CHICAGO – Indiana University swimmer Lilly King was named the 2016-17 Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year on Wednesday, the league office announced. Wrestler Kyle Snyder of Ohio State was named the Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year.
King is the first woman in IU history to earn the prestigious award and just the sixth overall in school history. Jim Spivey (1982), Sunder Nix (1984), Steve Alford (1987), Anthony Thompson (1990) and Derek Drouin (2013) all previously earned the award.
The Big Ten Conference has recognized a Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year since 1982 and first honored a Female Athlete of the Year in 1983.