Hillsdale College's Emily Oren Named Honda Division II Athlete of the Year

HILLSDALE, Mich., June 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hillsdale College is proud to congratulate senior Emily Oren, who was named the Division II Honda Women's Athlete of the Year. Oren runs on the Hillsdale College track and cross country teams. She is the third athlete in the history of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) to win this award.

"Emily Oren personifies Hillsdale College's concept of the student-athlete," said Andrew Towne, Hillsdale College head track and field coach. "But what separates Emily is her drive. She was truly committed to excellence throughout her career and that's why many consider her to be the greatest distance runner in Division II history. We couldn't be more proud of her."

Oren's superb 2015-16 season in cross country and track began when she won the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Runner of the Week award while leading the Chargers team to a No. 1 ranking in the Division II poll, a first for any Hillsdale College team.

During indoor track season, Oren was a national champion in three events: the mile, 3000-meter run, and the distance medley relay. At the 2016 GLIAC Outdoor Championships, she set an all-time Division II record in the steeplechase with a time of 9:50.54, which met this year's Olympic standard. She went on to earn three national championship titles at the NCAA outdoor championships, capturing two firsts in the steeplechase and the 1500 meter run and third in the 5000 meter run.

Oren was also named to the CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District Team and is a strong candidate for Academic All-American honors.

The Collegiate Women Sports Awards ceremony, where Oren accepted her award, will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network on Monday, June 27, at 9 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

About Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College, founded in 1844, has built a national reputation through its classical liberal arts core curriculum and its principled refusal to accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies, even indirectly in the form of student grants or loans. It also conducts an educational outreach effort promoting civil and religious liberty, including a free monthly speech digest, Imprimis, with a circulation of more than 3.4 million.

SOURCE Hillsdale College