Every year, the Big Ten announces two athletes from each school that have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. This year’s recipients from IU are junior women’s basketball player Amanda Cahill and senior cross country runner Matt Schwartzer.
Cahill and Schwartzer were chosen out of 28 nominated honorees from IU who have displayed positive sportsmanship. One athlete from each varsity sport was selected as a Sportsmanship Award honoree, but only two are chosen to be Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners.
On top of showing a higher level of sportsmanship than their peers, the chosen athletes must also be in good academic standing along with demonstrating good citizenship outside of their typical sports-competition setting.
In 2016-17, Cahill was named to the All-Big Ten second team. She averaged 14.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from behind the 3-point line.
She currently ranks 14th all-time in scoring with 1,321 and sixth all-time in rebounds with 820. The sharp-shooting forward scored in double figures in 33 of 34 games this season while recording 12 double-doubles.
Cahill also found success in the classroom as she holds a 3.90 GPA in Elementary education. This past season she was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-American team. She is the fifth player in the program’s history to earn that honor.
Schwartzer is a three-time member of the Academic All-Big Ten team. He graduated from the Kelley School of Business with a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship and supply chain management.
Schwartzer’s success in the classroom is matched by his success as a runner. The three-time All-Big Ten cross country runner was a part of IU’s Big Ten title run in 2013. He was a four-time NCAA Championships qualifier in cross county while also being a member of the track and field team.
Austin Ghirardelli
