Men’s hockey forward Mason Jobst and Karrington Winters of the women’s track and field team have been named Ohio State’s winners of the 2019 Big Ten Medal of Honor.
The Big Ten Conference’s most exclusive award 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-plus years of the Medal of Honor, almost 1,400 student-athletes have earned this distinction.
Jobst, who is just the second two-time All-American in program history, made his mark on the Ohio State men’s hockey record book. The school’s fifth Hobey Baker Award finalist, he is a three-time All-Big Ten honoree, with first team honors in 2017 and ’19 and second team accolades in 2018.
Josbt was part of a senior class that advanced to the NCAA Tournament three times, including the team’s first trip to the Frozen Four in 20 years, and won the first Big Ten title in program history in 2019. He led all 2018-19 NCAA skaters with 164 career points and is the Big Ten record holder in career goals and points in league games. As a senior, Jobst led the Buckeyes with 17 goals and 36 points and was named a Second Team All-American.
Jobst is a three-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and a two-time Academic All-Big Ten choice majoring in real estate and urban analysis. Following the season, he agreed to terms on a two-way contract with the NHL New York Islanders, beginning in 2019-20.
Winters is quite the impressive student-athlete herself. She is currently the president of the Ohio State Student-Athlete Advisory Council and her work within the community and Ohio State have earned her high praise, building a lasting legacy.
The senior sprinter holds three records at Ohio State, including an individual record in the 600-meter run at the Big Ten Championships with a time of 1:27.60. Her other two records came as part of relay teams: as a member of the 4×400-meter relay in the NCAA Championships with a time of 3:31.23 and as part of the distance medley relay team that ran a 11:02.12 to secure the fastest spot in program history this indoor season.
A three-time USTFCCCA First Team All-American and two-time USTFCCCA Second Team All-American, Winters is a member of three of the four fastest indoor 4x400m relays in program history. Throughout her career, she has claimed 24 event titles, four Ohio State Scholar-Athlete honors and is a three-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
Taking her success to the international stage, Winters was part of the 2016 USA 4×400-meter relay that ran in Poland at the IAAF U20 World championships, ultimately taking home gold. Winters recently received Student Life’s Outstanding Senior Award and is currently ranked No. 6 in 200-meter and No. 4 in the 400-meter in the Big Ten Conference.
Jobst is the second Ohio State men’s hockey player to win the Big Ten Medal of Honor, joining Dave Hoyles, who was recognized in 1973. Winters is the fifth Ohio State women’s track and field member honored, following Joan Pero (1990), Keturah Lofton (2006), Jenna Griffin (2008) and Katie Borchers (2015).
Karen Dennis, the director of track and field and cross country at Ohio State, brought Winters in as a recruit and pridefully watched her blossom into a well-rounded adult.
“I want to give credit to her parents who obviously did an excellent job of keeping her focused as well as keeping her humble,” Dennis told BSB. “Karrington’s the kind of young lady who is a sister to all the women out here, she’s been a sister to all the men out here. She knows how to navigate around the university and she shares that knowledge with other student-athletes.
“They all come in with a little bit of trepidation, and she came in with a little bit of trepidation, but she trusted her plan and followed her own road map. I think that the university has afforded her with a lot of opportunities in terms of a chance to experience leadership. A lot of people shy away from leadership. Karrington not only stuck her foot in the water, she jumped right in.”
Winters earned the award by not only excelling on the track and in the classroom but by being a great leader for the track program.
A decorated athlete and successful student, Winters is used to being recognized for her accomplishments. This particular award, however, caught Winters attention as a prepster and became a goal.
“I was so excited,” Winters told BSB of winning the award. “I had been wanting that since high school days, seeing people at each institution get the Big Ten Medal of Honor. And it’s just amazing because we’re so often recognized for just athletics or just academics, but the Big Ten Medal of Honor is about exemplifying what it means to be a student-athlete at the very essence, so it combines both.”
