9:45 a.m., May 16, 2003--Dan Mulhern, one of the finest linebackers in University of Delaware history, was honored as the 2003 Outstanding Senior Male Athlete of the Year during the annual men's intercollegiate athletics awards luncheon, held Tuesday, May 20, at the Bob Carpenter Sports/Convocation Center.
Mulhern was among 21 Fightin’ Blue Hen student-athletes honored for their performances on the playing field and in the classroom over the past season. The award is determined by a vote of the head coaches of the 11 men's intercollegiate sports.
Mulhern is the second straight UD football player to win the award. The 2002 recipient was Jamin Elliott, currently a wide receiver with the Chicago Bears. Eight of the last 11 award recipients have been members of the UD football team.
The Outstanding Senior Female Athlete of the Year will be honored on Wednesday night, May 21, during the annual women's awards banquet.
Mulhern, a native of Wallingford, Pa., earned his degree in physical education in January.
A four-year starter at linebacker, Mulhern served as captain for the 2002 Delaware football squad, which posted a 6-6 record under first-year head coach K.C. Keeler.
Mulhern was a consensus All-American during the 2002 season, named to The Sports Network second team and the Associated Press third team. He also earned first team All-Atlantic 10 Football Conference and first team All-Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) for the second straight season, and was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in Division I-AA.
Mulhern led the Blue Hens and ranked third in the Atlantic 10 with 126 tackles in 2002, including 13.5 tackles for loss. He also had two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown against West Chester University.
He never missed a game during his career, starting his final 42 contests. He posted 418 career tackles to rank fourth all-time in Delaware history, while also posting 10.5 sacks and nine interceptions, the most ever by a Blue Hen linebacker. He is one of only five players in UD history to record 100 or more tackles in two different seasons.
During his four years, the Blue Hens posted a combined record of 29-18. The team won the Atlantic 10 title and advanced to the Division I-AA semifinals in 2000.
The following student-athletes were honored as outstanding performers in their respective sports as selected by team members.
BASEBALL: Senior first baseman Steve Harden was the winner of the Papp Lukk Award. Harden, who earlier was voted by his team members as the squad's outstanding offensive and defensive player, won the team's "triple crown" by leading the team with a .302 batting average, 12 home runs and 43 runs batted in. He also led the team with 61 hits, 16 doubles, 113 total bases and a .631 slugging percentage. Defensively, he had a .993 fielding percentage, committing just three errors in 411 chances. He also had 18 multiple hit games, 10 multiple RBI games, and was 1-0 with a 3.00 earned run average in four pitching appearances. He played in more games than any player in school history with 216 and recorded 201 career base hits.
BASKETBALL: Senior guard Ryan Iversen was the winner of the Col. C.B. Shaffer Award for the second straight year as the team's Most Valuable Player. A three-year standout, Iversen excelled despite playing primarily in a reserve role. He led the team in rebounding (6.5 rebounds per game) and steals (52) and ranked second in scoring (11.6 points per game) and assists (78) during the 2002-03 season. He scored in double figures 20 times as a senior and 40 times in his career, and led the team in rebounding 26 times in his 88-game career. Iversen had career highs of 23 points and 17 rebounds, and registered only the second triple-double in UD history on Dec. 1, 2002, against Long Island University with 12 points, 17 rebounds and 11 assists.
CROSS COUNTRY: Junior Pat Riley won the UD Alumni Association Most Valuable Player Award for the second straight year. He ran in eight races during the season and led the Blue Hens in each one, posting seven top 10 finishes. He was the individual winner in both Delaware Invitational meets during the 2002 season, placed second at the Towson Invitational and was third at the Colonial Athletic Association championships, helping the Blue Hens place third in the team standings. He also placed 21st at the NCAA Regional championships to earn All-East honors.
FOOTBALL: Senior linebacker Dan Mulhern earned the Baker-Taylor Award as MVP. He was presented the award in January at the Blue Hen Touchdown Club Banquet.
GOLF: Sophomore Dan Spiker was the winner of the John J. DeLuca and Scotty Duncan Alumni Association MVP Award. A two-year standout, he was the Blue Hens' top finisher at the Colonial Athletic Association championships for the second straight year, placing 19th overall with three scores under 79. He ranked second on the team with a stroke average of 78.55 in 20 rounds, posted seven top 20 tournament finishes on the season and won the Scotty Duncan Memorial Tournament in the season finale. He shot a season-low 72 at the Navy Invitational during the fall.
INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD: Junior John Morgan earned the Alumni Association MVP Award. A first-year team member after transferring from Saddleback (Calif.) Community College, Morgan captured three meet titles during the indoor season, capturing the 800 meters at the Delaware Invitational and the Maryland/PVA Invitational and winning the mile run at the Thomson Invitational. He capped the season with an 11th-place finish at the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletics in America (IC4A) championships in the 1,000 meters. During the indoor season, he also set a new UD record in the 1,000 meters with a time of 2:28.50. A three-sport standout, he placed 28th at the Colonial Athletic Association cross country championships and during the outdoor season placed fourth in the 800 meters at the CAA meet. Morgan also was presented the D. Kenneth Steers Track Scholarship for outstanding academic achievement.
LACROSSE: Senior co-captain Jeff Wasson earned the Alumni Association MVP Award for the second straight season. A three-year starter, Wasson was one of the top defenders in the Colonial Athletic Association in 2002, earning first team All-CAA honors after starting all 15 games and contributing 40 groundballs. A two-time winner of the team's Gary Celeste Award for leadership and determination, Wasson also was a Verizon College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-American nominee.
OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD: Senior Mike Sadowsky won the Fred J. Harmer MVP Award as the top member of the UD outdoor track and field squad. A three-sport standout throughout his career, he enjoyed an outstanding outdoor season this spring as the team's top long distance runner. He was runner-up at the Colonial Athletic Association championships in the 10,000 meters and qualified for the IC4A championships, where he placed 19th in the event. He also captured the 10,000-meter title at the Monmouth Invitational and the 3,000-meter race at the Delaware Invitational. During the cross country season, he posted an 11th-place finish at the CAA championships. During the indoor season, he captured two meet titles in the 3,000 meters.
SOCCER: Sophomore goalkeeper Kyle Haynes was the Alumni Association MVP. A second-year starter in goal, Haynes started all 18 games and played in all but 34 minutes of action. A Verizon CoSIDA Academic All-American nominee, he earned All-Lehigh Tournament honors this past fall. As a sophomore in 2002, he started all 18 games and played in 1,688 of the team's 1,722 minutes during the season. He posted 87 saves for a .747 save percentage and posted a goals allowed average of 1.62, including four shutouts. As a freshman, he started 18 of 19 games, posting a .737 save percentage, a 1.65 goals allowed average, and three shutouts.
SWIMMING & DIVING: Senior Kevin Weisser earned the Jack and Hugh Dougherty Alumni Association Team MVP Award for the second straight year. Weisser, the team's top freestyle competitor at various distances, posted the squad's best finish at the Colonial Athletic Association championships with an eighth place finish in the 800 freestyle relay. Individually, he placed 13th in the 200 breaststroke and 17th in the 1,650 freestyle. He moved on to the ECAC Regionals and placed 15th in the 800 freestyle relay, 19th in the 500 freestyle, 27th in the 200 freestyle and 30th in the 1,650 freestyle. As a junior, he earned two All-East honors by placing fourth in the 1,650 freestyle and eighth in the 200 freestyle.
TENNIS: Freshman Josh Ditman won the Alexander J. Taylor Alumni Association MVP Award. The lone freshman to earn a team MVP award, Ditman owned the best singles record for a team that posted its 13th straight season with at least 10 dual match victories. Playing mainly at the No. 6 spot, Ditman posted a 14-7 overall record, including a 10-2 mark at the No. 6 spot. In doubles, he combined for an overall record of 7-16.
Other honors
• Senior baseball catcher Matt Wimer earned the UD Student Services for Athletes Outstanding Contributor Award. Wimer played in 35 games with 21 starts in 2002, batting .191 with eight runs batted in. He batted .250 in 22 games during the 2001 season.
• Senior football standout Ricardo Walker earned the Dr. Janice Jordan Award presented to a student-athlete who has made outstanding progress academically while at Delaware. Walker earned first team All-Atlantic 10 honors as a cornerback and second team all-league honors as a kick returner this past fall. He posted 60 tackles during the season and led the squad with three interceptions and 14 pass breakups while also averaging 23.7 yards per kickoff return.
• Sophomore Alex Birchenall earned the David A. Sharp Academic Award. He posted 15th-place finishes at both the Towson Invitational and Delaware Invitational during the cross country season. He carries a 3.769 grade point average as a psychology major.
• Sophomore Mark Weldin won the swimming and diving team's Chuck Ganci Award for contributions to the team. He competed in the freestyle events for the Blue Hens.
• Sophomore Adam Goldstein earned the swimming team's Thomas Baranello Award as the team's most improved athlete. Goldstein placed eighth in the 800 freestyle relay at the Colonial Athletic Association championships and also competed at the ECAC regionals, placing 28th in 400 individual medley, 29th in 500 freestyle and 29th in 1,650 freestyle.
• Junior Dustin Lewis earned the Lee J. Hyncik Memorial Award as the junior member of the UD tennis team with the highest grade point index. Lewis posted a record of 10-17 in singles, playing primarily at the No. 4 spot. He also owned a record of 4-4 in doubles play. He carries a 2.8 grade point average as a political science major.
• Senior infielder Kris Dufner received the Perry Burkett Triple Play Award for overall leadership and contributions to the Blue Hen baseball team. Dufner, who played both shortstop and third base, batted .280 with eight home runs and 32 runs batted in and tied for the team lead with seven stolen bases. A 26th round draft pick by the Chicago White Sox in the Major League Baseball draft last season, Dufner was a two-time All-conference selection and finished his career with 227 hits.
• Senior track and field standout Dave Finneran was awarded the ECAC Medal of Merit as the UD senior male student-athlete letter winner with the highest grade point average. A three-sport standout in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field an a Verizon CoSIDA Academic All-American nominee, Finneran placed 34th at the Colonial Athletic Association cross country championships last fall, won two meet titles in the 1,500 meters and 3,000 meters during the indoor season, and captured three meet titles in the 3,000 meter steeplechase and 5,000 meters during the outdoor season. He placed fifth in the steeplechase at the 2003 CAA outdoor track and field championships. Finneran carries a 3.669 grade point average as a chemistry major.
• In addition to the awards presented to UD student-athletes, also honored Tuesday at the luncheon was Fred S. Siegel, outgoing University of Delaware associate provost for enrollment services. Siegel, who will begin a new position at George Washington University this summer as associate vice president and dean of freshmen, was presented the ECAC Appreciation Award by Director of Athletics Edgar N. Johnson. The award is presented each year to a University employee in appreciation of their work on behalf of the UD athletics program.
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