MADISON, Wis. -- Two of the University of Wisconsin's finest student-athletes have received the Big Ten Conference's highest distinction.
 
Senior safety D'Cota Dixon of the football team and senior forward Annie Pankowski of the women's hockey team were named Tuesday as Wisconsin's recipients of the Big Ten Medal of Honor. The awards were presented as part of the Buckinghams, UW Athletics' annual awards show and student-athlete showcase.
 
The conference's most prestigious award, 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."
 
Dixon developed into a three-year starter at safety for the football team, though his impact on the Badgers' program certainly extends beyond the field. Overcoming a troubled childhood and later the challenges of illness and injury after arriving on campus, Dixon became a three-time All-Big Ten selection, as well as a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree who earned his degree in rehabilitation psychology. His academic efforts earned him the distinction of being named a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete in 2018.
 
Dixon received a number of accolades in recognition his perseverance, most notably the 2018 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award. He also was presented the 2017 Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award and the 2017 FWAA/Orange Bowl Courage Award. For his dedication to helping others through community service, Dixon was named to the 2018 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
 
The Oak Hill, Florida, native earned All-Big Ten honors three times, including a first-team nod in 2017, and was a key member of a senior class that went 42-12 overall with a 4-0 mark in bowl games.
 
One of the most decorated players in UW women's hockey history, Pankowski capped her career by leading the Badgers to their fifth national championship. She became the third Wisconsin player to earn All-America honors in three different seasons and is the second Badger to be a three-time finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. Pankowski was named WCHA Player of the Year for a season in which she led the league with 50 points while helping the Badgers secure their fourth WCHA playoff title in five years.
 
A native of Laguna Hills, California, Pankowski also thrived off the ice, becoming the first Badger to earn four WCHA Scholar-Athlete honors as she worked to complete her degree in zoology. She will continue her studies at UW while attending veterinary school. A dedicated volunteer, Pankowski was a finalist for the 2019 Hockey Humanitarian Award in recognition of her work with Occupaws, an organization that trains and pairs service dogs with the visually impaired.