USC’s Johnnie Blockburger and Claudia Shevitz Named 2023-24 Tom Hansen Medal Winners

USC's Johnnie Blockburger and Claudia Shevitz join a powerful group of Pac-12 student-athletes named as 2023-24 Tom Hansen Medal winners. A Pac-12 Conference Medal is awarded 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.

The 2024 Pac-12 Men's Track Athlete of the Year, Johnnie Blockburger is the third consecutive USC men's track & field athlete to earn a Tom Hansen Medal, following 2023 winner Brendon Stewart and 2022 winner Earnie Sears III. A two-time 2024 All-American, Blockburger helped the Trojans to a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships earlier this month. He has won a combined nine Pac-12 titles in the 200m, 400m, 4x100m and 4x400m relay. His 2024 Pac-12 400m title was his third in four seasons, placing second to his teammate the other season. Blockburger ran the anchor leg for USC's 2022 NCAA champion 4x100m relay, which won the national title with a school-record time of 38.49. He also ran the third leg for USC's 2022 4x400m relay, which placed second at the NCAA Championships with the second-fastest time in school history of 2:59.98. Blockburger is ranked tied for third on USC's all-time outdoor 400m list and ninth on the indoor 400m list with his time of 46.20. In his Trojan career, he has run on five of USC's all-time top-10 4x100m relays and on three of its all-time top-10 4x400m relays.

A three-time member of the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll and two-time team captain, Blockburger also was a 2023 USTFCCCA All-Academic selection. He is a member of USC's SAAC group, Trojan Athletic Senate, serving on the Community Service subcommittee to help organize service projects within the LA community. Blockburger also was a Peer Educator in the Justice Equity Diversity Inclusion (JEDI) program at USC.

Claudia Shevitz is the second USC women's lacrosse player to win the Tom Hansen Medal, last earned by Gussie Johns in 2017-18. Shevitz was named as one of 50 women's lacrosse players to the official 2024 Tewaaraton Award Watch List as an early contender for college lacrosse's top honor this past season. She earned 2024 All-Pac-12 Second Team and was a 2024 USA Lacrosse Preseason All-American Honorable Mention as a senior. In 2023, she was named the Pac-12 Midfielder of the Year, earning 2023 ILWomen All-American Honorable Mention as well. In her USC career, Shevitz scored over 100 goals to rank 10th in program scoring history, also recording 15 career hat tricks and over 120 draw controls as a Trojan.

Also a three-time member of the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll, Shevtiz has collected numerous academic accolades, including 2023 CSC At-Large Academic All-District and a spot on the 2023 IWLCA Academic Honor Roll. As a three-year member of USC's SAAC group, Trojan Athletic Senate, she has served on the Community Service, Wellness and Personal Development subcommittees in TAS. Shevitz also was Peer Educator in the Justice Equity Diversity Inclusion (JEDI) program at USC.

Players Mentioned

Johnnie Blockburger

Claudia Shevitz

Brendon Stewart