Blue Hen Golf Classic to benefit UD athletic scholarships

Volume 2/Number 1

1999

Blue Hen Golf Classic to benefit UD athletic scholarships

The eighth annual MBNA Blue Hen Golf Classic, benefiting the University of Delaware's Athletic Scholarship Fund, will be held Monday, Oct. 18, at the DuPont Country Club's Championship, Nemours and Montchanin courses.

Corporate sponsors are now being sought to help top the $55,000 raised last year to benefit UD athletics. Blue, gold, diamond and silver sponsorships are available:

Blue Sponsorships include five playing spots with breakfast, cart and all fees, five gift packages, 10 invitations to the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Gala Auction Party following the tournament, five Windstopper® garments, one hole sponsorship and a full-page acknowledgement in the official tournament program;
Gold Sponsorships include five playing spots, breakfast, cart and all fees, five gift packages, 10 invitations to the gala, one hole sponsorship and a full-page acknowledgement in the official tournament program;
Diamond Sponsorships include two playing spots, breakfast, cart and all fees, two gift packages, four invitations to the gala, one hole sponsorship and a half-page acknowledgement in the official tournament program and
Silver sponsorships include one playing spot with breakfast, cart and all fees, one gift package, two invitations to the gala and a listing in the official tournament program.

"The MBNA Blue Hen Golf Classic is the Intercollegiate Athletics Program's major annual fund-raising event," Edgar N. Johnson, director of the program, said. "Proceeds support athletic scholarships, allowing us to provide quality educational and competitive experiences for deserving student-athletes, and thus maintaining the Delaware tradition of excellence both in the classroom and on the playing field. I urge all of our alumni and friends to support this great event."

Last year's event was sponsored by more than 60 local and national corporations, and more than 300 golfers and volunteers participated.

The University's Intercollegiate Athletics Program encompasses 23 sports, 11 for men and 12 for women, providing opportunities for more than 800 athletes each year.

Seventeen head coaches, eight with faculty appointments, consistently guide UD teams to victories in regular season play, postseason appearances, conference titles and a host of honors for individual players.

During the 1998-99 academic year:

Eighteen of the University's 23 athletic teams posted .500 or better seasons with a combined record of 229-151-2, good for a winning percentage of .602;
In conference play, Blue Hen teams compiled a record of 103-52 (.664) during the regular season;
Six Blue Hen teams won America East titles, as men's basketball, men's swimming, men's indoor track and field, baseball, men's lacrosse and women's lacrosse all captured league crowns. Basketball, baseball and men's lacrosse moved on to NCAA tournament play;
Three UD head coaches were honored as their league coach of the year: John Hayman, men's swimming; Bob Shillinglaw, men's lacrosse; and Jim Fischer, men's indoor track and field. In addition, head football coach Tubby Raymond received the Vince Lombardi award for lifetime achievement in college football;
Individually, 10 UD student-athletes earned All-America honors during the year. They were: Eddie Conti, HNS '99 and Brian Cook, AS '99 in football; Jodi Byrd, HNS '99 in field hockey; Kevin Mench, HNS 2000 in baseball; John Grant, HNS 2000, Kevin Lavey, HNS '99, Jim Bruder, HNS 2002 and Marc Traverso, BE 2002 in men's lacrosse; and Amy Sullivan, AS '99 and Kelly Griffith, AS '99 in women's lacrosse;
Six UD scholar-athletes were named conference player of the year in their sport: Lauren Mark in softball, Mike Pegues in men's basketball, Butch Patrick in men's indoor track, Byrd in field hockey, Mench in baseball and Grant in men's lacrosse;
Numerous other UD student-athletes earned various all-region, all-league and academic honors during the year;
For an unprecedented eighth straight year, UD won the America East Stuart Haskell Commissioner's Cup. This award recognizes the top overall athletic program in America East based on conference final standing and championship results in each of the 21 America East sponsored sports.