Northwestern University Athletics
Austin Carr, Nandi Mehta Earn Big Ten Medal of Honor
6/21/2017 11:00:00 AM | Football, General, Women's Soccer
EVANSTON, Ill. – The Big Ten announced on Wednesday that Northwestern graduates Austin Carr (football) and Nandi Mehta (women's soccer) earned the conference's prestigious Medal of Honor.
The Big Ten Medal of Honor is awarded annually to a male and female student-athlete at each conference institution for outstanding athletic and academic achievement.
Carr and Mehta join Wildcat legends like Anucha Brown (1985), Joe Girardi (1986), Pat Fitzgerald (1997), Luke Donald (2001), and Alexis Prousis (2007) as winners of the Medal of Honor.
"This is the highest honor that a Big Ten student-athlete can receive, and there are no more deserving candidates than Austin and Nandi," said Vice President for Athletics & Recreation Jim Phillips. "Among an exceptional group of young men and women here at Northwestern, these two have truly exemplified what it means to be world-class in the classroom, in the community, and in competition. We are so proud of what they have accomplished, and so excited to see the impact they are prepared to make on the world after graduation."
Carr, the 2016 Richter-Howard Big Ten Receiver of the Year, was a finalist for both the Biletnikoff Award and Burlsworth Trophy. He earned a master's degree in Management Studies from Northwestern, while leading the Wildcats to a Pinstripe Bowl championship and setting team and conference records. Carr set the Northwestern single-season record with 1,247 receiving yards, tied the record with 12 touchdown catches and tied for second with 90 receptions. He became just the third player since 1990 to lead the Big Ten in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns.
Carr was named Consensus First Team All-Big Ten and Third-Team Sports Illustrated All-America for his on-field accomplishments and CoSIDA Academic All-America Second-Team and Academic All-Big Ten for his dedication in the classroom. He also holds a bachelor's degree from NU in Philosophy.
"Our entire football family is so proud of what Austin has achieved during the course of his career at Northwestern," said Dan & Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald. "The remarkable year that he had on the football field this season allowed the world to learn what a dynamic presence he is off the field. We are thrilled to see the opportunity he has with the New England Patriots and cannot wait to see what the future holds for him."
Mehta was a three-time captain of the women's soccer team, helping lead Northwestern to its first ever Big Ten championship and its first NCAA Tournament Round of 16 appearance since 1998. Mehta started every game for the last two seasons.
She was recently awarded the NCAA's Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship and was a 2015 winner of Northwestern's Irving Kabiller Memorial Award for Excellence in Character, Commitment, and Community. Mehta served on the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, beginning in 2014 until her graduation. She is a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, a First-Team CoSIDA Academic All-American and an NSCAA All-Region Scholar. Mehta holds bachelor of arts degrees in Economics and International Studies from Northwestern and completed a post-baccalaureate certificate during the 2016-17 academic year.
"Nandi's story is hard to even capture in words because it reads like a fairytale with a list of accomplishments that is staggering," head women's soccer coach Michael Moynihan said. "She has been exemplary in the classroom, on the field, and in the community. It is no coincidence that our program's rise to Big Ten champions coincided with Nandi's presence. I have seen few people who show the same resolve, belief, and fortitude as Nandi, and the qualities she possesses are infectious and influence everyone around her. It has been an honor to coach her and watch her grow over the past five years."
The Big Ten's most exclusive award was the first of its kind in intercollegiate athletics. The Medal of Honor was first awarded in 1915.
The Big Ten Medal of Honor is awarded annually to a male and female student-athlete at each conference institution for outstanding athletic and academic achievement.
Carr and Mehta join Wildcat legends like Anucha Brown (1985), Joe Girardi (1986), Pat Fitzgerald (1997), Luke Donald (2001), and Alexis Prousis (2007) as winners of the Medal of Honor.
"This is the highest honor that a Big Ten student-athlete can receive, and there are no more deserving candidates than Austin and Nandi," said Vice President for Athletics & Recreation Jim Phillips. "Among an exceptional group of young men and women here at Northwestern, these two have truly exemplified what it means to be world-class in the classroom, in the community, and in competition. We are so proud of what they have accomplished, and so excited to see the impact they are prepared to make on the world after graduation."
Carr, the 2016 Richter-Howard Big Ten Receiver of the Year, was a finalist for both the Biletnikoff Award and Burlsworth Trophy. He earned a master's degree in Management Studies from Northwestern, while leading the Wildcats to a Pinstripe Bowl championship and setting team and conference records. Carr set the Northwestern single-season record with 1,247 receiving yards, tied the record with 12 touchdown catches and tied for second with 90 receptions. He became just the third player since 1990 to lead the Big Ten in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns.
Carr was named Consensus First Team All-Big Ten and Third-Team Sports Illustrated All-America for his on-field accomplishments and CoSIDA Academic All-America Second-Team and Academic All-Big Ten for his dedication in the classroom. He also holds a bachelor's degree from NU in Philosophy.
"Our entire football family is so proud of what Austin has achieved during the course of his career at Northwestern," said Dan & Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald. "The remarkable year that he had on the football field this season allowed the world to learn what a dynamic presence he is off the field. We are thrilled to see the opportunity he has with the New England Patriots and cannot wait to see what the future holds for him."
Mehta was a three-time captain of the women's soccer team, helping lead Northwestern to its first ever Big Ten championship and its first NCAA Tournament Round of 16 appearance since 1998. Mehta started every game for the last two seasons.
She was recently awarded the NCAA's Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship and was a 2015 winner of Northwestern's Irving Kabiller Memorial Award for Excellence in Character, Commitment, and Community. Mehta served on the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, beginning in 2014 until her graduation. She is a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, a First-Team CoSIDA Academic All-American and an NSCAA All-Region Scholar. Mehta holds bachelor of arts degrees in Economics and International Studies from Northwestern and completed a post-baccalaureate certificate during the 2016-17 academic year.
"Nandi's story is hard to even capture in words because it reads like a fairytale with a list of accomplishments that is staggering," head women's soccer coach Michael Moynihan said. "She has been exemplary in the classroom, on the field, and in the community. It is no coincidence that our program's rise to Big Ten champions coincided with Nandi's presence. I have seen few people who show the same resolve, belief, and fortitude as Nandi, and the qualities she possesses are infectious and influence everyone around her. It has been an honor to coach her and watch her grow over the past five years."
The Big Ten's most exclusive award was the first of its kind in intercollegiate athletics. The Medal of Honor was first awarded in 1915.
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