Center Valley, PA, (May 20, 2008) – Junior LeighAnn Burke (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan) and senior Courtney McClurkin (Collegeville, PA/Spring-Ford) were each honored being named the LVAIAW women’s basketball and women’s tennis Players of the Year as awarded at the organization’s luncheon in late May.
The Lehigh Valley Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was founded in 1971 and honors the top athlete in each women’s sport from the local Lehigh Valley Colleges as well as each school’s top female athlete of the year at its end of the year luncheon and both Burke and McClurkin were named the Player of the Year in their respective sport.
Burke enjoyed one of the greatest seasons in DeSales University athletics history leading the women’s basketball team in scoring at 19.3 points per game as the Bulldogs posted a 26-4 overall record, won the Freedom Conference Championship and advanced to the “Sweet 16” of the NCAA Tournament. She took home several individual honors that included being named the Player of the year in the Freedom Conference, D3hoops.com Mid-Atlantic Region, ECAC South Region, Lehigh Valley Small College Basketball Association and LVAIAW. Burke earned Second-Team All-American honors from D3hoops.com and Honorable Mention All-American honors from the WBCA/State Farm. She was named a Jostens Trophy finalist and was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First-Team.
McClurkin concluded a terrific career on the women’s tennis team with another outstanding season in 2007-08 as she led the Bulldogs to a 9-6 overall record and to the Freedom Conference playoffs as the #2 seed. Playing the #1 position she posted a 20-5 overall record in singles and a 15-3 mark at the #1 doubles position with three different playing partners. McClukin took home the #1 singles individual title at the MASCAC Individual Tournament and was also named the Freedom Conference Player of the Year for the first time in her career. She finishes her glorious four-year career as the all-time leader at DeSales with 65 career singles wins and 60 career doubles victories. She is tied for second all-time with 37 wins at the #1 singles position.