Men's Basketball

YORK, PA - The York College athletic department celebrated the 2007-2008 academic year in fine style Friday evening with a gala event held at Charles Wolf Gymnasium in York’s Grumbacher Sport & Fitness Center.

The annual banquet provided a time for the entire athletic department to recognize and celebrate the achievements of each of the York’s 20 varsity teams as well as the individual accomplishments among the Spartans’ 446 student-athletes. 

“The whole department looks forward to this event,” Assistant Dean of Athletics and Recreation Sean Sullivan said. “The banquet is a great opportunity for all of our coaches and athletes to appreciate what each other has accomplished. We had a great year, in fact the best we ever had, and this event gives us the chance to reflect and see what was achieved.”

The best athletic year for the Spartans in the history of York College, the green and white captured a school-best 325 victories and posted an overall winning percentage of 65 percent. A school-record total of 71 Spartans received All-Capital Athletic Conference selections while 32 were first-team bids, also a school-record.

“The success we achieved this year was truly unprecedented,” Sullivan said. “We are continuing to improve throughout the department and it is great to see us get better each year.”

Included in the event were several significant achievement awards presented to individual Spartan athletes. The Demeester Scholar Athlete Awards, given to both the male and female senior athlete who has achieved the highest grade point average, went to men’s tennis player Ron Ho (Frederick, Md./Frederick) and field hockey’s Chelsey Topper (Hanover, Pa./New Oxford). Ho posted an outstanding 3.83 GPA while Topper’s sparkling 4.0 grade point average was tops among York’s women’s athletes. In conjunction with the individual classroom accolades, the men’s tennis team placed first among all men’s teams with a 3.21 team GPA while field hockey’s 3.53 average earned the distinction as York’s highest team GPA.

“Both Ron and Chelsey are student-athletes in the truest sense,” Sullivan said. “They bring excellence both in the classroom and on the field. It is great to see them set a strong example for their teammates as both of their teams had outstanding overall grade point averages.”

Sports Information Director Scott Guise received the Student-Athlete Appreciation Award as given by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Guise’s undying passion for Spartan athletics and his willingness to go far above the requirements of his position have allowed him to become one of the most beloved and respected members of the York College community.

“Scott’s work here is truly outstanding,” Assistant Athletic Trainer and SAAC Advisor Allison Kunkel said. “He not only does a great job on the sports information end but he gets to know the athletes personally and cares about their success. His incredible efforts and passion for the teams here is remarkable.” 

The evening concluded with the presentation of three prestigious awards for a trio of outstanding senior athletes. Joe Kenworthy (York, Pa./Severna Park), a goalkeeper for the men’s lacrosse team, received the Jack Jaquet Fighting Heart award. Joe’s battle with and subsequent victory over cancer combined with his love for lacrosse have been an inspiration to his teammates, coaches, and the entire athletic department.

“Joe’s story is simply incredible,” men’s lacrosse head coach Jim Griffin said. “It is great to see him win this award. He is an amazing young man.”

Emily Sullivan’s (Bowie, Md./Archbishop Spalding) four-years of work on the soccer pitch concludes with the Georgia Heathcote Stallman award as York’s most outstanding senior female athlete. Sullivan leaves the Spartan program as the career assists leader with 34, while she ranks second all-time in goals (41) and total points (116).  Sullivan was a four-time All-Capital Athletic Conference first-team selection to go along with league Rookie-of-the-Year honors in 2004.  This year, the midfielder was selected as a third-team CoSIDA Academic All-American, starring both on the field and in the classroom. Sullivan sports a sparkling 3.9 grade point average and will graduate with a degree in mathematics.

“Emily certainly did a great job for us, not only this year but in all four seasons,” women’s soccer head coach Vicki Sterner said. “She has worked incredibly hard for this program and it is wonderful to see her receive this honor.” 

The Daniel J. Klinedinst award, given to York’s top senior male athlete, went to men’s basketball star Chad McGowan (Dallastown, Pa./Dallastown). The forward provided the Spartans with four stellar campaigns that resulted in an extensive list of accolades. A two-time NABC/State Farm All-American, McGowan is the only player in York men’s basketball history to receive such an honor. He was also a two-time CAC Player-of-the-Year and the league’s Rookie-of-the-Year for the 2004-2005 season. Twice selected to the NABC All-Mid-Atlantic Region squad, the forward was the region’s Player-of-the-Year in 2007. McGowan, who averaged over 26 points per game for his career, leaves York ranking second all-time in points with 1,980.

“Chad has made an indelible impression on this program,” men’s basketball head coach Jeff Gamber said. “Not only is he a great player but he is also a great kid. He will definitely be missed.”

Photo of Joe Kenworthy, Emily Sullivan, and Chad McGowan courtesy of Scott Guise