Lisa McCarthy, Joey Calistri Win Big Ten Medal of Honor
6/17/2016 8:30:00 AM | General, Men's Soccer, Field Hockey
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern has named Lisa McCarthy of field hockey and Joey Calistri of men's soccer as the Wildcats 2015-16 winners of the prestigious Big Ten Medal of Honor, the first award of its kind in intercollegiate athletics to recognize academic and athletic excellence.
First awarded in 1915 to one student-athlete from the graduating class of each university who had "attained the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work," the award expanded to include one male and one female winner from each school in 1982. Big Ten schools currently feature more than 9,500 student-athletes, but only 28 earn this prestigious award on an annual basis.
Prior Northwestern greats like Glenn Thistlewait, Anucha Brown, Joe Girardi, Alexis Prousis, Luke Donald, Jennifer Averill and Pat Fitzgerald have won the Big Ten Medal of Honor in its over 100-year history. McCarthy and Calistri are now the two newest members of this exclusive club.
"Lisa and Joey are emblematic of Northwestern's pursuit of excellence in all of its parts," said vice president for athletics and recreation Jim Phillips. "Over the last four years they have distinguished themselves in the classroom, in the community and in competition.
"Both are not just tremendous representatives of their teams and our athletic department, but of the University and the entire Big Ten Conference. They are sincerely deserving of the Conference's highest honor, and we can't wait to see what their futures hold."
A native of Dublin, Ireland, McCarthy made an immediate impact in her first season in Evanston as the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year. She went on to earn four All-Big Ten awards and was a two-time NFHCA All-America second-team selection. She completed her career ranked second in school history with 54 assists, and in 2014 helped lead Northwestern back into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 20 years.
The three-time Academic All-Big Ten award winner and two-time NFHCA National Academic Squad honoree, McCarthy will graduate in June with a degree in psychology.
"Lisa McCarthy epitomizes what it means to be a student-athlete at Northwestern and in the Big Ten Conference," said field hockey head coach Tracey Fuchs. "Her accolades on the field speak for themselves: an All-American and team captain who not only helped lead our team to a pair of Big Ten championships but shaped our team culture.
"Off the field, she is a true leader by example, a great student and selfless teammate, and committed to giving back to the Evanston community. Even after her playing career came to an end, she went above-and-beyond as a student assistant, I can't thank her enough for the impact she's had on our program."
During his tenure in Evanston, Calistri was a standout for the men's soccer program and became the first player in program history to earn four All-Big Ten honors. He was named the unanimous Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2012 and went on to become the program's second leading scorer with 30 career goals. He was also a three-time NSCAA All-Great Lakes Team selection.
In addition to his excellence on the field, Calistri graduated two quarters early and finished with a 4.0 grade point average in his final quarter. He was named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar in 2014, earned a pair of Academic All-Big Ten honors and was named to the 2015 NSCAA Scholar All-North/Central Region First Team.
Calistri graduated with a degree in communications studies and is currently playing for the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer.
First awarded in 1915 to one student-athlete from the graduating class of each university who had "attained the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work," the award expanded to include one male and one female winner from each school in 1982. Big Ten schools currently feature more than 9,500 student-athletes, but only 28 earn this prestigious award on an annual basis.
Prior Northwestern greats like Glenn Thistlewait, Anucha Brown, Joe Girardi, Alexis Prousis, Luke Donald, Jennifer Averill and Pat Fitzgerald have won the Big Ten Medal of Honor in its over 100-year history. McCarthy and Calistri are now the two newest members of this exclusive club.
"Lisa and Joey are emblematic of Northwestern's pursuit of excellence in all of its parts," said vice president for athletics and recreation Jim Phillips. "Over the last four years they have distinguished themselves in the classroom, in the community and in competition.
"Both are not just tremendous representatives of their teams and our athletic department, but of the University and the entire Big Ten Conference. They are sincerely deserving of the Conference's highest honor, and we can't wait to see what their futures hold."
A native of Dublin, Ireland, McCarthy made an immediate impact in her first season in Evanston as the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year. She went on to earn four All-Big Ten awards and was a two-time NFHCA All-America second-team selection. She completed her career ranked second in school history with 54 assists, and in 2014 helped lead Northwestern back into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 20 years.
The three-time Academic All-Big Ten award winner and two-time NFHCA National Academic Squad honoree, McCarthy will graduate in June with a degree in psychology.
"Lisa McCarthy epitomizes what it means to be a student-athlete at Northwestern and in the Big Ten Conference," said field hockey head coach Tracey Fuchs. "Her accolades on the field speak for themselves: an All-American and team captain who not only helped lead our team to a pair of Big Ten championships but shaped our team culture.
"Off the field, she is a true leader by example, a great student and selfless teammate, and committed to giving back to the Evanston community. Even after her playing career came to an end, she went above-and-beyond as a student assistant, I can't thank her enough for the impact she's had on our program."
During his tenure in Evanston, Calistri was a standout for the men's soccer program and became the first player in program history to earn four All-Big Ten honors. He was named the unanimous Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2012 and went on to become the program's second leading scorer with 30 career goals. He was also a three-time NSCAA All-Great Lakes Team selection.
In addition to his excellence on the field, Calistri graduated two quarters early and finished with a 4.0 grade point average in his final quarter. He was named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar in 2014, earned a pair of Academic All-Big Ten honors and was named to the 2015 NSCAA Scholar All-North/Central Region First Team.
Calistri graduated with a degree in communications studies and is currently playing for the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer.
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