MADISON, Wis. - After earning a pair of national championships, Wisconsin women's hockey forward Casey O'Brien and men's track and field thrower Jason Swarens were named UW's 2024-25 Athletes of the Year.
O'Brien concluded one of the most storied careers in Badgers' history, as she departed from Wisconsin as the school record holder in points (274), assists (177) and plus/minus rating (+205). The senior came off her best season in her career on the offensive side of the puck, as she tallied 26 goals and 62 assists, good for 88 points on only 125 shots.
The Milton, Massachusetts, native led the Badgers to two national championships in her four years donning the cardinal and white, including this past season with a 4-3 overtime victory over Ohio State.
O'Brien returned to Madison with her first-ever Patty Kazmaier Award, accumulating a pair of First Team All-American awards in the process to complete her career. She guided the Badgers to a 38-1-2 record over the course of her final season at UW, which tied for the most wins in school history.
Recently, O'Brien was drafted third overall in the Professional Women's Hockey League to the New York Sirens, the first-ever Badger to be selected in the first round of the draft.
In the circle, Swarens established himself as one of the top throwers in school history this past season, earning an individual national title in the shot put and two First Team All-American awards between the indoor and the outdoor season.
Swarens was recently named the USTCCCA Great Lakes Region Male Field Athlete of the Year after breaking the school record in the shot put with a heave of 70 feet, 1 ½ inches (21.37m) in Madison at the Badger Challenge to cap off the regular season.
The Terre Haute, Indiana, native also holds the indoor school record in the shot put. He accumulated four First Team All-American honors in his career and qualified for the NCAA Championships five times between the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Swarens was a key contributor to the Badgers' men's team earning fifth place in the USTFCCCA Program of the Year to complete his career at UW as well.
