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| Megan Dellegrotti |
Basketball standout Megan Dellegrotti, who starred for four years as a player, team leader and scholar for the Blue Hens, was honored as the 2001-2002 University of Delaware Outstanding Senior Female Athlete of the Year at the annual UD Women's Intercollegiate Athletics Award Banquet Wednesday night, May 15, at the Perkins Student Center.
Dellegrotti, the second straight member of the UD women's basketball team to earn the award after Cindy Johnson was recognized last season, was one of 15 Blue Hen female student-athletes honored for their performances on the playing field and in the classroom over the past season. The Outstanding Senior Female Athlete Award is selected from a vote of the head coaches of Delaware's 12 women's intercollegiate sports.
A four-year standout at point guard for head coach Tina Martin's squad, Dellegrotti was a two-year team co-captain and ended her career ranked among the all-time UD leaders in scoring, assists, three-point field goals, steals, and free throw shooting.
A native of Berwick, Pa., she played a key role on the two finest teams in Delaware women's basketball history the past two seasons. She led the team to four straight winning seasons, including a 26-5 record, America East title, and NCAA Tournament berth in 2001 and a 23-7 record, Colonial Athletic Association second place finish, and Women's NIT Tournament appearance in 2002.
Delaware's all-time leader in three-point field goals made in a career (148) and season (49), she was a career 84.5 percent free throw shooter. She played in 106 career games and ranks No. 12 all-time at UD in scoring (1,112) and fifth in assists (284).
She earned second team All-CAA honors in 2001-02 after leading team in scoring (13.5), three-point field goals, and assists, and had six games with 20 or more points.
A consistent force throughout her career, she averaged 9.7 ppg as a junior, 7.7 ppg as a sophomore, and 10.0 ppg as a freshman when she was named to the America East All-Rookie team.
An honor student in physical education, she was named to CoSIDA District II All-Academic team this past season and was a nominee for the CAA Ehlers Leadership Award.
Also earning individual sport UD Alumni Association team Most Valuable Player Awards were the following:
BASKETBALL: Senior guard Megan Dellegrotti won the award (see biography above).
CROSS COUNTRY: Senior Aimee Alexander of Stormville, N.Y., was a triple winner, also being honored as team MVP in both indoor track and field and outdoor track and field. She earned team MVP honors in cross country for the second straight year. A four-year letter winner in cross country and a team captain as a senior, she led the Blue Hen harriers in all but one race during the 2001 season and led the team in 15 of her final 17 events over two seasons. She placed among the top 10 runners in seven of the eight races during the 2001 season, including winning the Delaware Invitational. She also placed fourth at the ECAC regional championships and placed sixth at the Colonial Athletic Association championships in October, leading the Blue Hens to third place team finish. An honor student in biology with a minor in medical humanities, she is a CoSIDA Academic All-American candidate. She also was honored Wednesday night with the UD Student Services for Athletes Contributor Award for her work with that UD office.
FIELD HOCKEY: Senior Juli Byrd of Pocomoke, Md., was a four-year standout and served as team captain as a senior. She was a three-time All-America East selection and led the field hockey team to a four-year record of 45-38 which included advancing to the America East semifinals in 1998, 1999, and 2000 and to the league title game in 2001. She enjoyed an outstanding senior year in which she led the team in scoring with 13 goals and four assists and earned first team All-America East honors. She also was named to the America East All-Tournament team and competed in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association national North-South Senior All-Star Game. Her career totals included 39 goals and 11 assists for 89 points.
INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD/OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD: Aimee Alexander of Stormville, N.Y., also won for indoor and outdoor track and field. A four-year letter in each sport as a distance runner, she also served as captain for both teams. During the 2002 indoor season, she captured four meet individual titles in the mile run and 3,000 meters and qualified for the ECAC regional championships, placing 16th in the 3,000 meters. During the season, she set the school record in the 3,000 meters with a time of 9:52.63. During the outdoor season, she won five individual titles in events ranging from 800 meters to 5,000 meters. She captured the Colonial Athletic Association 5,000 meter title and qualified for this weekend's ECAC championships in both the 3,000 and 5,000 meter events. She also placed 16th in the 5,000 meters at the Penn Relays. She owns nine career top seven finishes in league championship competition.
LACROSSE: Senior goalkeeper Laurie Tortorelli of Havertown, Pa., was a four-year starting goalkeeper for the Blue Hens. She earned all-league honors twice and all-region honors three times and led the Blue Hens to the 1999 America East title and to the 2000 NCAA Tournament. A team co-captain as a senior, she posted a 10.81 goals allowed average and a .561 save percentage to rank among the CAA leaders. She is an honors student as an exercise and sports science major. She started all but three games in her career and allowed 9.35 goals per game while posting a .560 save percentage. Her 754 career saves rank second all-time in UD history.
ROWING: Senior Lissa Kutz of Reading, Pa., capped an outstanding her career by leading the Blue Hens to the Colonial Athletic Association team title and to a fourth place finish at the Dad Vail Regatta. A co-captain, she was a member of the team's Varsity Heavyweight Eights crew that captured the CAA title and also placed eighth at the Dad Vail Regatta. In addition, the Heavyweight Eights team was also first at the Petrakis Cup at Jacksonville and third at the ECAC-Avaya Regatta last week. She is an honor student with a 3.929 grade point index as a biology major.
SOCCER: Senior Sara Wilson of Great Falls, Va., won the team MVP award for the second straight year. She was a four-year letterwinner and two-year co-captain for the UD soccer team. She led Delaware to America East semifinal appearances in 1999 and 2002 and was a three time America East honorable mention all-star during her career. A starter in 64 of her 67 career games, she had five goals and six assists as a midfielder. She scored a career-high four goals and dished out one assist in 2001 when she earned a spot on the America East All-Tournament team. She is an honor student as an exercise physiology major at Delaware.
SOFTBALL: Senior outfielder Mandy Welch of LaPlata, Md., was a four-year starter and ranks among the top 10 in virtually every offensive statistical category in UD history. She led the Blue Hens to a spot in the CAA Tournament this spring when she started all 46 games and led the team with a .355 batting average to earn first team All-CAA honors. She also led the team with 49 hits, 21 runs, 34 walks, and 11 stolen bases, and also knocked in 15 runs. She also was named to the CAA All-Tournament team. For her career, Welch hit .318 and set UD records for games played (195), hits (205), at bats (644), and runs scored (119), and was second with 36 doubles and 262 total bases. She also was honored Wednesday night with the UD Student Services for Athletes Dr. Janice Jordan Award for her work with that office.
SWIMMING & DIVING: Junior Julie Van Deusen of Bear excelled for the Blue Hens in her first season after transferring from Syracuse University. She enjoyed the finest season ever by a UD diver as she won the one-meter and three-meter events in each dual meet and captured Delaware's first ever Colonial Athletic Association individual title when she won the one-meter event at the CAA meet in February. She also placed second in the three-meter event and was named the CAA Female Diver of the Year. She moved on to place third in the three-meter and fourth in one-meter at the ECAC championships and third in the three-meter and eighth in the one-meter at the NCAA Zone Diving championship. She became the first ever UD male or female diver to qualify for the NCAA championships and placed 32nd in the one-meter and 35th in the three-meter at the NCAA meet at the University of Texas in March.
TENNIS: Junior Christine Knox of New Castle enjoyed a solid season as the Blue Hens' No. 4 and No. 5 singles player. She ranked second on the team in singles wins with a record of 12-4, including a 7-3 mark at the No. 4 spot and a 5-1 slate at No. 5. During the fall season, she captured the Kutztown Invitational Flight D singles title. In doubles play, she posted an 8-9 overall record, including a team-best 7-4 mark with Beth Principe at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots. She also won the Kutztown Invitational Flight B doubles title. She is a two-year letterwinner.
VOLLEYBALL: Senior Cameo Neeman of Wilmington enjoyed an outstanding career as she led the Blue Hens into the CAA semifinals in the team's first season in the league. A four-year standout as a hitter, she led the team to three league tournament semifinal appearances during her career. A two-time all-league selection, including first team CAA honors in 2001, she was named to in-season All-Tournament teams three times during the 2001 season when she led the team with 3.69 kills per game and a .271 hitting percentage. She posted 20 or more kills in a match four times and also led the team with 1.03 blocks per game. She ranks No. 2 all-time at Delaware in career kills per game (3.05) and career kills (1,269).
Also honored at the banquet were the following:
• Senior cross country and track and field standout Monica Marchetta of Milton, Mass., was awarded the ECAC Medal of Merit for having the highest grade point index among all UD female senior letterwinners. She captured the Colonial Athletic Association 10,000 meter title at the women's outdoor track and field championships in April in Richmond and placed 23rd at the CAA cross country championships in October. She carries a 3.9 grade point index as an individual and family studies major and was a co-winner of the University's Warner Award as the top female student in the senior class.
• Sophomore cross country and track and field distance runner Tess Beinke of Monroeville, N.J., junior rowing team member Alison Conway of Philadelphia and senior cross country and track and field runner Bethany Simmons of Wilmington each earned the UD Miles Powell, Jr., Engineering Scholarship presented to outstanding engineering students who are also varsity letterwinners. Conway was a member of the CAA champion UD women's rowing team while Beinke and Simmons helped Delaware place third at the CAA women's cross country championships.
May 16, 2002
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