Sept. 18, 2007
Washington, DC - Hoyas Unlimited has announced this year's special recognition awardees for the 21st annual Hoyas Unlimited Athletic Recognition Dinner. Head men's basketball coach John Thompson III has been selected as the recipient of the Outstanding Coaching Achievement Award. Hoyas Unlimited and Hoya Hoop Club volunteer Joe Guarriello (B'71, L'74) will receive the J. Gregory Carroll Memorial Award for Outstanding Service to Hoyas Unlimited. Track alumna Mary Taylor Behrens (C'83) has been named the Outstanding Contribution to Athletics recipient. Sailing student-athlete Caroline LaMotte (F`07) is this year's Robert A. Duffey Scholar-Athlete. In addition, the 2006-07 Most Valuable Players this year's captains for all sports will be honored. The Athletic Recognition Dinner will take place on Saturday, October 13, 2007 in the Leavey Center Ballroom on the campus of Georgetown University.
Since taking over as head coach of men's basketball in 2004, John Thompson III has brought Georgetown basketball back to the upper echelon of college hoops. This past season was Georgetown's most successful since they reached the tournament finals in 1985. They went on to win the BIG EAST regular season championship, the BIG EAST tournament championship, and advanced to the Final Four in the NCAA tournament. In recognition of these accomplishments, the National Association of Basketball Coaches named Coach Thompson the 2007 National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Coach of the Year. He was also named the NBCA Coach of the Year for the second straight year.
Joe Guarriello has spent over 25 years supporting the Hoya Hoop Club while serving 13 of those years as a volunteer. Joe has served on the Executive Committee of the Hoya Hoop Club since 1971 having served as president, treasurer, and currently as vice president. In 2001 he was awarded the Anthony Fernicola Award for his services to the club. A member of the Board of Governors, Joe also serves on the Hoyas Unlimited board of directors. Joe's support for the team is second to none, as he is a constant presence at both home and away games. His financial contributions further prove his love and passion towards the basketball team. Recently, in 2005, Joe was the recipient of the William Gaston Alumni Recognition Award. Joe's wife, Joanne, was a 1972 graduate from Georgetown with a degree in nursing. Together they have two daughters, Juliette and Jeannette.
Mary, a former co-captain of the track & field team, has been consistently supporting and giving back to the University since her graduation in 1983. She was a four-time letter-winner and was the recipient of the James A. Gallagher Memorial Award, given to the Hoyas' outstanding track & field competitor. Beyond her generous financial contributions to the track & field program, Mary also serves as chair of the Athletics Committee of Georgetown's Board of Regents, and is a member of the Board of Directors' Ad Hoc Committee for Athletics. She worked as a senior executive with Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. for 13 years, and now serves as president of the private consulting firm Newfane Advisors, Inc. Mary and her husband Chris have two sons, Christopher and Matthew.
Caroline earns this year's Robert A. Duffey Scholar- Athlete award with her outstanding accomplishments both in academics and athletics. Caroline attained a 3.49 GPA as a double major in art history and English, being named to the dean's list several times along the way. She was a two-time All-American and was a pivotal member of the Hoyas `ICSA team race 2006 national championship team.
For more information on the Athletic Recognition Dinner, please contact Hoyas Unlimited at 202-687-7159 or hoyasunlimited@georgetown.edu. Tickets are $100 per person, $50 for young alumni (2002-2007).
