COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Malina Howard (women’s basketball) and Varun Ram (men’s basketball) have been named the University of Maryland’s inaugural Big Ten Medal of Honor award winners, announced Tuesday.
The Big Ten Medal of Honor is the conference's most exclusive award and was the first of its kind in intercollegiate athletics to recognize academic and athletic excellence. The Big Ten Medal of Honor was 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." Big Ten schools currently feature almost 9,500 student-athletes, but only 28 earn this prestigious award on an annual basis. In the 100 years of the Medal of Honor, almost 1,400 student-athletes have earned this distinction.
Howard started in all 37 of the Terrapins’ games this season, helping them to a record of 34-3 and a second straight NCAA Final Four appearance. She also guided the Terps to a school-record 28-game win streak, the Big Ten regular season title and the Big Ten tournament title. Howard received a Sportsmanship Award from the Big Ten and was named to the All-Big Ten Academic Team.
A native of Twinsburg, Ohio, Howard won the Elite 89 Award, which is given to the student-athlete at the Final Four with the highest GPA. She will earn her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology this month with a 3.798 grade point average and is graduating in three years.
Ram, a reserve point guard on a Maryland squad which won a school-record 26 wins in the regular season in 2014-15, is a leader both on and off the court for the Terps. The Clarksville, Md., native played in 21 games for Maryland and picked up a highlight-reel steal in the waning minutes of the Terps’ NCAA first round game against Valparaiso to secure the victory.
Ram, a physiology and neurobiology major, boasts a 3.952 grade point average and has been named to the Dean's List and Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll five times in addition to earning numerous all-conference academic honors.
“Malina and Varun are two shining examples of the outstanding student-athletes we have at the University of Maryland,” said director of athletics Kevin Anderson. We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments both on the court and in the classroom and are thrilled that Malina and Varun will be continuing their education at Maryland following graduation in May. Each will undoubtedly continue to provide invaluable leadership to both our athletics department and entire campus community.”
"I would like to congratulate Malina and Varun on being outstanding in the classroom and on the court,” Dr. Nick Hadley, faculty athletics representative, said. “They represent the best in Maryland Athletics."
The Big Ten, the nation's oldest collegiate conference, is commemorating the 101st anniversary of the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 2015.
The Big Ten Medal of Honor is the conference's most exclusive award and was the first of its kind in intercollegiate athletics to recognize academic and athletic excellence. The Big Ten Medal of Honor was 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." Big Ten schools currently feature almost 9,500 student-athletes, but only 28 earn this prestigious award on an annual basis. In the 100 years of the Medal of Honor, almost 1,400 student-athletes have earned this distinction.
Howard started in all 37 of the Terrapins’ games this season, helping them to a record of 34-3 and a second straight NCAA Final Four appearance. She also guided the Terps to a school-record 28-game win streak, the Big Ten regular season title and the Big Ten tournament title. Howard received a Sportsmanship Award from the Big Ten and was named to the All-Big Ten Academic Team.
A native of Twinsburg, Ohio, Howard won the Elite 89 Award, which is given to the student-athlete at the Final Four with the highest GPA. She will earn her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology this month with a 3.798 grade point average and is graduating in three years.
Ram, a reserve point guard on a Maryland squad which won a school-record 26 wins in the regular season in 2014-15, is a leader both on and off the court for the Terps. The Clarksville, Md., native played in 21 games for Maryland and picked up a highlight-reel steal in the waning minutes of the Terps’ NCAA first round game against Valparaiso to secure the victory.
Ram, a physiology and neurobiology major, boasts a 3.952 grade point average and has been named to the Dean's List and Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll five times in addition to earning numerous all-conference academic honors.
“Malina and Varun are two shining examples of the outstanding student-athletes we have at the University of Maryland,” said director of athletics Kevin Anderson. We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments both on the court and in the classroom and are thrilled that Malina and Varun will be continuing their education at Maryland following graduation in May. Each will undoubtedly continue to provide invaluable leadership to both our athletics department and entire campus community.”
"I would like to congratulate Malina and Varun on being outstanding in the classroom and on the court,” Dr. Nick Hadley, faculty athletics representative, said. “They represent the best in Maryland Athletics."
The Big Ten, the nation's oldest collegiate conference, is commemorating the 101st anniversary of the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 2015.
