Delle Donne, Keeler Earn Top Awards for University of Delaware at Annual Delaware Sportswriters & Broadcasters Association Banquet
March 31, 2011
File Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell
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DOVER, Del. -- The University of Delaware was well represented at the Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association Banquet Thursday night at Dover Downs, earning two major awards at the 62nd annual dinner.
Blue Hen sophomore women’s basketball All-American Elena Delle Donne (at right) earned the John J. Brady Award as the 2010 Delaware Athlete of the Year while Delaware football head coach K.C. Keeler received the Tubby Raymond Delaware Coach of the Year Award.
Among the other award winners were the St. Mark’s High School football team as the Team of the Year, St. Andrew’s High School baseball coach Bob Coburn as the Herm Reitzes Award winner for community service, and former National Football League player Ron Waller with the Living Legend Award.
The banquet also honored the high school All-State athletes from the 2010 fall and winter sports seasons. Among the speakers during the event were former UD field hockey and women’s lacrosse All-American and current University of Maryland field hockey head coach Missy Meharg.
Delle Donne, who earned All-American honors for the second straight year in leading Delaware to a runner-up finish at the Colonial Athletic Association Championships, received the honor for the second time in three years. She was not able attend as she was spending UD spring break traveling with her family.
She becomes just the sixth person, and just the second woman, in DSBA history to earn the award multiple times. Former major league baseball pitcher Chris Short (1962, 1965, & 1966) and National Football League Hall of Fame Randy White (1973, 1974, & 1977) each won the award three times while Waller (1950 & 1955), Olympic runner Vic Zwolak (1963 & 1964), and Olympic runner Vicki Huber (1987 & 1988) were each honored twice.
She is one of just 12 athletes with UD ties to win the award and the only one to capture the honor twice. Blue Hen female athletes have now won the award four straight years, including wins by standout basketball guard Tyresa Smith in 2007, Delle Donne in 2008, and field hockey standout Casey Howard last season.
Keeler, who led the Blue Hen football team to a share of the CAA title and a berth in the national championship game, was on hand to receive the award, which is named for former UD head coach and Keeler’s collegiate mentor Tubby Raymond. Raymond, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, won the inaugural DSBA Coach of the Year Award in 2000.
“This was a fun year,” said Keeler in his acceptance speech. “We had such great senior leadership this season and that made all the difference in making this a memorable season. I accept this award on behalf of our team, our outstanding coaching staff, and our great administration.”
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