University of Delaware Athletics
Men's Lacrosse Standout Elijah Conte Named National Finalist for YRL Unsung Hero Award
5/12/2016 5:47:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
BRONXVILLE, N.Y. -- Elijah Conte, a senior co-captain for the University of Delaware men's lacrosse team who has gone above and beyond in the areas of community service and leadership throughout his career with the Blue Hens, has been named one of 10 finalists for the Yeardley Reynolds Love (YRL) Unsung Hero Award.
The award annually brecognizes the accomplishments of two Division I lacrosse players (one male, 
one female) who demonstrate dedication, integrity, humility, hard work, community service, leadership, kindness, and sportsmanship – all qualities that Yeardley Love exemplified throughout her life.
The One Love Foundation was created in 2010 to honor the memory of Yeardley Love, a University of Virginia senior lacrosse player who was beaten to death by her ex-boyfriend just weeks before graduation.
Among Conte's numerous community service endeavors have been his relentless work with the Headstrong Foundation, which supports awareness and funding to support cancer research, his involvement with the B+ Foundation, which supports individuals and families fighting childhood cancer, his role as a mentor to elementary school children at nearby McVey Elementary School, and befriending the Esmonds, a Wilmington, Del. area family that is still recovering after tragically ingesting a poisonous insecticide while on vacation in the Caribbean in 2015.
A childhood cancer survivor himself, Conte has used much of his time to inspire those also stricken with the disease. His fundraising work with the HeadStrong Foundation was remarkable as he led all fundraisers nationally in total amount raised in 2015 and was second in the 2016, combining to raise nearly $10,000. He spearheaded the UD men's lacrosse team's efforts that saw the squad raise over $44,000 during that time. Alex Zaugra was a women's finalist in 2013 and Elyse Andrews was a women's finalist in both 2014 and 2015.
The other four men's finalists this year are James Chakey (Penn State), Joseph Radin (Marist), Brennan Donville (Cornell), and Connor McKemey (High Point). The five women's finalists are Kata Stroup (Temple), Bridget Vilbig (Ohio State), Maddie Kiep (Cornell), Mary Sean Wilcox (Florida), and Mega Gulmn (Cincinnati).
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Scott Selheimer | selheime@udel.edu | Office: 302-831-8007 | Cell: 302-562-5129
