Sept. 26, 2015
Photo Gallery
WASHINGTON - The Georgetown University Athletics Department recognized award recipients from the 2014-15 academic year on Friday night at the 29th Annual Athletic Recognition Event, hosted by The Annual Fund for Georgetown Athletics and Hoyas Unlimited, held at the Leo J. O'Donovan Hall.
Master of Ceremonies Joe Lonardo (C'69), a former Hoya football player and captain, welcomed the crowd.by telling of meeting his roommate, Jim Supple, a former basketball player and captain as well.
"Can you imagine the people you're here with tonight?" Lonardo said. "Your friends, your teammates, people you will be close to for the rest of your life. This is Georgetown. This is why we're here. We hope you will all stay committed to your friendships and to Georgetown."
Lonardo introduced Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Lee Reed, who spoke of some of the highlights from the 2014-15 year, but also thanked the student-athletes, coaches and supporters who were present.
"I could go on and on about our accomplishment, but I want to thank everyone in the room for all that you do for our student-athletes and for our coaches," Reed said. "Student-athletes, I admire you so much and thank you for all that you do to represent this University. You are tremendous ambassadors for this University."
The highlight of the event was the presentation of the Robert A. Duffey Scholar-Athlete Award, which was awarded to Katrina Coogan (N'16) of the women's cross country/track & field team. Prior to being honored, Lonardo recognized Edward Kirk (C'55), the first recipient of the Duffey Award and a member of Georgetown's Athletic Hall of Fame for track & field.
The Robert A. Duffey Scholar-Athlete Award is presented each year to the Georgetown senior who best exhibits excellence in both academics and athletics. Robert Allan Duffey, of the College Class of 1944, was an extraordinary individual - a scholar, an athlete, and a hero. A star in football and a member of Georgetown's 1943 NCAA Finalist basketball team, Robert Duffey also excelled in the classroom. Tragically killed in the service of his country, Robert Duffey's memory lives on today, appropriately linked with the names of Georgetown's most prominent scholar-athletes.
A human science major, Coogan achieved a 3.7 grade-pointpaverage and earned Academic All-America honors in 2015 to accompany All-Academic recognition from the official coaches association in each of her four years of competition. In 2015, she was named an Institutional Scholar-Athlete by the BIG EAST Conference and an Academic All-District performer by the College Sports Information Directors Association. Coogan also represented Georgetown well in the community, helping with Operation Christmas Child, a team effort to provide holiday cheer to needy children around the world. A seven-time All-America performer, she captured the individual crown at both the BIG EAST and Mid-Atlantic Region Cross Country Championships in 2014, leading her teammates to the championship title in each. Named the Mid-Atlantic Region Female Athlete-of-the-Year, she ran to 16th place at the NCAA Cross Country Championships and helped her team to a fourth-place podium finish. In the outdoor track season, Coogan was the 2015 BIG EAST champion in the 1,500 meters. As a freshman in 2011, she was an essential point-scorer in the NCAA Cross Country Championships, helping the Hoyas to their first-ever national title.
"When thinking about my experience as a student-athlete at Georgetown, it is the people and the friendships I've made that have made my experience so great," Coogan said. "Being on a team with someone knowing they have your back and you have theirs creates an unbreakable bond that will last a lifetime."
The Award for Outstanding Achievement by a Female Athlete was presented to former women's soccer player Daphne Corboz (C'15). Corboz concluded her Georgetown career as the all-time leading scorer in program history with 134 points. She is the all-time leader in goals scored with 47 and ranks second all-time in assists with 40. A three-time All-America selection, Corboz was named the ECAC Offensive Player of the Year, BIG EAST Conference's Midfielder of the Year and the league's Offensive Player of the Year in 2014. In addition, she was a unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team. Corboz was not in attendance on Friday night as she is playing for the Manchester City women's team in England.
Junior men's soccer player Joshua Yaro (C'17) was the recipient of the Award for Outstanding Achievement by a Male Athlete. Yaro emerged as one of the best soccer player in the nation in 2014. In just his second year as a Hoya, he earned national player of the year honors from TopDrawerSoccer.com. A 2014 Hermann Trophy semifinalist, Joshua was a First Team All-America selection for the second time and First Team All-Region. Named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous selection to the all-conference first team, Joshua was a key part of Georgetown's 10 shutouts during the 2014 season, including a league-best six shutouts in the nine conference games played.
"I want to thank the athletic department for all they do for us, providing a safe environment for us to study and compete," Yaro said. "I also want to especially thank my coaches for supporting me. Over the past few years, I've been fortunate to receive numerous accolades, but a lot of this goes to my teammates, who keep pushing me to be the best I can be."
Jamie Holder, head coach of the swimming & diving program, was presented with the Outstanding Coaching Achievement Award. In his five-year tenure as Georgetown's head coach, Holder and his staff have fashioned Georgetown swimming & diving into one of the top programs in the BIG EAST Conference. His swimmers have broken 70 school records in this period. During the 2014-15 season, Holder guided his women's and men's squads to four individual BIG EAST titles as well as second-place team finishes at the BIG EAST Championship meet for the second-straight year. In addition, the Hoyas earned 29 overall medals and broke eight program records during the 2015 Championships.
"We've built something here and I couldn't have done it without the support of the athletic department," Holder said. "I've got to thank my student-athletes, especially my upperclassmen, for buying into what we're doing here. One of the things we've talked about with our program is coming in and leaving it in a better place than we found it. As tough as it was five years ago, everyone here has an opportunity to leave their program better than it was where you started. And I challenge you as that is the only the beginning."
Other awards to be presented include the Outstanding Contribution to Athletics Award, which was presented to Lauralyn Lee, and the J. Gregory Carroll Award, which was presented to Betsy Comerford (B'80, P'15, P'18).
The Outstanding Contribution to Athletics Award was presented to an individual who has served Georgetown Athletics in such an outstanding way as to merit special recognition. Lee has served Georgetown and the Department of Athletics in a quiet and effective way for the past 13 years. As a senior attorney in the Office of University Counsel, she has supported and helped guide the Athletic Department on a range of issues including NCAA rules compliance, Title IX compliance, and student-athlete development. She was also an essential contributor to Georgetown's most recent NCAA Self-Study and Certification. With broad participation throughout the University, the successful Self-Study both affirmed Georgetown Athletics' many strengths and helped to identify areas for improvement. More recently as the University's vice president for community engagement & strategic initiatives, Lee has represented the University and Georgetown Athletics in the District of the Columbia. In this role, she has supported athletics and University leadership on strategic planning for the sustainability and growth of Georgetown Athletics, negotiated with city officials to identify and to develop opportunities for new and future athletic facilities and fields on campus and off, and promoted the multiple ways our student-athletes and coaches are engaged in the local community.
The J. Gregory Carroll Award has been dedicated to the memory of J. Gregory Carroll, Director of Hoyas Unlimited from 1985-89, when he suddenly passed away. Carroll gave definition to the words dedication, commitment, loyalty and selfless service. Comerford has been active in supporting Georgetown Athletics for many years, as an alumna, parent, volunteer, donor, fan, and board member. Notably, she is an enthusiastic and tireless volunteer, bringing tremendous energy to the task of engaging the Hoya swimming & diving community. As a member of the Board of Regents Athletics Committee, she has supported scholarships and facility initiatives of the Athletics Director and offered guidance and assistance on alumni engagement. As a parent, she has hosted events, including the first-ever Athletics Parents Leadership Donor Event on behalf of Lee Reed, as well as events in support of the swimming & diving program.
