March 1, 2011
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue rookie track and field standout Dani Bunch was named the 2011 Big Ten Women's Indoor Track and Field Freshman of the year on Tuesday, as voted upon by the conference coaches. Bunch earns the award after winning the conference championship in the weight throw on Sunday, and placing fourth in the shot put on Saturday at the Big Ten Women's Indoor Championships.
Bunch is one of just three Purdue women to earn conference freshman of the year honors, and the first to claim the award indoors since 2002. She is the Boilermakers first Big Ten Champion in the women's weight throw since Toyinda Smith won back-to-back conference crowns in the event in 1998 and 1999, and gave Purdue multiple conference champions in the same year for the first time since 2002, as junior Leah Eber also claimed a Big Ten title last weekend. Bunch's mark of 20.54 meters (67-04.75) in the weight throw is third-best all-time at Purdue as she's one of just three women in school history to throw over 20 meters, and ranks ninth in the country this season. Her shot-put mark of 15.39 meters (50-06.00) on Saturday made her one of four Boilermakers to score in the event as she captured fourth place overall.
Bunch and Eber both earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors for their first-place efforts, while senior teammate Stacey Wannemacher received a Big Ten Sportsmanship award for distinguishing herself through sportsmanship and ethical behavior, and displaying good academic standing and citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. The honor makes Wannemacher a candidate for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, as the conference office will honor one male and one female student-athlete from each institution at the end of the school year.
Ohio State's Christina Manning was named the Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year and Athlete of the Championships, while Indiana's Faith Sherrill swept the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year and Athlete of the Championships honors. Ohio State head coach Karen Dennis was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading the Buckeyes to their first track and field championship in school history.