Pac-12 Conference Names Meek and Powell 2022-23 Tom Hansen Medal Winners
June 29, 2023 | General, Men's Soccer, Volleyball, Student-Athlete Academic Services
SEATTLE – Husky student-athletes Lucas Meek (men's soccer) and Ella May Powell (volleyball) were named the Washington recipients of the 2022-23 Tom Hansen Medal, the Pac-12 Conference announced today.
The award is given 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. 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.
Meek (Mercer Island, Wash.) graduated from Washington with his degree in Business Administration: Information Systems. Following the 2021 season, Meek was drafted in the MLS SuperDraft by Inter Miami FC but returned back to Montlake for a final season. Meek is the sixth Husky men's soccer player to earn the medal, and it's the second-consecutive honor for the program after Dylan Teves was named a winner in 2021-22.
An All-American and two-time All-Pac-12 selection, during his career Meek helped the Huskies to five NCAA Tournament appearances including three Sweet Sixteens, three Elite Eights, a Final Four, and a national runner-up. The two-time United Soccer Coaches All-Far West Region selection led the Pac-12 with 10 goals in his senior season, and helped the Huskies to be the number 1 team in the nation for six consecutive weeks. Meek won two Pac-12 Championships and finished at Washington with 21 career assists and 26 career goals, tied for the 10th-most goals in program history. Meek excelled in the classroom as a nine-time Dean's List honoree, two-time Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll selection, and was named CoSIDA Academic All-District. He was selected to the 2022 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America First Team and named the 2022 Men's Soccer Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Meek was actively involved in numerous community service activities including Kick 4 ALS Soccer Tournament, Facing Homeless Clothing Drive, Read Across America, and Rainier Park field clean up.
Powell (Fayetteville, Ark.) graduated from Washington with a B.A. in Communication and then a M.Ed. in Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership. Following her senior season, Powell is set to begin her pro career overseas for the French club Beziers Volley. Powell becomes the first Tom Hansen Medal winner for Husky volleyball since Kara Bajema in 2019-20, and the eighth in program history.
A four-time All-America honoree, Powell finishes her career as the Huskies' all-time leader in sets played, having appeared in every set over her five seasons. She cemented her place in the history books as Washington's career aces leader and finished with the most career digs of any non-libero in program history, and the sixth-most overall. Her career assists rank third in Pac-12 history, second-most at Washington, and 14th in NCAA history. The four-time All-Pac-12 selection helped the Huskies to two Pac-12 Championships and five NCAA Tournament appearances, including four Sweet Sixteens, two Elite Eights, and a Final Four, and was twice named Pac-12 Setter of the Year. She was a two-time Dean's List member and named to the 2021 Pac-12 Honor Roll. Powell also provided volleyball lessons in the Greater Seattle area, and spent a quarter volunteering at the UW Farm, an organic farming process that grows fresh produce for various UW Dining Halls and the local community.
2022-23 Pac-12 Tom Hansen Conference Medal Winners:
The award is given 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. 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.
Meek (Mercer Island, Wash.) graduated from Washington with his degree in Business Administration: Information Systems. Following the 2021 season, Meek was drafted in the MLS SuperDraft by Inter Miami FC but returned back to Montlake for a final season. Meek is the sixth Husky men's soccer player to earn the medal, and it's the second-consecutive honor for the program after Dylan Teves was named a winner in 2021-22.
An All-American and two-time All-Pac-12 selection, during his career Meek helped the Huskies to five NCAA Tournament appearances including three Sweet Sixteens, three Elite Eights, a Final Four, and a national runner-up. The two-time United Soccer Coaches All-Far West Region selection led the Pac-12 with 10 goals in his senior season, and helped the Huskies to be the number 1 team in the nation for six consecutive weeks. Meek won two Pac-12 Championships and finished at Washington with 21 career assists and 26 career goals, tied for the 10th-most goals in program history. Meek excelled in the classroom as a nine-time Dean's List honoree, two-time Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll selection, and was named CoSIDA Academic All-District. He was selected to the 2022 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America First Team and named the 2022 Men's Soccer Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Meek was actively involved in numerous community service activities including Kick 4 ALS Soccer Tournament, Facing Homeless Clothing Drive, Read Across America, and Rainier Park field clean up.
Powell (Fayetteville, Ark.) graduated from Washington with a B.A. in Communication and then a M.Ed. in Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership. Following her senior season, Powell is set to begin her pro career overseas for the French club Beziers Volley. Powell becomes the first Tom Hansen Medal winner for Husky volleyball since Kara Bajema in 2019-20, and the eighth in program history.
A four-time All-America honoree, Powell finishes her career as the Huskies' all-time leader in sets played, having appeared in every set over her five seasons. She cemented her place in the history books as Washington's career aces leader and finished with the most career digs of any non-libero in program history, and the sixth-most overall. Her career assists rank third in Pac-12 history, second-most at Washington, and 14th in NCAA history. The four-time All-Pac-12 selection helped the Huskies to two Pac-12 Championships and five NCAA Tournament appearances, including four Sweet Sixteens, two Elite Eights, and a Final Four, and was twice named Pac-12 Setter of the Year. She was a two-time Dean's List member and named to the 2021 Pac-12 Honor Roll. Powell also provided volleyball lessons in the Greater Seattle area, and spent a quarter volunteering at the UW Farm, an organic farming process that grows fresh produce for various UW Dining Halls and the local community.
2022-23 Pac-12 Tom Hansen Conference Medal Winners:
| School | Male | Female |
| Arizona | Jordan Geist, Track & Field | Delaney Schnell, Swimming & Diving |
| Arizona State | Turner Washington, Track & Field | Audrey Ernst, Triathlon |
| California | Reece Whitley, Swimming & Diving | Neveah DeSouza, Gymnastics |
| Colorado | Filip Forejtek, Skiing | Charlie Rudy, Lacrosse |
| Oregon | Alex Forsyth, Football | Karly Nowak, Acrobatics & Tumbling |
| Oregon State | Jaydon Grant, Football | Sierra Bishop, Rowing |
| Stanford | Brody Malone, Gymnastics | Aria Fischer, Water Polo |
| UCLA | Jaime Jaquez Jr., Basketball | Megan Faraimo, Softball |
| USC | Brendon Stewart, Track & Field | Bailey Lear, Track & Field |
| Utah | Dalton Kincaid, Football | Ellessa Bonstrom, Softball |
| Washington | Lucas Meek, Soccer | Ella May Powell, Volleyball |
| Washington State | Jacob McKeon, Baseball | Mykiaa Minniss, Soccer |
Players Mentioned
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