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University of Delaware Rewards Student-Athletes

NEWARK, Del. --  High-scoring standouts Casey Howard and Curtis Dickson, who led their respective teams to Colonial Athletic Association championships and NCAA Tournaments berth this past season, were honored as the University of Delaware Alumni Association Outstanding Senior Female and Male Athletes of the Year at the annual UD Athletics Awards Luncheon Wednesday afternoon at the Bob Carpenter Center.

Howard, who led the Blue Hen field hockey team, and Dickson, who paced the UD men's lacrosse squad, were among several Delaware student-athletes honored at the annual end of the year ceremony. For the first time in several years both men's and women's student-athletes were honored at one banquet after each having their separate ceremonies in the past. Nearly 600 student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and support staff attended the event.  Selections were made from a vote of the Blue Hen head coaches.

In addition to the awards, Delaware sophomore football linebacker Andrew Harrison (Highland Spring HS/Richmond, Va.) offered the invocation and former Blue Hen volleyball standout and 2008 UD Outstanding Senior Female Athlete of the Year Colleen Walsh served as the guest speaker.

Howard, an elementary education major from Camden, Del. (Caesar Rodney High School), became the first UD field hockey player to earn the award since Jodi Byrd was recognized in 1999. A four-year starter, Howard led one of the nation's biggest turnarounds in 2009 as Delaware improved from 3-15 in 2008 to a 14-6 mark this past fall when the team captured the CAA title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for head coach Carol Miller.

Howard, who recorded a huge comeback after missing the entire 2008 season with an injury, spearheaded the Blue Hen turnaround as she earned second team All-American honors by womensfieldhockey.com and was also named second team All-East, first team National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-Mid-Atlantic Region, and first team All-CAA. She also was named the Most Valuable Player of the CAA Tournament.  

She set school records for goals in a game (5 vs. Brown), goals in a season (22), and points in a season (51) and finished her career as one of Delaware's all-time leading goal-scorers with 51, including six game-winners. She scored two or more goals in a game five times as a senior. In addition, she earned the John J. Brady Award as the Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association (DSBA) 2009 Delaware Athlete of the Year in March.

Dickson, a criminal justice major from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia (Riverside High School), put in one of the finest seasons in Delaware men's lacrosse history in 2010 when he led the Hens to a big turnaround. After the squad went just 5-10 a year ago, this year's squad posted a 10-7 record, a No. 12 national ranking, the CAA Tournament title, and a berth in the NCAA Tournament where the Hens lost a 14-13 heartbreaker to No. 4 North Carolina in the opening round this past Sunday.

A four-year starter on attack, Dickson was a three-time first team All-CAA selection and was named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year this spring. Already named to the LaxPower.com All-American team this spring, he is a strong candidate for U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) All-American honors later this month and is one of five finalists for the Tewaaraton Award presented to the National Player of the Year in early June. He is the first UD lacrosse player to earn the UD Outstanding Senior Male Athlete of the Year Award since Alex Smith in 2007.

Dickson scored at a prolific pace in 2010 and currently leads all NCAA Division I players with 62 goals, 77 points, and 12 hat tricks this season. He ended his career having scored at least one point in 57 straight games and his 162 career goals broke the UD record of 161 set by Randy Powers in 1983-86. His 212 career points ranks No. 4 all-time at Delaware and his 62 goals in 2010 fell just three shy of the UD standard of 65 set by Don Swan back in 1951.

Honored as UD Alumni Association Most Valuable Players for their specific sports were the following:

BASEBALL:  Senior third baseman Carlos Alonso (Los Gatos HS/Los Gatos, Calif.) earned the Pape Lukk Alumni Association Most Valuable Player Award for the second straight year. A two-year member of the squad, Alonso leads the team in batting for the second straight year with a .392 average and also leads the team with 20 doubles, 12 stolen bases, and a .480 on-base percentage this spring. Earlier this year he extended his school record hitting streak to 32 games and his mark of 67 straight games reaching base safely is a new Delaware record. He earned second team All-CAA honors in 2009 when he batted .380  and helped the Blue Hen earn a spot in the CAA Tournament. A business major, he is a strong candidate for All-CAA and All-Region honors this spring. The Blue Hens (24-24) will close out the 2010 season this weekend at home vs. Northeastern.

MEN'S BASKETBALL:   Junior guard Jawan Carter (Tatnall School/Chester, Pa.) earned the Colonel C.B. Shaffer Alumni Association MVP Award following a stellar junior season in which he earned second team All-CAA accolades. Carter, a business marketing major, led the Blue Hens and ranked third in the league with 18.2 points per game, and he was the nation's leader in minutes played. Carter, who was second in the conference in assists per game, reached double figures in all but two games on the year. His 23 double-figure scoring streak ranks fifth all-time at Delaware while he reached the 20-point mark 12 times, including a pair of 30-point games.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Freshman guard Elena Delle Donne (Ursuline Academy/Wilmington, Del.), who despite playing her first season of college basketball made a name for herself nationwide as one of the NCAA's top freshmen, led the Blue Hens to a 21-12 record and a berth in the Women's NIT Tournament. She was named the CAA Player and Rookie of the Year and became the first player in school history to earn All-American honors when she garnered Associated Press and Women's Basketball Coaches Association honors. She also was a finalist for the Wooden and Naismith national player of the year awards.  Delle Donne set 18 school records and ranked third in the nation in scoring at 26.7 points per game. She netted a school record 54 points - the most by a Division I women's  player all season - against James Madison and finished the year shooting 41.3 percent from the three-point line and 89.8 percent from the foul line. She is an early childhood education major at Delaware.

FIELD HOCKEY:  Senior forward Casey Howard (Caesar Rodney/Camden, Del.).

FOOTBALL:  Senior safety Charles Graves (Southeast Raleigh HS/Raleigh, N.C.), a three-year starter, capped an outstanding career by earning All-American honors for the second straight year this fall as Delaware went 6-6. He earned consensus All-American honors - earning first team honors by the American Football Coaches Association and the Walter Camp Foundation and second team laurels by the Associated Press and The Sports Network. He led the team with 69 tackles, including a team-best 47 solo stops, and four interceptions this fall while also breaking up three passes and recording a sack and fumble recovery. He was a two-time All-CAA selection and finished his career with 232 tackles and nine interceptions. He is a hotel, restaurant, and institutional management major at Delaware.

GOLF: Junior Justin Martinson (Kennett HS/Avondale, Pa.) earned the John J. DeLuca and Scotty Duncan Alumni Association MVP Award for the second straight season. An international relations major, Martinson was named the CAA Player of the Year after winning the conference tournament by four strokes, and earned medalist honors in three other tournaments on the year. He became the first UD player to win a conference title since 1989. He set the UD two-round record by carding a 67-66-133 at the Rehoboth Beach Spring Invitational, while his current 72.73 average round would be a UD single season mark. Martinson will become the 10th Blue Hen to participate in the NCAA Regionals this weekend when he competes in the Georgia Tech Regional.

MEN'S LACROSSE: Senior attackman Curtis Dickson (Riverside HS/Port Coquitlam, British Columbia) earned team MVP honors for the third straight year.

WOMEN'S LACROSSE:  Junior defender Jen Bradway (Mainland Regional HS/Linwood, N.J.), a second-year starter, was one of only two players to start all 16 games this spring and anchored the Blue Hen defensive unit that allowed 10 goals or less in a game four times.  She ranked second on the team with 24 groundballs and 12 caused turnovers and also collected seven draw controls on the season for head coach Kim Ciarrocca. She is an elementary education major at Delaware.

WOMENS' ROWING: Senior Regine Adrien (Kellenberg Memorial HS/Merrick, N.Y) closed out an outstanding career at Delaware this spring as she earned All-CAA honors - becoming the first women's rower in UD history to earn that accolade. A four-year letterwinner and two-time All-Region selection, she anchored the Delaware Varsity Eights crew that placed fifth at the CAA championships and eighth at the Dad Vail Regatta this spring. An international relations major, Adrien earned four letters for the Blue Hens.

MEN'S SOCCER: Senior midfielder Darren Christie (Baring HS/Swaziland) earned the team Most Valuable Player Award for the third straight year. He scored a team-high nine goals this season and had four game-winners. He earned All-CAA honors for the second straight year this fall while also earning second team All-East  and third team NSCA All-South Atlantic Region honors. He also earned a tryout with D.C. United of the Major League Soccer league. A sociology major at Delaware, he finished his career with 13 goals.

WOMEN'S SOCCER:  Junior defender Morgan Warrington (St. Thomas More HS/Magnolia, Del.), in just her first year at Delaware after a transfer from UMBC, anchored a Blue Hen defense that led the CAA in defense, allowing less than a goal per game at 0.66 and recording nine shutouts on the season. She earned third team All-CAA honors after starting all 17 games and dished out assists in a tie vs. Northeastern and in an upset win over William & Mary. She is a human services major at Delaware.

SOFTBALL: Sophomore pitcher Amanda Stacevicz (Mt. St. Dominic Academy/Cedar Grove, N.J.) earned Team MVP honors for softball after leading the Blue Hens to a 20-31-1 mark this season. A second team All-CAA selection, Stacevicz paced UD in the circle with 11 wins and a 3.20 earned run average, while her six shutouts are tied for sixth most in a UD single season. Stacevicz, a history major, also had a productive year at the plate, ranking third on the team with a .273 batting average and tied for third with 38 hits. Stacevicz, who fired shutouts against CAA foes UNC Wilmington and Towson, was also fourth on the squad with 18 runs scored and fifth with 14 RBI.

MEN'S SWIMMING: Senior Hans Gillan (North Broward Prep/Boca Raton, Fla.) was the recipient of the UD Alumni Association Jack & Hugh Dougherty MVP Award for the second consecutive season. He guided Delaware to a 12-3 record and a third place finish at the CAA Championships when he led the team with four conference titles, including individual victories in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke as well as titles in the 200 medley relay (CAA record time of 1:28.88) and the 400 freestyle relay. Overall, he accumulated 57 points during the meet, which marked the second most by any swimmer at the competition. For his efforts, he was named an Honorable Mention Mid-Major All-American by CollegeSwimming.com. During his tenure at Delaware, he set program records in the 100 freestyle (44.25), 100 butterfly (47.35), and 100 backstroke (48.56). He is a business major at Delaware.

WOMEN'S SWIMMING: Junior Donna Healy (Archbishop Spalding HS/Crofton, Md.) led the Blue Hens to a 10-5 record and a seventh place showing at the Colonial Athletic Association Championships. During the title meet, she teamed up to help the 200 freestyle relay team break the program record and place fourth in the event with a time of 1:34.10. During the year, she also posted the team's fastest time in the 100- and 200-freestyle events, while earning the CAA Swimmer of the Week award on Nov. 17 after winning three events in a tri-meet against LaSalle and Rider. She is a biology major at Delaware.

MEN'S TENNIS: Senior Austin Longacre (Avon Grove HS/Landenberg, Pa.) earned the Alexander J. Taylor Alumni Association MVP Award for the third straight season. Longacre, a finance major, capped a record-setting career on the courts as he earned first team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors in doubles and second team All-CAA laurels in singles play. He posted a singles record of 18-8 this past season and ended his career with a school record 108 singles victories. He won 20 or more singles matches in a season twice during his career and earned a total of five All-CAA honors for both singles and doubles during his tenure.

WOMEN'S TENNIS: Junior Megan Doran (Holy Spirit HS/Brigantine, N.J.) enjoyed a standout season in both singles and doubles play as a second-year transfer from Connecticut.  She recorded a singles record of 22-10 playing mostly at the No. 1 position and earned second team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors. In doubles she posted a combined record of 27-5 to set a UD single season record for doubles wins in a season. In just two seasons, she already ranks among Delaware's all-time leaders with a single mark of 42-16 and a combined doubles slate of 52-7. She is an honor student as an exercise science major with a strength and conditioning minor at Delaware.

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY:  Senior Chris Bourke (Strath-Haven HS/Media, Pa.) was named the MVP for the second straight year. An honor student as an exercise science major with a minor in biology and chemistry, he served as a team co-captain and earned first team All-Colonial Athletic Association (fifth place), All-Mid-Atlantic (16th place), and All-East (19th place) honors in cross country in 2009 and led the team in five of the six races this fall. Among his other top performances in 2009 were winning the UD Invitational and placing ninth at the UD Blue & Gold Invitational. He finished his career with 15 top 20 finishes.

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY;  Senior Julia Somers (Haverford HS/Haverford, Pa.) was a two-year captain and earned team MVP honors for the third time in her career. She led the team in six of seven events this fall and placed 15th at the Colonial Athletic Association championships. An honor student as a mathematical education major with a minor in philosophy at Delaware, Somers led the team 15 times during her career and had three top 15 finishes at the CAA meet. This past fall, she also finished first at the UD Invitational, sixth at the UD Blue & Gold Invitational, and 20th at the season-opening James Madison University Invitational.

WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD: Senior Cristine Marquez (Old Bridge./Old Bridge, N.J.) capped a record-setting career at Delaware this season for both the indoor and outdoor teams. She set school indoor records in the 400 meters and 800 meter relay and qualified for the ECAC Easterns in three events. She earned All-East honors in the 200 meters, 400 meters, and 1,600 meter relay and was an NCAA provisional qualifier in the 400 meters. She also enjoyed an outstanding outdoor season, earning All-East honors in three events (400 meters, 4 x 100m Relay, 4 x 400m Relay) and qualifying for the NCAA East Regionals later this month in the 400 meters.  An elementary education and English literature major at Delaware, she also served as a co-captain for both teams.

MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD:  Senior Chase Renoll  (Spring Grove/York, Pa.) captured his second career Colonial Athletic Association individual title this spring when he won the discus at the CAA meet in April while also placing second in the shot put. He moved on to place 12th in the discus as the IC4A Eastern meet while also qualifying in the shot put. For the season, he won six meet titles in the weight throwing events - capturing the shot put and discus events at the Delaware Open I, Delaware Open II, and Towson Invitational.  An officer for the UD Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), he is a history major who also served as co-captain during the 2010 season.
 
WOMEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD: Freshman sprinter Vicky Caruso (Walkill Valley HS/Stockholm, N.J.) enjoyed a standout rookie season for the Blue Hens this season for both the indoor and outdoor squads. This spring as she set school records in the 200 meters and three relay events and established three school freshman records. She placed second at the CAA Championships in three events, earned All-East honors in three events (200m, 4 x 100m Relay, 4 x 400m Relay) and has qualified for the NCAA East Regionals in the 200 meters later this month. During the indoor season she set school records in the 55m, 200m, 300m, and 4 x 200m events, earned All-East honors in the 4 x 400m relay, 400m, and 200m, and won 10 meet titles.

VOLLEYBALL: Senior libero Stephanie Barry (Wilson HS/Long Beach, Calif.) was named the Most Valuable Player of the volleyball team for the second straight season. During her final campaign, she led the Blue Hens to a 21-8 record and a share of the CAA regular season title. A three-time first-team All-CAA selection and the first two-time All-American in conference history, she led UD with 580 digs and ranked second with 33 aces as a senior. A key member of Delaware's back-to-back CAA championship teams in 2007 and 2008, she wrapped up her time in Newark with the program and conference record for career digs with 2,401.  She also broke the school mark for consecutive sets played after appearing in 488 straight, which ranks as the third-longest streak in NCAA history. An honor student as a business major, she was named the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year for volleyball and earned a spot on the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA District 2 All-Academic team.

In addition to the team Most Valuable Players and the Outstanding Senior Athlete Award winners, also recognized were senior volleyball player Michelle LaLonde (Wooster HS/Wooster, Ohio) with the Mary Ann Hitchens Award and senior men's soccer defender Kyle Davis (St. Mark's HS/Hockessin, Del.) with the Edgar N. Johnson Award.

The Hitchens Award is named in honor of Delaware's former field hockey and basketball coach and long-time senior associate director of athletics who retired in 2006 and is presented to a UD senior female who exemplifies the characteristics of hard work, dedication, fairness, and striving for excellence that were the hallmarks of Hitchens' career. Hitchens was on hand to present the award.

LaLonde, an honor student as a biology major, was a four-year letterwinner and two-year captain for the volleyball team. A perennial member of the CAA Academic Honor Roll, a 2009 CoSIDA District 2 All-Academic selection, and constant staple in community service projects, she ranks sixth in Delaware history with a career .294 hitting percentage. A guiding force behind the Blue Hens' back-to-back conference championship teams in 2007 and 2008, she also finished her career ranked fifth all-time at Delaware with a career 0.87 blocks-per-set average.

The Johnson Award, which was presented for the first time this year, is named in honor of the long-time Blue Hen director of athletics who retired last summer after serving in that post for 25 years. The award is presented to a UD senior male who exemplifies the characteristics of hard work, dedication, fairness, and striving for excellence.

Davis earned CoSIDA Academic All-American honors in 2009 and was a three-time Academic All-District pick during his career. A biochemistry major with a minor in German, the Hockessin, Del. native started all 19 games in 2009 and helped the team to its highest win total since 2001. He was named the winner of the team's UD Sportsmanship Award in 2008, earned the ECAC Medal of Merit Award, and was involved in numerous team community services projects.