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Fogle Named Purdue Women's Athlete of the Year

Multiple-time All-American Emily Fogle has been named Purdue’s Female Athlete of the Year for the 2015-16 school year. She was selected by a vote of athletics department administrators from a pool of candidates made up of each sport's Most Valuable Player or similar designee.
 
Fogle (North Barrington, Illinois) was recognized for her accomplishments during her redshirt-senior seasons. She earned All-America honors during at least three of her full seasons of competition.

Fogle now will represent the Boilermakers in the voting for the Big Ten Conference Athlete of the Year awards. The Big Ten awards will be voted on by a panel of conference media and announced by the conference office June 20.

The Purdue swimming & diving programs have also produced numerous Athlete of the Year winners over the last 12 years. Led by Boudia’s three straight Male Athlete of the Year awards from 2009 to 2011, nine winners have come from swimming & diving since 2005. Fogle joins a list that also includes fellow breaststroke standout Giordan Pogioli (2006) along with divers Carrie McCambridge (2005), Amanda Miller (2007), Casey Matthews (2013) and Steele Johnson (2015).

Davis and Matthews winning the Athlete of the Year awards in 2013 marked the last time both honorees were seniors. A year ago, Purdue had a pair of underclassman honorees (Charlton and Johnson) for the first time since 2003. Charlton redshirted during the outdoor track & field season this year, and Johnson did not compete for the Boilermakers in 2015-16 after exercising an Olympic Practice Waiver.

Fogle finished her career as a five-time All-American while qualifying for the NCAA Championships in each of her four full seasons of competition. The breaststroke standout established new Purdue records in five events during her career. She was an All-American in the 100 breast and an honorable mention All-American in the 200 breast this year.

Fogle finished eighth in the 100 breaststroke at the NCAA Championships this season to become the first Purdue swimmer to earn full-fledged All-American honors since 2010. She joined a short list of only six athletes in the history of Purdue women’s swimming & diving to qualify for the NCAA Championships four times. The Chicagoland native broke the pool record at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center in the 200 breast in November; it was a mark that had stood since the 2010 NCAA Championships. After finishing third in the A finals of both breaststroke events at the Big Ten Championships, she graduated as Purdue’s active career scoring leader at the conference championship meet.

However, Fogle’s true legacy is as a great Boilermaker who overcame multiple levels of adversity that would have ended the careers of most athletes. After establishing herself as an All-American and program record holder as an underclassman, she would miss almost two full seasons of college competition due to injury, depression, and an extended bout with anorexia nervosa that was intensified by the unexpected passing of her mother in the spring of 2013. But she was able to rehabilitate her mind and body, overcoming three hip surgeries and the self-inflicted abuse she put herself through. Not only she was able to return to competition, but also excelled at a high level in a sport that often times does not reward the older and wiser student-athlete.

Fogle was recognized for her perseverance with the Honda Inspiration Award, Haier Achievement Award and Brady Comeback Scholarship Award during the 2015-16 school year. She’ll compete at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for the second time later this month.

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