COLLEGE PARK, MD — Senior student-athletes Diamond Miller and Nick Lorusso of the women’s basketball and baseball programs were named the University of Maryland’s Big Ten Medal of Honor recipients on Monday.
The Big Ten Medal of Honor is the conference’s most exclusive award and was the first of its kind in intercollegiate athletics to recognize academic and athletic excellence. The Big Ten Medal of Honor was first awarded in 1915 to one student-athlete from the graduating class of each university who had “attained the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work.” Big Ten schools currently feature almost 10,000 student-athletes, but only 28 earn this prestigious award on an annual basis. In the 100 years of the Medal of Honor, more than 1,500 students have earned this distinction.
Miller was a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten honoree and earned WBCA All-America honors this season. She led the Terrapins with 19.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game this season. Her 19.7 scoring average was the most by a Terrapin since Brionna Jones averaged 19.9 in 2016-17.
The three-time All-Big Ten honoree scored in double figures in 33 of 34 games played this season. Miller led the Terps to nine wins over top-25 teams, five over top 10 teams and their first Elite Eight appearance since 2015.
In her four year career at Maryland, Miller played in 117 games and helped the Terrapins to the 2020 and 2021 Big Ten Tournament and regular season titles, as well as two Sweet Sixteens and one Elite Eight. Miller finished her career at No. 10 on the Terps’ all-time scoring list with 1,706 career points. She also finished top 10 in the Terrapin record books in blocks (111), career free throw percentage (78.7%) and free throws made (410). Miller broke Maryland’s record for free throws made in a season with 201 made this year.
Miller, a Family Science major, went No. 2 overall in the 2023 WNBA Draft and was the Terrapins’ highest draft pick since 2009.
Lorusso, a leader for one of the nation’s most explosive offenses, has further cemented his Terrapin legacy during the 2023 campaign. The Monroe, Conn. native currently leads the nationally-ranked Terrapins in batting average (.380), hits (78), RBI (84) and sits tied in home runs (20). On Sunday, May 7, Lorusso secured the Maryland single-season program RBI record, hitting a…
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