There has never been a more honored athlete in Hillsdale College athletic history than Emily Oren. Recently, another honor was added to that list.
Oren was chosen as the GLIAC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Only two student-athletes from the 16 conference institutions are chosen for this award. Oren was joined by Ferris State University quarterback Jason VanderLaan, the 2015 Harlon Hill Award winner.
An economics major, Oren is a nine-time NCAA Division II national champion in indoor and outdoor track & field. She recently captured national championships in the 1,500 meters and the 3,000 meter steeplechase and was the top individual scorer at the 2016 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships with 26 points.
The native of Holland, Michigan, set an Olympic qualifying time and the NCAA Division II track & field record with a time of 9:50.54 in the 3,000 meter steeplechase at the 2016 GLIAC Championship meet. She is also the NCAA Division II record holder in the mile with a time of 4:45.2.
Oren was recently named the 2016 Division II Honda Women's Athlete of the Year for women's track & field. She is a three-time USTFCCCA Women's Track Athlete of the Year honoree, as well as being selected the GLIAC Women's Track Athlete of the Year for the last three consecutive years. Oren was also selected as the recipient of the CoSIDA Academic All-America® of the Year award for Division II women's track & field/cross country.
Oren's tremendous senior campaign started during cross country season last fall, when Oren won the USTFCCCA National Runner of the Week award while leading her team to a No. 1 ranking in the Division II poll, a first for any Hillsdale College team. Led by Oren's conference and regional individual championships, the Chargers finished second in each of those respective meets. Hillsdale would go on to place third at the NCAA Division II championships, taking the first step on its road to becoming the NCAA Women's Program of the Year.
The 2015-16 indoor track season also saw Hillsdale earn a No. 1 national ranking, with Oren taking in even more awards. She was the national champion in the mile and 3000 meter run, while also anchoring her second straight national title-winning distance medley relay team. Her three national championships in distance events at one NCAA meet was unprecedented. The Chargers were national runner-ups for the second year in a row
The outdoor season saw a fitting final act to Oren's incredible career. 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'd go on to triple at the NCAA outdoor championships, capturing two more titles, in the steeplechase and the 1500 before finishing third in the 5000 meter run. She piled up 26 points by herself, which would have ranked her 10th among all teams at the meet.
Release courtesy of the GLIAC