golf
1995: Todd Demsey, Golf and Beata Kaszuba, Swimming
1996: Justin Dragoo, Football and Katie Freeland, Gymnastics
1997: Chris Hanell, Golf and Alyssa Johnson, Basketball/Softball
1998: Pat Tillman, Football and Reka Cseresnyes, Tennis
1999: Bobby Lazor, Basketball and Amy Shelton, Gymnastics
2000: Ed Carter, Tennis and Elizabeth McNabb, Gymnastics
2001: Casey Myers, Baseball and Amanda Burbridge, Volleyball
2002: Brandon Strong, Cross Country/Track & Field and Kelly MacDonald, Cross Country/Track & Field
2003: Eric Larkin, Wrestling and Lisa Aguilera, Cross Country/Track & Field
2004: Nick Brunelli, Swimming and Phelan Wright, Softball
2005: Andrew Walter, Football and Kylan Loney, Basketball
2006: Alejandro Canizares, Golf and Ashley Kelley, Gymnastics
2007: Niklas Lemke, Golf and Amy Hastings, Track and Field
2008: Kyle Alcorn, Track and Field and Jacquelyn Johnson, Track and Field
2009: Jeff Pendergraph, Basketball and Katie Cochran, Softball
2010: Ryan Whiting, Track and Field and Liz Harkin, Soccer
2011: Anthony Robles, Wrestling, and Kelcy McKenna, Tennis
2012: Aaron Pflugrad, Football and Kaitlyn Boyd, Softball
2013: Carrick Felix, Basketball and Constance Ezugha, Track and Field
2014: Cory Hahn, Baseball and Stephanie Preach, Volleyball
2015: Shelby Houlihan, Track & Field and Cross Country and Taylor Kelly, Football
