Center Valley, PA, (May 3, 2008) – On Monday, May 3rd the DeSales University athletic department held its annual senior awards banquet where each team's seniors are honored and the Dr. John “Coach” Compardo Male and Female Athletes of the Year as well as the Stanley J. Orzechowski and Scholar-Athlete of the Year are announced as seniors Darnell Braswell (Allentown, PA/William Allen) and Kerri Andrews (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) were named the Male and Female Athletes of the Year.
Joining Braswell and Andrews as award winners were senior Steve Modrow (Forty Fort, PA/Wyoming Valley West) as the Stanley J. Orzechowski award winner and seniors Kelly Magrann (Sinking Spring, PA/Holy Name) and Justin Cuga (Newark, DE/Salesianum) as the Co-Scholar-Athletes of the Year.
Braswell took home Male Athlete of the Year honors for the second consecutive year after another All-American season with the men's basketball team. He led the Bulldogs to their second straight Freedom Conference Championship and into the “Sweet 16” of the NCAA Tournament. Braswell averaged 20.9 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game as he became the school's all-time leading scorer. He was named the Freedom Conference Player of the Year, Regional Player of the Year by multiple organizations and All-American by three different organizations including First-Team by the NABC.
Andrews is an All-Conference performer in not just one varsity sport but two as she starred once again for both the volleyball and softball teams this year. In volleyball she led the Bulldogs to their third straight appearance in the Freedom Conference Championship match while leading the team in digs, becoming the first player in school-history to record 2,000+ digs in a career, and earning All-Freedom Conference Second-Team honors.
In softball Andrews bats lead-off, has started every game at third base, is the team's unquestioned leader both on and off the field. She is batting a team-high .374 as the Bulldogs enter the Freedom Conference playoffs this weekend as the #1 seed in the post-season tournament. Andrews has 14 doubles, three home runs, and a team-best .437 on-base percentage. She is Player of the Year candidate in the Freedom Conference with post-season awards expected to be announced sometime next week.
Modrow was named the Stanley J. Orzechowski award winner as a four-year member of the men's indoor and outdoor track & field team. This award is granted to the athlete whose personal courage and fortitude was a source of inspiration to his/her teammates and to the DeSales University Community. Modrow has been nothing but a source of inspiration and courage throughout his career having worked thru several seemingly season-ending injuries his first three years only to return quicker than anyone expected to help the team at the MAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships each year. He currently holds school-record in the shot put for both indoor and outdoor T&F and enters the MAC Outdoor Championships this coming weekend as the #1 seed in the MAC.
The scholar-athlete award was given to both Magrann and Cuga for their out-standing accomplishments in the classroom over the last four years. This award is given to the senior student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA and Magrann and Cuga were both deserving of the award with Magrann carrying a 3.97 GPA and Cuga a 3.92 GPA into their final semesters on campus. Magrann is a sport & exercise science major and Cuga is a double major in computer science and mathematics. Each year the MAC gives out a Scholar-Athlete award to one deserving senior student among all 16 MAC schools who is the most accomplished athlete both on and off the court and both Magrann (Women's Basketball) and Cuga (Men's Outdoor T&F) were the award winners this season in their respective sport for the Bulldogs.
