University of Delaware Athletics
Prettyman, Pierce, Saddler Take Top Honors at University of Delaware Athletics Awards Banquet
5/19/2014 9:49:00 PM | Delaware Athletics
Caitlin McCartney (Archbishop Wood/Doylestown, Pa.) was named team Most Valuable Player for the third straight year after leading the Blue Hens to a record of 10-7 and the team's first CAA Tournament berth since the 2009 season. A team captain and health behavior science major, McCartney earned All-CAA honors for the third straight year this spring as she led the squad with 39 goals and upped her career goal total to 114. She scored three or more goals eight times and also led the team with 40 draw controls.
OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD: Lindsay Prettyman (St. Mark's HS/Newark, Del.) won her third MVP award for outdoor track & field. Prettyman saved her best for last during the 2014 outdoor season as led the Blue Hens to their ever Colonial Athletic Association team titles two weeks ago. She was named the CAA Outstanding Track Athlete for the meet as she won both the 800 meters and 1,500 meters, becoming the first UD athlete to win multiple events at the conference meet since 1994. She set five school records and won six meet titles during the year, including teaming to win the distance medley relay at the Penn Relays.
ROWING: Senior Jenny Kohler (Shore Regional/Oceanport, N.Y.) earned the MVP award for rowing. A four-year standout and a 2014 first team All-CAA selection, Kohler anchored the Blue Hens Varsity Eights boat each of the last two seasons and capped her senior year by leading Delaware to a fourth place team finish at the CAA Championships this past weekend. She has competed in all eight official races this season, including a semifinal appearance at the Dad Vail Regatta and a fourth place finish at the CAA Championships. She is a psychology and criminal justice major at Delaware.
SOCCER: Senior midfielder Chelsea Duffy (Gloucester Catholic/Glassboro, N.J.) was named the Most Valuable Player for her squad after leading the Blue Hens to a record of 9-7-3 and an appearance in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament. A human services major, Duffy won a slew of awards in 2013 as she was named first team All-CAA, second team All-East, and third team NSCAA All-Region. A three-time All-CAA selection, she ranked second on the team with 10 points this past fall and finished her career with nine goals and 10 assists.
SOFTBALL: Freshman third baseman Giovanna Kolofer (Notre Dame/Salinas, Calif.) was named the Most Valuable Player for the Blue Hen softball team. Kolofer earned second team All-CAA and CAA All-Rookie honors this spring when she led the team and ranked sixth in the Colonial Athletic Association with a .340 batting average. A nutrition major, Kolofer started 35 of 38 games, ranked second on the team with 22 runs batted in, and was third on the team in hits (35), runs scored (16), and stolen bases (10).
SWIMMING & DIVING: Freshman Annie Nunes (Wilmington, Del.) earned the team Most Valuable Player Award after recording an outstanding rookie campaign in 2013-14. Nunes led the team to a 7-3 dual record and a fifth place team finish at the CAA Championships in early March. She recorded five top 10 finishes at the CAA meet and set three school records in the process. A nursing major, she placed fourth in the 200 medley relay, sixth in the 100 breaststroke, seventh in the 400 medley relay, and ninth in both the 200 IM and 200 breaststroke events at the CAA meet.
TENNIS: Senior Olivia Heim (Pine-Richland/Gibsonia, Pa.) earned the Most Valuable Player Award for women's tennis. Heim led the squad to an 8-8 dual record and a berth in the CAA Tournament during her final season on the UD courts. She posted a record of 15-12 in singles play and ended her career ranked No. 11 all-time in UD history with 61 victories. In doubles play, she posted a career record of 38-30 to rank among Delaware's all-time leaders. She is an honor student as a business management major at Delaware.
VOLLEYBALL: Sophomore libero Ariel Shonk (Atlanta, Ga.) won the Most Valuable Player Award for her squad. An honor student as a marketing major, she enjoyed another standout season for Delaware from her defensive spot, earning third team All-CAA honors for the second straight year. She led the Blue Hens with 613 digs last fall and ranked second in the CAA and 11th in the nation with 5.52 digs per game. She reached the 30-dig mark eight times and was also third on the team with 78 assists and fourth with 17 service aces.
MEN'S SPORTS:
BASKETBALL: Senior guard Devon Saddler (Aberdeen/Aberdeen, Md.) earned the Colonel C.B. Shaffer Most Valuable Player Award for the fourth straight season after leading the Blue Hen men's basketball squad to one of the most memorable seasons in school history. Saddler capped his career by leading the Blue Hens to a 25-10 record, the CAA regular season and tournament titles, and the team's first berth in the NCAA Tournament since 1999. A criminal justice major and three-time team captain, he earned first team All-CAA, first team All-District 2, and Mid-Major All-American honors this past season when he ranked 30th nationally with 19.7 points per game. He became Delaware's all-time leading scorer with 2,222 points and averaged 15.7 points per game over four seasons.
BASEBALL: Junior outfielder Norm Donkin (Ridley/Folsom, Pa.) made an immediate impact for the Blue Hen baseball squad this spring and was the recipient of the Pape Lukk (Pap Luck) Most Valuable Player Award. The junior criminal justice major and transfer from Harford (Md.) Community College has been the Hens' everyday starting right fielder while also catching and pitching. He has led Delaware to a berth in the CAA Tournament for the third straight year, leading the team into action Wednesday in Wilmington, N.C. He currently ranks among the leaders in the CAA with a .333 batting average, 64 hits, 30 runs batted in, 33 runs scored, 16 doubles, 20 walks, and 10 stolen bases. He has a team-high 21 multiple hit games this season and had a career-high five runs batted in vs. Fairfield.
FOOTBALL: Junior wide receiver and kick returner Michael Johnson (Gainesville/Gainesville, Fla.) was the winner of the Most Valuable Player. A health sciences major, Johnson enjoyed a breakout season in 2013 when earned second team All-CAA honors and was a three-time Touchdown Club Player of the Week. He proved to be one of the top big-play performers in the country as he caught 60 passes for 1,035 yards, a 17.2 yard per catch average, and nine touchdowns; carried 13 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns; and averaged 20.9 yards per kickoff return. He ranked No. 2 in the CAA and No. 13 in the NCAA in all-purpose yardage.
GOLF: Sophomore Kyle Martin (Christopher Dock/Ambler, Pa.) was the winner of this year's John J. DeLuca/ Scotty Duncan Memorial Team Most Valuable Player Award. Martin made big gains for the Hens in his second season in Newark as he led the team in three tournaments and placed 17th overall at the CAA Championships in April. He led the team with a 76.52 stroke average, had a low round of 70, and posted three top 20 tournament finishes, including a 12th place finish at the Navy Fall Classic. He is a management information systems major with a minor in entrepreneurial studies at Delaware.
LACROSSE: Stalwart defenseman James Connelly (Malvern Prep/Royersford, Pa.) earned MVP honors following an outstanding senior year. Connelly was a two-year starter who served as captain for the Blue Hens in 2014 when the team advanced to the CAA Tournament. He earned all-league honors each of the past two seasons, including first team honors in 2014 when he started all 16 games, ranked second on the team with 12 caused turnovers, and was fourth with 28 groundballs. A marketing major, Connelly was selected in the Major League Lacrosse Draft by Denver back in January.
SOCCER: Freshman forward Guillermo Delgado (Jose Luis Sampedro/Tres Cantos, Spain) was the winner of the MVP Award for men's soccer. Delgado made an immediate impact for the nationally-ranked Blue Hens this past fall when he led the squad to a 14-5-1 record and an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament. The high-scoring health and science major became the first ever UD freshman to earn All-American honors when he was named to the second team by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. He also was selected to the All-South Atlantic Region team, the All-East first team, the All-CAA first team, and was named the CAA Rookie of the Year. He led the CAA and ranked No. 4 in the nation with 15 goals scored.
SWIMMING & DIVING: Freshman Cory Camp (Blake/Olney, Md.) earned the Jack & Hugh Dougherty Team Most Valuable Player award. An exercise science major, Camp also made an immediate impact in his first collegiate season with the Blue Hens this season. He led the team to a 4-4 dual record and paced the team to a fourth place showing at the CAA Championships. He was selected as Delaware's first-ever CAA Male Rookie Swimmer of the Year after an outstanding first-year campaign that saw him post three top four finishes at the CAA meet. He placed second in the 1,650 freestyle and fourth in both the 500 freestyle and 400 IM while also setting two school records.
TENNIS: Senior Troy Beneck (Wilmington Friends/Wilmington, Del.) received the Alexander J. Taylor MVP Award as the men's tennis team's top player. Beneck enjoyed an outstanding four-year career that saw him play at the team's No. 1 singles spot each of his final three seasons. An honor student as an exercise science major, Beneck earned All-CAA honors in both singles and doubles each of his four seasons. He posted records of 23-7 in singles and 21-7 in doubles as a senior this past season and finished his career as Delaware's all-time leader with 75 singles wins and 78 doubles victories.
OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD: Lindsay Prettyman (St. Mark's HS/Newark, Del.) won her third MVP award for outdoor track & field. Prettyman saved her best for last during the 2014 outdoor season as led the Blue Hens to their ever Colonial Athletic Association team titles two weeks ago. She was named the CAA Outstanding Track Athlete for the meet as she won both the 800 meters and 1,500 meters, becoming the first UD athlete to win multiple events at the conference meet since 1994. She set five school records and won six meet titles during the year, including teaming to win the distance medley relay at the Penn Relays.
ROWING: Senior Jenny Kohler (Shore Regional/Oceanport, N.Y.) earned the MVP award for rowing. A four-year standout and a 2014 first team All-CAA selection, Kohler anchored the Blue Hens Varsity Eights boat each of the last two seasons and capped her senior year by leading Delaware to a fourth place team finish at the CAA Championships this past weekend. She has competed in all eight official races this season, including a semifinal appearance at the Dad Vail Regatta and a fourth place finish at the CAA Championships. She is a psychology and criminal justice major at Delaware.
SOCCER: Senior midfielder Chelsea Duffy (Gloucester Catholic/Glassboro, N.J.) was named the Most Valuable Player for her squad after leading the Blue Hens to a record of 9-7-3 and an appearance in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament. A human services major, Duffy won a slew of awards in 2013 as she was named first team All-CAA, second team All-East, and third team NSCAA All-Region. A three-time All-CAA selection, she ranked second on the team with 10 points this past fall and finished her career with nine goals and 10 assists.
SOFTBALL: Freshman third baseman Giovanna Kolofer (Notre Dame/Salinas, Calif.) was named the Most Valuable Player for the Blue Hen softball team. Kolofer earned second team All-CAA and CAA All-Rookie honors this spring when she led the team and ranked sixth in the Colonial Athletic Association with a .340 batting average. A nutrition major, Kolofer started 35 of 38 games, ranked second on the team with 22 runs batted in, and was third on the team in hits (35), runs scored (16), and stolen bases (10).
SWIMMING & DIVING: Freshman Annie Nunes (Wilmington, Del.) earned the team Most Valuable Player Award after recording an outstanding rookie campaign in 2013-14. Nunes led the team to a 7-3 dual record and a fifth place team finish at the CAA Championships in early March. She recorded five top 10 finishes at the CAA meet and set three school records in the process. A nursing major, she placed fourth in the 200 medley relay, sixth in the 100 breaststroke, seventh in the 400 medley relay, and ninth in both the 200 IM and 200 breaststroke events at the CAA meet.
TENNIS: Senior Olivia Heim (Pine-Richland/Gibsonia, Pa.) earned the Most Valuable Player Award for women's tennis. Heim led the squad to an 8-8 dual record and a berth in the CAA Tournament during her final season on the UD courts. She posted a record of 15-12 in singles play and ended her career ranked No. 11 all-time in UD history with 61 victories. In doubles play, she posted a career record of 38-30 to rank among Delaware's all-time leaders. She is an honor student as a business management major at Delaware.
VOLLEYBALL: Sophomore libero Ariel Shonk (Atlanta, Ga.) won the Most Valuable Player Award for her squad. An honor student as a marketing major, she enjoyed another standout season for Delaware from her defensive spot, earning third team All-CAA honors for the second straight year. She led the Blue Hens with 613 digs last fall and ranked second in the CAA and 11th in the nation with 5.52 digs per game. She reached the 30-dig mark eight times and was also third on the team with 78 assists and fourth with 17 service aces.
MEN'S SPORTS:
BASKETBALL: Senior guard Devon Saddler (Aberdeen/Aberdeen, Md.) earned the Colonel C.B. Shaffer Most Valuable Player Award for the fourth straight season after leading the Blue Hen men's basketball squad to one of the most memorable seasons in school history. Saddler capped his career by leading the Blue Hens to a 25-10 record, the CAA regular season and tournament titles, and the team's first berth in the NCAA Tournament since 1999. A criminal justice major and three-time team captain, he earned first team All-CAA, first team All-District 2, and Mid-Major All-American honors this past season when he ranked 30th nationally with 19.7 points per game. He became Delaware's all-time leading scorer with 2,222 points and averaged 15.7 points per game over four seasons.
BASEBALL: Junior outfielder Norm Donkin (Ridley/Folsom, Pa.) made an immediate impact for the Blue Hen baseball squad this spring and was the recipient of the Pape Lukk (Pap Luck) Most Valuable Player Award. The junior criminal justice major and transfer from Harford (Md.) Community College has been the Hens' everyday starting right fielder while also catching and pitching. He has led Delaware to a berth in the CAA Tournament for the third straight year, leading the team into action Wednesday in Wilmington, N.C. He currently ranks among the leaders in the CAA with a .333 batting average, 64 hits, 30 runs batted in, 33 runs scored, 16 doubles, 20 walks, and 10 stolen bases. He has a team-high 21 multiple hit games this season and had a career-high five runs batted in vs. Fairfield.
FOOTBALL: Junior wide receiver and kick returner Michael Johnson (Gainesville/Gainesville, Fla.) was the winner of the Most Valuable Player. A health sciences major, Johnson enjoyed a breakout season in 2013 when earned second team All-CAA honors and was a three-time Touchdown Club Player of the Week. He proved to be one of the top big-play performers in the country as he caught 60 passes for 1,035 yards, a 17.2 yard per catch average, and nine touchdowns; carried 13 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns; and averaged 20.9 yards per kickoff return. He ranked No. 2 in the CAA and No. 13 in the NCAA in all-purpose yardage.
GOLF: Sophomore Kyle Martin (Christopher Dock/Ambler, Pa.) was the winner of this year's John J. DeLuca/ Scotty Duncan Memorial Team Most Valuable Player Award. Martin made big gains for the Hens in his second season in Newark as he led the team in three tournaments and placed 17th overall at the CAA Championships in April. He led the team with a 76.52 stroke average, had a low round of 70, and posted three top 20 tournament finishes, including a 12th place finish at the Navy Fall Classic. He is a management information systems major with a minor in entrepreneurial studies at Delaware.
LACROSSE: Stalwart defenseman James Connelly (Malvern Prep/Royersford, Pa.) earned MVP honors following an outstanding senior year. Connelly was a two-year starter who served as captain for the Blue Hens in 2014 when the team advanced to the CAA Tournament. He earned all-league honors each of the past two seasons, including first team honors in 2014 when he started all 16 games, ranked second on the team with 12 caused turnovers, and was fourth with 28 groundballs. A marketing major, Connelly was selected in the Major League Lacrosse Draft by Denver back in January.
SOCCER: Freshman forward Guillermo Delgado (Jose Luis Sampedro/Tres Cantos, Spain) was the winner of the MVP Award for men's soccer. Delgado made an immediate impact for the nationally-ranked Blue Hens this past fall when he led the squad to a 14-5-1 record and an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament. The high-scoring health and science major became the first ever UD freshman to earn All-American honors when he was named to the second team by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. He also was selected to the All-South Atlantic Region team, the All-East first team, the All-CAA first team, and was named the CAA Rookie of the Year. He led the CAA and ranked No. 4 in the nation with 15 goals scored.
SWIMMING & DIVING: Freshman Cory Camp (Blake/Olney, Md.) earned the Jack & Hugh Dougherty Team Most Valuable Player award. An exercise science major, Camp also made an immediate impact in his first collegiate season with the Blue Hens this season. He led the team to a 4-4 dual record and paced the team to a fourth place showing at the CAA Championships. He was selected as Delaware's first-ever CAA Male Rookie Swimmer of the Year after an outstanding first-year campaign that saw him post three top four finishes at the CAA meet. He placed second in the 1,650 freestyle and fourth in both the 500 freestyle and 400 IM while also setting two school records.
TENNIS: Senior Troy Beneck (Wilmington Friends/Wilmington, Del.) received the Alexander J. Taylor MVP Award as the men's tennis team's top player. Beneck enjoyed an outstanding four-year career that saw him play at the team's No. 1 singles spot each of his final three seasons. An honor student as an exercise science major, Beneck earned All-CAA honors in both singles and doubles each of his four seasons. He posted records of 23-7 in singles and 21-7 in doubles as a senior this past season and finished his career as Delaware's all-time leader with 75 singles wins and 78 doubles victories.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
Free
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
D
/ Men's Lacrosse
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/ Men's Soccer
OF
/ Baseball
M
/ Women's Soccer
/ Women's Tennis
WR
/ Football
Utl
/ Softball
/ Men's Golf
Breast/IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
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/ Men's Basketball
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