Junior IU swimmer Lilly King has distinguished herself as one of the top young swimmers in the world during the past few years and has now added yet another award to her long list of personal achievements.
On Wednesday, the Big Ten announced the Hoosier swimmer as winner of the 2016-17 Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year Award.
King becomes the first ever IU female athlete to win this award and is only the sixth Hoosier in school history to take home this honor. The Big Ten Conference has recognized a Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year since 1982 and first honored a female recipient a year later in 1983.
Her 2016-17 season was full of successes after garnering national attention at the Rio Olympics last summer, where she won a gold medal in the 100 breaststroke and the 400 medley relay with Team USA.
At the end of the 2016 Olympic Games, King won USA Swimming’s Golden Goggle Award for Breakout Performer of the Year.
King continued her success as she dominated the competition at the Big Ten Championships. She won conference titles in the 100 breast, 200 breast, 200 IM and the 400 medley relay before being named Swimmer of the Championships and Swimmer of the Year.
King also helped IU finish in eighth place at the NCAA Championships, the second highest finish in school history. At the national meet, she defended her titles in both the 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke.
The four-time NCAA champion became the first swimmer or diver in Big Ten history to win four individual national titles. King also ended the season with four All-America honors.
Austin Ghirardelli
