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The NCAA News -- January 18, 1999

Award recipients celebrate experiences as student-athletes

BY KAY HAWES
STAFF WRITER

SAN ANTONIO -- It was a night for the NCAA to bestow its highest honors, celebrate the joys of competing in intercollegiate athletics and acknowledge the accomplishments of exceptional student-athletes, both past and present.

Always an evening to remember, this particular honors dinner will be remembered for the humor of Bill Walton, who accepted on behalf of the Silver Anniversary Award honorees with a mixture of levity and awe.

"When I graduated from UCLA in 1974, I joined the NBA -- or what used to be the NBA -- and my quality of life actually went down. On behalf of all the honorees, I thank the NCAA for the greatest life that anybody possibly could have," Walton said.

"I'd like to thank the NCAA, first as a former participant, second as a father who has two sons pursuing their dreams at NCAA schools, and finally, as a fan, for keeping the opportunities there for young people."

Other Silver Anniversary winners were David J. Casper, University of Notre Dame; Anita DeFrantz, Connecticut College; Pat Summitt, University of Tennessee, Martin; Lynn Swann, University of Southern California; and Robert R. Thomas, University of Notre Dame.

Summitt appeared via satellite to accept her award, since her Lady Vols basketball team was only hours from its 92-81 victory over the top-ranked Huskies of Connecticut. "It's certainly one of the nicest honors we can receive as a student-athlete," Summitt said of the Silver Anniversary Award. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart and wish I could be there."

Character in athletics

Bill Richardson, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, was presented with the Theodore Roosevelt Award, the most prestigious honor bestowed on an individual by the NCAA.

Twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in diplomacy, Richardson is a former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and a former congressman from New Mexico. He also is a former student-athlete from Tufts University, where he played baseball.

"You know, sports and politics and diplomacy are very much alike," Richardson said. "You need teamwork, you need tenacity, you need to be focused, you need to know what your teammates are going to do -- but most importantly -- you need to have character."

Richardson also made mention of Theodore Roosevelt, noting that the award was aptly named for a man who valued character.

"Let there be no doubt, I accept this Teddy with deep appreciation," Richardson said. "If you look at the former award winners, I pale in comparison."

Richardson also spoke of the benefits he had gained from being a student-athlete. "In my life, I've had a lot of great moments. I've talked to presidents, I've talked to world leaders, and I've talked to the world's greatest thugs. But nothing matches the thrill of competition."

Top VIII winners

Kristin Folkl, a recent graduate of Stanford who played both basketball and volleyball, accepted on behalf of the Today's Top VIII winners.

"NCAA collegiate athletics provides for its athletes the opportunity to do good things," Folkl said. "It both allows and expects its athletes to be self-controlled, upstanding, involved people. The fact that so many thousands of athletes remain so during their years of eligibility speaks volumes about the importance of the NCAA to the collegiate athlete.

"I think that athletics, just like education, should positively impact the society. I would like to thank the NCAA for giving thousands of athletes around the country the opportunity to thrive. And I would like to applaud the efforts of all the student-athletes here tonight for using their determination and perseverance to turn this opportunity into a success."

The other Top VIII winners were Margaret Boutilier, University of Virginia; Henry Gerten, Augsburg College; Vera Ilyina, University of Texas at Austin; Jamie McDaniel, Ashland University; Emily Stauffer, Harvard University; Matthew Stinchcomb, University of Georgia; and Kevin Sullivan, University of Michigan.

The emcee for the evening, Andrea Joyce of CBS Sports, expressed her feelings about the NCAA as well. "Over the past 10 years, my career has really been defined by my NCAA involvement," she said of her professional assignments. "I think it's safe to say I know you guys, and I really, really like you. Growing up I could never do a cartwheel, and I could never do the splits, but you will never find a bigger cheerleader for the NCAA."

The night had a few solemn moments as well. Stauffer was recognized for her dedication to her brother, who was diagnosed with leukemia during Stauffer's senior year. Stauffer took a leave of absence from school and donated bone marrow to her brother, who passed away a year ago to the day of the honors dinner.

And Joyce asked for a moment of silence to remember Lisa Coole, 1997 NCAA Woman of the Year and a Top VIII award winner last year. Coole died in an auto accident in May.