‘U’ honors Schlatter with Big Ten Medal of Honor Award
June 12, 2008
Seniors Liz Podominick and C.P. Schlatter were selected as Minnesota’s 2008 recipients of the Big Ten Medal of Honor as the Big Ten Conference announced its 22 conference-wide honorees this week.
Podominick wrapped up her highly successful career at Minnesota this
week after competing in the discus and shot put at the NCAA Outdoor
Track Championships in Des Moines, Iowa., her fifth national meet
appearance as a Golden Gopher. The Lakeville, Minn. native joins Aubrey
Schmitt (1998-2001, shot put and discus) as the only Gopher women’s
track athletes to qualify and compete in the same event (discus) during
each of their four years of eligibility. Podominick was a four-time
champion, winning both shot put and discus titles twice in her career.
She is the Minnesota record holder in the outdoor shot put (53-5 3/4)
and a two-time Academic All-District honoree. Podominick also played
basketball for three seasons at the U, helping the Gophers to a Final
Four appearance during her freshman campaign in 2004.
Podominick completed her undergraduate degree in sociology in the spring of 2007 and is currently pursuing her master's degree.
Schlatter finished a highly successful wrestling career in March after
competing at the NCAA Championships for the fourth consecutive year.
Schlatter was a two-time Big Ten champion during his time at Minnesota
and earned All-American honors after finishing sixth at the 2007 NCAA
Championships. Schlatter compiled a 28-5 record during his senior
campaign and was 109-31 during his Gopher career. The Massillon, Ohio
native was also a member of Minnesota’s national championship team in
2007.
During his time at Minnesota, Schlatter has had success on and off the
mat. Schlatter racked up four Academic All-Big Ten accolades and was
named a National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Academic
All-American three times while pursuing his nursing degree.
The Medal of Honor, the conference’s oldest award, is awarded annually
to two graduating student-athletes from each of the 11 conference
institutions. Established in 1914, the award has recognized both a male
and a female student-athlete from each school since 1982.