Colorado University Athletics
Smith, Thomas Receive Pac-12 Tom Hansen Medal
June 27, 2017 | Track and Field, Women's Basketball
Pac-12 Networks to honor recipients on Thursday's Sports Report (8 p.m. MT)
SAN FRANCISCO – University of Colorado student-athletes Jaron Thomas of the track and field team and Haley Smith of the women's basketball team were awarded with the 2016-17 Pac-12 Tom Hansen Conference Medal.
Â
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.
Â
Conference medal winners have been named every year since the 1960-61 academic year. In 2009, the Pac-12 renamed the award the Tom Hansen Conference Medal in honor of Hansen, who retired at the end of June 2009 after serving for 26 years as Commissioner of the Pac-10.
Â
On Thursday, June 29 at 8 p.m. MT, Pac-12 Networks will feature the Medal winners on its year-end Sports Report, a one-hour special honoring these 24 recipients of the prestigious Tom Hansen Conference Medal.
Â
Smith led Colorado to the postseason in two of her four years at CU and became one of just 15 players in Colorado history to score over 1,000 points and grab over 500 rebounds in a career. She was a two-time winner of Colorado's Crystal Ford Scholar-Athlete Award and finished among the best in one of the most challenging fields of study, CU's College of Engineering as a mechanical engineering major. She Completed her degree in May with a 3.70 grade point average, ranking 29th out of 251 students in her class.
Â
Despite a heavy load of rigorous academics and Division I basketball, Smith always found time for more off the floor. She was involved in the Student-Athlete Leadership Academy all four years at CU, participating in workshops, providing insights, strategies and skills necessary to become an effective leader on a team, a university campus and in the community. She was also a two-year member of CU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and served as SAAC Vice President in 2016-17, standing as a leader among student-athletes to voice their interests and concerns to the athletics department leadership.
Â
Thomas was the recipient of the Ceal Barry Leadership Award, named for CU's legendary women's basketball coach and awarded to those student-athletes who most effectively inspires his or her team and the Colorado campus and community through exemplary commitment, composure and integrity. He also was honored with the 2016-17 SAAC Distinguished Service Award, presented to senior members who contributed significantly to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. In 2016, he was named to the 2016 Pac-12 All-Academic team.
Â
On the track, he scored points for CU at the Pac-12 Outdoor Championships four different seasons in the 110-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles while also scoring in the 60-meter hurdles in three separate seasons at the MPSF Indoor Championships. He finished fourth in the 110-meter hurdles in his very last Pac-12 Outdoor Championships one month ago.
2016-17 Pac-12 Tom Hansen Conference Medal Winners
Â
Â
Â
Â
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.
Â
Conference medal winners have been named every year since the 1960-61 academic year. In 2009, the Pac-12 renamed the award the Tom Hansen Conference Medal in honor of Hansen, who retired at the end of June 2009 after serving for 26 years as Commissioner of the Pac-10.
Â
On Thursday, June 29 at 8 p.m. MT, Pac-12 Networks will feature the Medal winners on its year-end Sports Report, a one-hour special honoring these 24 recipients of the prestigious Tom Hansen Conference Medal.
Â
Smith led Colorado to the postseason in two of her four years at CU and became one of just 15 players in Colorado history to score over 1,000 points and grab over 500 rebounds in a career. She was a two-time winner of Colorado's Crystal Ford Scholar-Athlete Award and finished among the best in one of the most challenging fields of study, CU's College of Engineering as a mechanical engineering major. She Completed her degree in May with a 3.70 grade point average, ranking 29th out of 251 students in her class.
Â
Despite a heavy load of rigorous academics and Division I basketball, Smith always found time for more off the floor. She was involved in the Student-Athlete Leadership Academy all four years at CU, participating in workshops, providing insights, strategies and skills necessary to become an effective leader on a team, a university campus and in the community. She was also a two-year member of CU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and served as SAAC Vice President in 2016-17, standing as a leader among student-athletes to voice their interests and concerns to the athletics department leadership.
Â
Thomas was the recipient of the Ceal Barry Leadership Award, named for CU's legendary women's basketball coach and awarded to those student-athletes who most effectively inspires his or her team and the Colorado campus and community through exemplary commitment, composure and integrity. He also was honored with the 2016-17 SAAC Distinguished Service Award, presented to senior members who contributed significantly to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. In 2016, he was named to the 2016 Pac-12 All-Academic team.
Â
On the track, he scored points for CU at the Pac-12 Outdoor Championships four different seasons in the 110-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles while also scoring in the 60-meter hurdles in three separate seasons at the MPSF Indoor Championships. He finished fourth in the 110-meter hurdles in his very last Pac-12 Outdoor Championships one month ago.
2016-17 Pac-12 Tom Hansen Conference Medal Winners
Â
| School | Men | Women |
| Arizona | Aaron Castle, Track & Field | Laura Larson, Volleyball |
| Arizona State | Jared du Toit, Golf | Monica Vaughn, Golf |
| California | Ryan Murphy, Swimming | Farida Osman, Swimming |
| Colorado | Jaron Thomas, Track & Field | Haley Smith, Basketball |
| Oregon | Jayson Amos, Tennis | Maggie Schmaedick, Cross Country |
| Oregon State | Dustin Stanton, Football | Sydney Wiese, Basketball |
| Stanford | Akash Modi, Gymnastics | Maggie Steffens, Water Polo |
| UCLA | Felix Vobejda, Soccer | Kari Korver, Basketball |
| USC | Zach Banner, Football | Anika Apostalon, Swimming |
| Utah | Hunter Dimick, Football | Hannah Flippen, Softball |
| Washington | Justin Schmidt, Soccer | Kelsey Plum, Basketball |
| Washington State | Josh Hawkinson, Basketball | Nicole Hare, Rowing |
Â
Â
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Track and FieldTuesday, June 02
Wednesday, April 15
Sunday, April 12
Monday, April 06