Athletic News Releases

Women's tennis record holder Brachova receives Russell W. Landis Award (photo gallery)

MOUNT VERNON - Senior women's tennis player Pavla Brachova (Ames/Ames) was the recipient of the Russell W. Landis Award, headlining the list of special awards winners at Cornell College's Athletics Recognition Banquet Tuesday night at King Chapel.

Brachova earned the banquet's most prestigious annual award, which recognizes the individual who over a four-year career has best demonstrated academic excellence, campus leadership and athletic achievement at Cornell. Brachova, a four-year letterwinner and team captain, is the school's all-time tennis leader in total wins (148) and doubles wins (83). A five-time all-Iowa Conference performer, Brachova compiled a 148-48 career record, including a 44-10 mark during her senior season.

Brachova carries a 3.34 cumulative grade point average. She is majoring in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Spanish. Brachova served in several leadership roles at Cornell, including memberships with Lunch Buddies, Beta Beta Beta Biology Honors Society, SAAC, Chemistry Reading Group and Cornell College Republicans.

Rachelle Hawkins (Boise, Idaho/Bishop Kelly), a four-year letterwinner in cross country and track and field, was recognized as Senior Female Athlete of the Year. She is a three-time all-conference and two-time all-region performer in cross country, where she became the program's first national qualifier since 1993. Hawkins owns the school record in the six-kilometer race, which she reset for the final time at nationals last fall. She is a four-time indoor track and field all-conference honoree with seven school records in her name. Hawkins became Cornell's third female All-American in indoor track and field with an eighth-place finish in the mile run at the 2009 NCAA Division III Championships.

The Paul K. Scott Award, given to the Senior Male Athlete of the Year, was shared by men's basketball player Griffin LaDew (Pewaukee, Wis./Waukesha Catholic Memorial) and wrestler Kyle Kehrli (Winthrop/East Buchanan). LaDew is the most prolific scorer in 100 years of Cornell men's basketball with 1,561 points. The shooting guard is a three-time all-conference selection, earning first team accolades in 2008 and 2009. LaDew started 99 of 104 games in four seasons and holds school records for career 3-point goals made (240) and free throw percentage (88.1). He ranked in the top 10 in the IIAC in seven statistical categories in his senior season.

Kehrli, a two-time All-American, placed fifth at the 2009 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships after taking sixth as a junior. He captured the 174-pound title at the IIAC Championships in February, becoming the program's third conference champion as a member of the IIAC. Kehrli finished 46-6 in his senior campaign, leading all Division III wrestlers in wins and also setting a new school standard for victories in a season. He compiled a 114-65 career record, placing him seventh on Cornell's all-time wins list.

Sportswoman of the Year went to senior distance runner Amanda Jepson (Wayland/WACO), and Sportsman of the Year to senior baseball player Casey Korn (High Ridge, Mo./Northwest). Jepson is a four-year letterwinner in cross country and track and field. She was captain of the cross country team and placed in the top five at the conference track and field championships in the 3,000 steeplechase as a sophomore and junior. Jepson, a 3.80 student, served as SAAC president this year. Korn is a three-time all-conference performer, earning first team honors at utility in 2007 and 2009. He started 117 games at Cornell and finished in the top 10 in career hits (118), runs (81), doubles (32) and RBIs (76). Korn made 43 appearances on the mound and recorded 170 career strikeouts. He served as Sports Director the past two years at KRNL, organizing all Cornell athletic broadcasts. Korn is also a SAAC member.

Freshman women's basketball player Teresa Cecchetti (Dixon, Ill./Dixon) was voted First-year Female Athlete of the Year and freshman distance runner Adam Rooyakkers (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly) was named First-year Male Athlete of the Year. Cecchetti started 20 games, scoring in double figures in 14. She led the Rams in field goal percentage (41.9), ranked second in scoring (10.3 ppg) and assists (50) and third in rebounds (6.2 rpg) and blocks (21). Rooyakkers was the Rams' No. 4 runner in cross country and held the team's top 800-meter time in track and field. He anchored the runner-up and all-conference 4x800 relay and was part of the school-record setting distance medley relay at the IIAC Indoor Championships. Rooyakkers placed fourth in the 800 at the IIAC Outdoor Championships.

Men's basketball coach Mike DeGeorge was selected Coach of the Year. In his fifth year at the helm, he guided the Rams to their first Iowa Conference Tournament title and their first national tournament berth since 1994. Cornell established a single-season record with 21 wins under DeGeorge, who was named the 2008-09 IIAC Coach of the Year.

DeGeorge recognized Fred Stroh as recipient of the Friend of Cornell Athletic Award, given to an individual outside the athletics department who demonstrated noteworthy support of Cornell athletics beyond monetary donations. Stroh has volunteered to keep scorebook for men's basketball games the past 20 years.

Head athletic trainer Eric Dybvig announced sophomore Eric Reese as the winner of the newly-named Dick R. Simmons Sports Medicine Assistant of the Year. Simmons served 17 years (1991-2008) as Cornell's head athletic trainer.  

Cornell Athletics Recognition Banquet Special Awards
Dick R. Simmons Sports Medicine Assistant of the Year - Eric Reese
Friend of Cornell Athletics - Fred Stroh
Coach of the Year - Mike DeGeorge (men's basketball)
First-year Female Athlete of the Year - Teresa Cecchetti (basketball)
First-year Male Athlete of the Year - Adam Rooyakkers (cross country/track and field)
Sportswoman of the Year - Amanda Jepson (cross country/track and field)
Sportsman of the Year - Casey Korn (baseball)
Senior Female Athlete of the Year - Rachelle Hawkins (cross country/track and field)
Senior Male Athlete of the Year - Griffin LaDew (basketball) and Kyle Kehrli (wrestling)
Russell W. Landis Award - Pavla Brachova (tennis)