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Matt Freije, Josie Hahn Named Commodore Athletes of the Year 6/22/2004 Nashville, Tenn. – All-time leading Commodore men’s basketball scorer Matt Freije and two-time All-America track and field athlete Josie Hahn have been selected as Vanderbilt Male and Female Athlete of the Year, respectively. Freije, a senior from Overland Park, Kansas, was a unanimous 2004 First Team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches, finishing second in the league with an 18.4-point scoring average. The senior, tabbed Third Team All-America by the National Basketball Coaches Association, was a finalist both the Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award and the John R. Wooden Award. Freije concluded his career with 1,891 points, the most in school history. He also guided the Commodores to their first NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance in more than a decade. Hahn, a junior from Clinton, Tenn., became the only Commodore student-athlete to earn a provisional qualifying mark to the United States Olympic Trials. She also garnered All-America honors indoors in the pentathlon and outdoors in the heptathlon, adding an individual victory in the heptathlon at the SEC Outdoor Championships. En route to her excellent campaign, Hahn set Commodore records in five events – pentathlon, heptathlon, indoor and outdoor high jump, and the javelin throw. The coming days are crucial for both Freije and Hahn. Freije, who graduated in May, could be selected in the NBA Draft this Thursday. Hahn will compete Wednesday and Thursday at Brigham Young University, seeking to ensure her participation in the heptathlon at the Olympic Trials. Several Commodore student-athletes who guided their teams to postseason play were considered for the awards. The Vanderbilt program enjoyed its most successful season ever during 2003-04, with nine teams participating in the NCAA tournament. Two squads, women’s tennis and women’s lacrosse, appeared in the NCAA Final Four. Besides Freije, other standouts considered for Vanderbilt Male Athlete of the Year were All-SEC pitcher and first-round draft pick Jeremy Sowers (Jr., Louisville, Ky.), second baseman and SEC batting leader Warner Jones (So., Nashville, Tenn.), senior tennis All-American Chad Harris (Sr., Aurora, Colo.) and All-SEC defensive end Jovan Haye (So., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) Besides Hahn, outstanding student-athletes considered for Vanderbilt Female Athlete of the Year were lacrosse All-American Michelle Allen (Sr., Eldersburg, Md.), three-time tennis All-American Aleke Tsoubanos (Sr., Chesterfield, Mo.), four-time All-SEC tennis recipient Kelly Schmandt (Sr., Santa Barbara, Calif.), All-SEC basketball forward Jenni Benningfield (Sr., Louisville, Ky.), All-SEC soccer player Jennifer Lewis (Sr., Birmingham, Ala.), All-SEC golfer Sarah Jacobs (Sr., Whites Creek, Tenn.,) and SEC 5,000-meter champion Erika Schneble (So., Hendersonville, N.C.). |
