June 11, 2002
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Seniors Kelly MacDonald and Brandon Strong were named Arizona State University's 2001-02 Pacific-10 Conference Medal winners, commissioner Tom Hansen announced today.
A Conference Medal is awarded annually to an outstanding senior male and female student-athlete from each member institution based on the exhibition of the greatest combination of performance and achievement in scholarship, athletics and leadership. The Pac-10 Medal winners will be honored at the State Farm Pride of the Pac-10 Luncheon held in Los Angeles in conjunction with the Pac-10 Men's Basketball Tournament next March.
MacDonald and Strong culminated their ASU careers as two of the top distance runners to come out of the Sun Devil track and field and cross country program. Both will be competing at the 2002 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., June 21-23.
MacDonald, a native of Tualatin, Ore., graduated in May with a bachelor of fine arts degree in art education, magna cum laude, and a 3.60 GPA. During her ASU career, MacDonald was a four-time All-American in track and a 1999 All-American in cross country. She won three Pac-10 titles on the track, including two 5000m crowns (2000, 2001) and the inaugural 3000m steeplechase (2001). She is also the ASU record-holder in three events: the indoor 5000m, outdoor 5000m and 3000m steeplechase.
MacDonald was a Verizon Academic All-District VIII first-team selection for 2001-02 and is on the ballot for national All-America acclaim to be announced June 20. She was also a second-team All-District VIII selection in 2001.
A native of Phoenix, Ariz. and graduate of Paradise Valley High School, Strong also graduated in May with a bachelor of science degree in conservation biology and a 3.19 GPA. During the 2002 indoor track season, he became just the second Sun Devil to eclipse the four-minute mile barrier, breaking a 14-year old ASU indoor record with a time of 3:59.59. The only other ASU athlete to run a four-minute mile was Chuck LaBenz in 1970 and holds the outdoor record of 3:56.9. Strong's outdoor 1500m time of 3:41.42 ranks second to LaBenz (3:40.7) on ASU's all-time list.
Strong was also the 2002 Pac-10 runner-up in the 1500m and earned All-America honors as a member of ASU's indoor distance medley relay team in 2000. He was a Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention selection for the 2001 cross country season.
Arizona State's Pacific-10 Conference Medalists
Men
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
1988: Peter Boden, Swimming
1989: Chris Garrett, Football
1990: Dan St. John, Wrestling
1991: Brian Gyetko, Tennis
1992: Richard Tapper, Swimming
1993: Adam Brass, Football
1994: Stevin Smith, Basketball
1995: Todd Demsey, Golf
1996: Justin Dragoo, Football
1997: Chris Hanell, Golf
1998: Pat Tillman, Football
1999: Bobby Lazor, Basketball
2000: Ed Carter, Tennis
2001: Casey Myers, Baseball
2002: Brandon Strong, Cross Country/Track
Women
1987: Sherry Poole, Basketball
1988: Robyn Benincasa, Diving
1989: Jacinta Bartholomew, Track & Field
1990: Fran Ciak, Basketball
1991: Gea Johnson, Track & Field
1992: Mindy Gowell, Volleyball
1993: Jennifer Helfrich, Volleyball
1994: Tracy Cone, Golf
1995: Beata Kaszuba, Swimming
1996: Katie Freeland, Gymnastics
1997: Alyssa Johnson, Basketball/Softball
1998: Reka Cseresnyes, Tennis
1999: Amy Shelton, Gymnastics
2000: Elizabeth McNabb, Gymnastics
2001: Amanda Burbridge, Volleyball
2002: Kelly MacDonald, Cross Country/Track
*Women's Pac-10 Conference competition began in 1987