University of Arizona Athletics

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--Arizona’s multi-NCAA champion swimmer Simon Burnett and Women’s College World Series most outstanding player Alicia Hollowell joined other top male and female student-athletes from around the league as 2006 Pacific-10 Conference Medal winners today.

The 2005-06 medal winners were announced Pac-10 Commissioner Tom Hansen. A Conference Medal is awarded annually to each member institution’s outstanding senior male and female student-athlete based on the exhibition of the greatest combination of performance and achievement in scholarship, athletics and leadership.

The Conference Medal winners will be honored at the State Farm Pride of the Pac-10

Luncheon held in Los Angeles in conjunction with the Pac-10 Men's Basketball Tournament next March.

Burnett won the 200 freestyle for a third career title in the event at the NCAA Championships in March, leading Arizona to a second-place finish and helping coach Frank Busch to NCAA Coach of the Year honors. He also was a part of three first-place relay NCAA titlists ?- the 200 Medley, 400 Free and 800 Free ?- plus took individual thirds in the 50 Free and the 100 Free and swam on the second-place 200 Free relay. He also was Pac-10 Men’s Swimmer of the Year.

Hollowell, one of Arizona’s half dozen four-time All-Americans, earned 2^nd-team honors for the second consecutive year after first-team honors her first two seasons in 2003 and 2004, but took on all comers and surpassed the first-team selections in head-to-head competition at the NCAA’s WCWS. She helped beat Texas and Tennessee stars to put UA in the championship series, and then her pitching spearheaded UA’s title sweep over Northwestern, winning 8-0 and 5-0. She is Arizona’s all-time leader in pitching victories, strikeouts and single-season marks in those categories and more.

Burnett and Hollowell both were named the outstanding seniors at annual CATS Senior

Awards ceremonies in May, winning the Sapphire and Ruby Awards, respectively.

Following are the 2005-06 award winners:

2005-06 Pacific-10 Conference Medal Winners

School                       Male                                             Female

Arizona                       Simon Burnett, Swimming         Alicia Hollowell, Softball

Arizona State             Alejandro Canizares, Golf          Ashley Kelly, Gymnastics

California                   Calen Carr, Soccer                     Kristina Thorson, Softball

Oregon                       Eric Mitchum, Track & Field      Caitlin Gamble, Soccer

Oregon State             Lamar Hurd, Basketball             Chrissy Lamun, Gymnastics

Stanford                     Peter Varellas, Water Polo        Alice Barnes, Tennis

UCLA                         Chris Jensen, Baseball              Kate Richardson, Gymnastics

USC                            Juraj Zatovic, Water Polo           Blythe Hartley, Diving

Washington                James Lepp, Golf                       Paige Mackenzie, Golf

Washington State     Jay Miller, Baseball                     Tamara Diles, Track & Field