July 29, 2005
Washington, DC - Hoyas Unlimited has announced this year's special recognition awardees for the 19th annual Hoyas Unlimited Athletic Recognition Dinner. Head swimming and diving coach Bethany Bower has been selected as the recipient of the Outstanding Coaching Achievement Award. David Don (F'93, L'96) will receive the J. Gregory Carroll Memorial Award for Outstanding Service to Hoyas Unlimited. Bruce Simmons (B'69) has been named the Outstanding Contribution to Athletics recipient. Track and field student-athlete Nicole Lee (N'05) is this year's Robert A. Duffey Scholar-Athlete. In addition, the 2004-05 Most Valuable Players from all sports will be honored. The Athletic Recognition Dinner will take place on Saturday, October 1, 2005 in the Leavey Center Ballroom on the campus of Georgetown University.
Under the leadership of Bethany, the men's and women's swimming program broke 12 school records this year, the most in program history. The men won their second straight Northeast Conference Championship, while the women placed fourth at NEC's and seventh at ECAC's. Bethany's student-athletes were named Most Outstanding Swimmer, Most Outstanding Diver, and Rookie of the Meet at the NEC Championships. The Hoyas head coach since 1994, Bethany's teams have earned Academic All-America honors for 20 consecutive semesters.
A former coxswain for the men's heavyweight and lightweight crews, David served as the President of the Georgetown Rowing Association from 1997 - 2003. During David's tenure, GRA experienced tremendous growth, setting record-breaking numbers for both donors with over 570 in one year and raising over $200,000 annually. David helped to implement some of the Rowing Association's most popular events, including the annual Easter Dinner for students and alumni, and an annual luncheon for alumni and coaches. David currently serves as the Vice President of Hoyas Unlimited, and is a member of the Boathouse Steering Committee. David previously served as the Treasurer of Hoyas Unlimited for four years and oversaw the restructuring of financial relationships between Hoyas Unlimited and the 16 support clubs.
Bruce, a former Hoya quarterback and co-captain, is the co-chair of the Georgetown Football Campaign Committee. The committee was established in 2001 in order to help lead the fundraising efforts for the new Multi-Sport Facility. On April 30, 2005, the University broke ground on the first phase of the Multi-Sport Facility, which will be complete in time for the Hoyas' game vs. Brown University on September 17. Bruce and his brothers Brad (B'74) and Brian (B'81) have established an endowed need-based scholarship in name of their parents, Winsor and Mary Jane, which is awarded annually to a football player enrolled in the McDonough School of Business. Bruce also serves on Georgetown's Board of Regents, university-wide advisory board that provides counsel to the President and administration.
Nicole is the 20th track & field student-athlete to receive the honor, and the eighth since 1994. A two-time All-American, Nicole earned the distinction in cross country and in the 10,000-meters. A four-time All-BIG EAST Cross Country Team member, Nicole has earned at least four top-10 finishes every year while wearing the Blue and Gray. An excellent student, Nicole recently received the 2004-05 BIG EAST/Aerospostale Scholar-Athlete Award, which provides a scholarship for post-graduate studies. A Health Studies/Human Science major, Nicole plans to pursue post-graduate work at the Georgetown University's School of Medicine. Nicole is actively involved on the Georgetown Student-Athlete Leadership Advisory Committee and Executive Committee.
For more information on the Athletic Recognition Dinner, please contact Hoyas Unlimited at 202-687-7159 or hoyasunlimited@georgetown.edu.
