The fifth annual Big Ten Network Awards Show airs Monday at 7:30 on BTN, and Penn State is potentially in position to have a good night.
Penn State is the only school to have candidates for both Men's and Women's Coaches of the Year and the only school to have candidates for the Men's and Women's Teams of the Year, according to a GoPSUSports press release.
Respectively, the coaching candidates are wrestling coach Cael Sanderson and women's basketball coach Coquese Washington. As one might expect, the team candidates are the ones that play under Sanderson and Washington, as Sanderson led the Penn State wrestlers to a second-straight NCAA National Championship in 2012 and Washington led the Lady Lions to a Sweet 16 appearance and regular season Big Ten Championship.
Sanderson is competing against Indiana basketball coach Tom Crean, Michigan football coach Brady Hoke and Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo, while Washington goes up against Northwestern lacrosse coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, Minnesota ice hockey coach Brad Frost and Illinois volleyball coach Kevin Hambly.
The wrestling team is up against Ohio State basketball and Wisconsin football and cross country, and the Lady Lions are challenged by Illinois volleyball, Northwestern lacrosse and Minnesota ice hockey.
Meanwhile, Penn State has candidates for the Suzy Favor and Jesse Owens Awards, which represent the men's and women's athletes of the year. In this department, All-American women's soccer player Maya Hayes and undefeated National Wrestler of the Year David Taylor are the selections from Happy Valley.
Finally, basketball guard Tim Frazier is a candidate for the Breakout Performer of the Year after leading the Big Ten in assists (6.2) and finishing second in scoring (18.8 points per game).
