TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona State golf sweeps the department's 2016-17 Pac-12 Tom Hansen Medal of Honor awards, as announced by the conference Tuesday, as Monica Vaughn and Jared du Toit were selected as this year's Sun Devil recipients.
The honor is given annually to an outstanding senior male and female student-athlete from each of the conference's 12 institutions for "the greatest combination of performance and achievement in scholarship, athletics, and leadership."
After winning the NCAA regional individual title as the Sun Devils earned a regional victory by 21 strokes, Vaughn became Arizona State's sixth all-time NCAA individual medalist in 2017, also leading her team to the program's eighth national title, both nation-leading marks in women's golf. The three-time All-American and three-time Pac-12 All-Academic First Teamer was named Pac-12 Golfer of the Year, CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-District, and earned the prestigious Honda Award for Women's Golf. Vaughn graduated magna cum laude with a degree in communications from ASU in 2017.
Du Toit completed his Sun Devil career with 13 top-10 finishes, including eight as a senior, and was named 2015-16 Pacific Northwest Golf Association Player of the Year as well as 2016 Male Amateur Athlete of the Year by Canadian Golf Journalists. The team captain and Second Team All-American led the team to NCAA postseason in 2017, was named Pac-12 Second Team All-Academic, and graduated with a degree in marketing and a 3.38 GPA. Off the course, du Toit volunteered his time at the Phoenix Children's Hospital.
The Medal of Honor was first awarded during the 1960-61 season and was renamed after longtime Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen following his retirement in 2009.
Vaughn becomes just the second women's golfer from ASU to earn the award (Tracy Cone, 1994) while du Toit is the sixth men's golfer (Jim Carter, 1984; Todd Demsey, 1995; Chris Hanell, 1997; Alejandro Canizares, 2006; Niklas Lemke, 2007).
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: Taylor Kelly (Football) and Shelby Houlihan (Track & Field and Cross Country)
2016: Mike Bercovici (Football) and Elisha Davis (Women's Basketball)
2017: Jared du Toit (Golf) and Monica Vaughn (Golf)
The honor is given annually to an outstanding senior male and female student-athlete from each of the conference's 12 institutions for "the greatest combination of performance and achievement in scholarship, athletics, and leadership."
After winning the NCAA regional individual title as the Sun Devils earned a regional victory by 21 strokes, Vaughn became Arizona State's sixth all-time NCAA individual medalist in 2017, also leading her team to the program's eighth national title, both nation-leading marks in women's golf. The three-time All-American and three-time Pac-12 All-Academic First Teamer was named Pac-12 Golfer of the Year, CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-District, and earned the prestigious Honda Award for Women's Golf. Vaughn graduated magna cum laude with a degree in communications from ASU in 2017.
Let's go crazy!@TheSunDevils' @Mvaughn13 is the 2017 Women's #NCAAGolf Individual Champion! pic.twitter.com/BBMSoTdY7l
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) May 22, 2017
Du Toit completed his Sun Devil career with 13 top-10 finishes, including eight as a senior, and was named 2015-16 Pacific Northwest Golf Association Player of the Year as well as 2016 Male Amateur Athlete of the Year by Canadian Golf Journalists. The team captain and Second Team All-American led the team to NCAA postseason in 2017, was named Pac-12 Second Team All-Academic, and graduated with a degree in marketing and a 3.38 GPA. Off the course, du Toit volunteered his time at the Phoenix Children's Hospital.
The Medal of Honor was first awarded during the 1960-61 season and was renamed after longtime Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen following his retirement in 2009.
Vaughn becomes just the second women's golfer from ASU to earn the award (Tracy Cone, 1994) while du Toit is the sixth men's golfer (Jim Carter, 1984; Todd Demsey, 1995; Chris Hanell, 1997; Alejandro Canizares, 2006; Niklas Lemke, 2007).
The ONLY school to win both the men's and women's #NCAAGolf team titles in the same year?
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) June 9, 2017
That'd be @TheSunDevils. ??#FirstTo500 pic.twitter.com/RtEbMqflbE
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: Taylor Kelly (Football) and Shelby Houlihan (Track & Field and Cross Country)
2016: Mike Bercovici (Football) and Elisha Davis (Women's Basketball)
2017: Jared du Toit (Golf) and Monica Vaughn (Golf)