The Badgers enjoyed success across a number of sports in 2015-16, so UWBadgers.com is honoring the student-athletes, teams, performances and moments that made for another special season at Wisconsin. Over the span of a few weeks, we'll unveil the best of the Badgers in five categories: Big Ten Medal of Honor (June 14-17), Athlete of the Year (June 20-24), Team of the Year (June 27-July 2), Game of the Year (July 5-11) and Moment of the Year (July 12-20). Today, we highlight Big Ten Medal of Honor nominees Joe Schobert and Hannah Schwartz.
 
Big Ten Medal of Honor Nominees
June 13: Joel Stave & Kelsey Card (Winners)
June 14: Charlie Foss & Nicole Bauman
June 15: Adam Lauko & Lauren Chypyha
June 16: Matt Ross & McKenna Meuer
June 17: Joe Schobert & Hannah Schwartz
 
MADISON, Wis. — Today we feature two Big Ten Medal of Honor nominees from women's rowing and football, Hannah Schwartz and Joe Schobert.
 
The Big Ten Medal of Honor is presented annually at each Big Ten institution to a male and female student-athlete in the graduating class who has demonstrated proficiency in scholarship and athletics. The conference's most exclusive award, it was the first of its kind in intercollegiate athletics to recognize academic and athletic excellence.
 
Hannah Schwartz, Women's Rowing
Despite competing for a program with an already storied past, Schwartz still managed to make a little history for the Badgers. Schwartz is the first two-time All-American the Wisconsin program has produced since NCAA-sanctioned rowing began in 1997
 
The Milwaukee native was named second-team All-America by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association for a second-consecutive season in 2016 after leading Wisconsin's varsity eight to its best-ever finish at the NCAA championships. Schwartz was part of a crew that powered the Badgers' top boat to a ninth-place finish at the national regatta, marking the first time in UW history that the varsity eight entry was Wisconsin's highest-finishing boat.
 
The varsity eight's performance powered the Badgers to a ninth-place team finish, the third-best placing in school history and UW's first top-10 showing since 2010.
 
Earlier in the season, Schwartz helped the varsity eight score a win over No. 2-ranked California, which went on to win the NCAA team title.
 
A walk-on who was discovered by Wisconsin's coaching staff as she walked past Porter Boathouse as a freshman, Schwartz went on to row in the varsity eight for three seasons. She also earned Academic All-Big Ten honors three times as a double major in English and legal studies.
 
Joe Schobert, Football
The man who came to be known as "Joe the Show" found plenty of ways to steal the show during a senior season in which he helped Wisconsin rank No. 1 nationally in scoring defense on its way to a 10-3 record and win in the Holiday Bowl.
 
Schobert developed into a fearsome pass rusher in 2015, logging 19.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks while matching UW's single-season record with five forced fumbles. He finished with 79 tackles in all from his spot at outside linebacker and recorded 14 quarterback hurries.
 
Schobert's production contributed to a UW defense that led the country by allowing just 13.7 points per game. Opponents averaged just 268.5 total yards against the Badgers' stout defense, ranking Wisconsin No. 2 nationally in that category.
 
For his efforts, Schobert was named a first-team All-American and claimed the title of Butkus-Fitzgerald Big Ten Linebacker of the Year, in addition to being a consensus first-team All-Big Ten pick. He became just the third linebacker in school history to earn first-team All-America laurels, joining former teammate Chris Borland (2013) and a member of UW's famed "Hard Rocks" defense, Hal Faverty (1951).
 
Not bad for a native of Waukesha who held no FBS scholarship offers before joining the Badgers as a walk-on prior to training camp prior to his freshman year of 2012. From there, Schobert earned a scholarship for the 2013 season and became a fixture on UW's defense, starting all 27 games of his final two seasons with the Badgers.
 
A team captain who was voted winner of the Jimmy Demetral Team MVP award by his teammates, Schobert is majoring in forest science.