Novotni, Kester chosen as Withelder award winners
Natalie Novotni and Jonathan Kester, members of Sun Valley High’s Class of 2017, recently were named the winners of the 2017 Ray Withelder Memorial Scholar-Athlete award.
Natalie, who competed in cross country and track and field at Sun Valley, will study nursing and continue her athletic career at Moravian College. She was a 7th Congressional District Scholar-Athlete as well as a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society.
Kester competed in football and track and field until suffering a career-ending injury last fall. He was a member of the Mathematics Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society and will study business at Widener University.
Brian “Jake” McCrae, a former Ridley Park resident and 1992 graduate of St. James High, has joined the University of Florida’s football staff. He will be in charge of external operations and will serve as a liaison between the Florida football staff and high school coaches.
McCrae was a lineman at the University of New Haven, where he played under coaches Mark Whipple, who is now head coach at the University of Massachusetts, and Tony Sparano, the former Miami Dolphins head coach who earlier this year became offensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings.
At St. James, McCrae played for the 1991 football team, which won the Catholic League Southern Division championship under head coach Ray Gionta.
As a Florida high school coach, McCrae was offensive coordinator at Fort Meade (1997-2002), assistant head coach at Bartow High (2003-2009), and head coach at Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) High for four years before returning to Bartow as head coach for two seasons.
The Sports Legends of Delaware County Museum in Radnor is featuring one of the cards from its newest collection of top county sports figures each week on the museum’s website at www.sportslegendsofdelawarecounty.com.
The featured card this week is that of Jake O’Donnell, the former Clifton Heights resident who joined the NBA officiating staff in 1967 and worked more than 2,100 regularseason games and 279 playoff games before he retired in 1995.
O’Donnell also was a major-league baseball umpire from 1968-71 and is the only person to have officiated allstar games in the NBA and Major League Baseball.
The Sports Legends Museum, which is located at 301 Iven Avenue in Radnor, is continuing its drive to raise funds to have a statue erected of Radnor High graduate Emlen Tunnell, a World War II hero and the first African-American elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Museum curator Jim Vankoski is seeking sponsors for individual cards in an Emlen Tunnell card set. Sponsorships cost $200 and will be tax-deductible.
For additional information, contact Vankoski at 610-909-4919 or visit www.sportslegendsofdelawarecounty.com or www. emlentunnell.com.
Recently Vankoski received a letter from Tom Greene of Baltimore.
“I remember Emlen Tunnell well because he played for my college coach, Eddie Anderson, M.D., at the University of Iowa,” wrote Greene, 79, who played under Anderson at Holy Cross College.
“He used to describe Emlen as ‘picking apples off a tree’ when he was catching punts for the New York Giants. (When) I was at Holy Cross, Anderson was so confident about Tunnell’s performance each Sunday he used to tell (us) that he would give us a holiday from practice Monday if Tunnell ever dropped a punt.
“Needless to say, it was a holiday he never had to declare.”
Greene sent a check to the statue fund in memory of Tunnell as well as his deceased Holy Cross football teammates.
The Sports Legends Museum will host its fall Sports Cavalcade of Stars luncheon at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16.
The athletes featured on the Museum’s latest card set have been invited to attend, and Vankoski recently received commitments from Villanova women’s cross country and track and field coach Gina Procaccio, former pro football player Don Clune, former pro soccer player Jason Luzak, former pro rodeo star Kim (McKee) Hess, lacrosse Hall of Famer Candace Finn-Rocha, fencer Jake Hoyle, and former pro lacrosse player Mike Busza.
Other commitments have been received from former Villanova football coach Andy Talley, ex-Villanova track star George Sydnor, auto racing driver Mares Stellfox, former professional boxer Mike Picciotti, former University of Wisconsin men’s basketball coach Bo Ryan, retired NBA referee Joe Crawford, ParaOlympics gold medalist Dr. Eddie Coyle, former professional boxer Fredia Gibbs, and Saint Joseph’s University men’s basketball coach Phil Martelli among the special guests.
Tickets are $25, and only 100 will be available. Anyone purchasing a ticket will receive a 2017 Sports Legends of Delaware County card set.
For reservations, call Vankoski at 610-909-4919.
The deadline for nominations for consideration for induction at the Delaware County Athletes Hall of Fame’s 79th awards dinner, which will be held Sunday April 22, 2018, is July 28. Candidates must have been born in Delaware County, have been a resident of the county during his/her athletic career, or have participated in athletics in Delaware County.
Nomination forms are available at www.delcohalloffame.org. Completed forms can be mailed to Patricia Mescanti at 660 Red Lion Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348.
Additional information can be obtained by calling 610-793-7931 or at delcohalloffame@gmail.com.
Nominations also are being accepted for the following special awards: the Andrew W. MacMurtie Memorial, given to an individual who has voluntarily promoted, assisted or contributed time to youth organizations in the county; the Robert Finucane Memorial, presented to a former athlete or sports-oriented individual who has aspired to the top of his or her profession; and the Humanitarian Award, which goes to athletes or sports-oriented individuals who have aided, assisted or contributed time to humanitarian or charitable agencies.
Registration is open for tryouts for the Horizon Field Hockey Club’s 2018 indoor teams.
Tryouts will be held Saturday, Aug. 26, at Westtown School, with the U14 session beginning at 11:30 a.m., the U16 session at 1 p.m., and the U19 tryouts at 2:30 p.m.
U12 tryouts will take place in September.
The tryout fee is $30. For additional information or to register, visit horizonfhc@ gmail.com.