The NCAA News - News and Features

January 5, 1998

NCAA honors memory of Hawaii athlete

The late Shannon Shea Smith of the University of Hawaii, Manoa, will be remembered with the NCAA Award of Valor at the honors dinner January 11 during the NCAA Convention in Atlanta.

The Award of Valor is presented to an individual who, when confronted with a situation involving personal danger, averted or minimized potential disaster by courageous action or noteworthy bravery.

Smith, a placekicker for the University of Hawaii, Manoa, football team, gave his live to save the life of 6-year-old Cody vonAppen. VonAppen is the son of Hawaii's head football coach, Fred vonAppen.

Smith drowned March 29, 1997, at Waipahee Slippery Slide, a popular fresh water stream in the mountains on the island of Kauai. Smith, the vonAppen family and other friends of Smith were enjoying a day of exploring on the island of Kauai, Smith's home, before the accident occurred.

The Hawaii football team dedicated this season to Smith, who died just three days before his 21st birthday. On August 29, 1997, the football locker room at Hawaii was dedicated in his honor.

This will be only the seventh time for the NCAA to present the Award of Valor and the first time since 1984.

Previous winners include former University of Maryland, College Park, men's basketball coach Charles "Lefty" Driesell; William J. Miller of the University of Texas at Arlington; the Ursinus College 1973 men's basketball team; Dwayne A. Wright of St. Mary's College (California); Timothy J. McCarthy of the University of Illinois, Champaign; and Joseph A. Delaney of Northwestern State University.