University of Delaware senior Gina Knutson, an outfielder on the Blue Hen softball team, has been honored with the University of Delaware Dr. Myles Brand/Undergraduate Sport Management Award.

The award is given each year to a senior male and female sport management major who in and out of the classroom, potentially on the playing field, in the community and in their professional activities, displays the ideals championed by the NCAA in its core purpose - "To govern competition in a fair, safe, equitable, and sportsmanlike manner, and to integrate intercollegiate athletics into higher education so that the educational experience of the student is paramount."

The award is named in honor of Dr. Brand, the former NCAA President who passed away in 2009, and was created after he visited campus to speak to UD students and faculty during the fall 2005 semester.

“Gina is a true embodiment of the student-athlete and lives up to the high ideals of the NCAA on a daily basis,” said Dr. Matt Robinson, director of the UD sport management program. “It has been a pleasure having Gina as a student in the sport management program and we are proud of what she has accomplished as an athlete. Dr. Brand would be proud to know a person of Gina’s quality received the award.”

A member of the Sport Management Club, Knutson was named to the Dean’s List in the fall of 2012 and has participated in numerous community service activities. She volunteered as a mentor and counselor at Gilpin Manor Elementary School during the fall, and has been active with fundraising for the Pigskin Pass and Movember Movement for Men’s Cancer. Last year Knutson helped the softball squad win the Operation Blue Hen Team Award, while she was the individual female winner for the Operation Blue Hen Spirit Award as well.

As a football operations intern, Knutson was responsible for coordinating events and promoting community relations by setting up Monday night visits with youth groups, which included a highlight video, a facilities tour, and Q&A sessions with players and coaches. She also coordinated player appearances at the A.I. duPont Children’s Hospital and assisted UD Director of Football Operations Jerry Oravitz with the CAA Blood Drive.

"I am so proud of Gina, and am thrilled to learn she is receiving the UD Myles Brand Award,” Oravitz said. “For the past two years Gina has helped to plan, coordinate, and execute many of the behind-the-scenes details (team travel, summer camps, training camp, game day operations, etc.) necessary to operate an NCAA FCS program. Gina's passion, commitment, and selfless attitude for being of service to others reflect many of the important values that Myles Brand stood for.”

Knutson has been a four-year contributor on the Blue Hen softball team as a catcher and outfielder, and has helped lead the Blue Hens to the CAA Tournament during each of her final three seasons. She was a second team All-CAA selection as a sophomore, and currently ranks third in Delaware history with 14 career home runs.

Blue Hen freshman Braden Shattuck tied for seventh place in the individual standings while the University of Delaware men’s golf team also tied for seventh in the team standings this weekend at the Navy Spring Invitational.

After posting a 306 team score on Saturday, the Blue Hens improved three strokes to fire a 303 during Sunday’s round to finish tied for seventh out of 21 teams with a two-round score of 609. Virginia and Penn tied for the team title with 599 scores, while Virginia Tech and Wake Forest tied for third place at 601.

Shattuck carded an even par 71 on Sunday on the par 71, 6,611-yard Naval Academy Golf Course, finishing tied for seventh place with a six over par 77-71-148. The freshman posted his sixth top 10 finish of the year including his fourth straight, the longest streak by a Blue Hen since Justin Martinson posted five consecutive top 10 finishes during the 2010 spring season.

Senior Ben Conroy fired a six over par 77 during his round on Sunday, finishing in a tie for 12th place with an eight over par 73-77-150. Junior Dan Costenbader had the second lowest round by a UD golfer during the final round, as he recorded a four over 75 to finish tied for 29th place at 78-75-153, 11 over par.

Sophomore Niño Rosal carded a 10 over par 81 on Sunday as he tied for 63rd place with a 17 over par 78-81-159, while freshman Kyle Martin fired a nine over 80 to finish tied for 75th place at 81-80-161, 19 over par.

Joe Gunerman of Towson was the tournament medalist as he posted a one-shot victory with a two-over par 75-69-144 during the weekend.

The Blue Hens conclude their 2012-13 regular season next weekend when Delaware competes in the Colonial Athletic Association Championships at St. James Plantation in Southport, N.C.

A three-time Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year, University of Delaware senior Elena Delle Donne was honored again Tuesday as the CAA Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season.

Delle Donne was one of five winter sports student-athletes who were among the best in their sports both athletically and academically selected by the CAA.

The conference honors one Scholar-Athlete in each of its 22 championship sports. Nominees for the award must be a starter or important reserve on their team and must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.25. The winners were selected by a vote of the media relations directors at each CAA institution.

A human services major, Delle Donne was selected as the Capital One Academic All-American of the Year in women’s basketball for the second year in a row, becoming only the fourth person to receive that honor in consecutive seasons. Additionally, she is a four-time member of the CAA All-Academic first team.

On the court, Delle Donne received first-team All-America accolades for the second year in a row and is a finalist for several national Player of the Year awards.

Delle Donne helped lead the No. 15 Blue Hens to a 32-4 overall record this season with back-to-back CAA titles and a NCAA Sweet 16 appearance for the first time in school history. She ranked second in the nation with 26.0 points per game and scored 30 or more points in eight games this season. Delle Donne holds CAA career records for points, field goals, free throws, free throws attempted and blocks in addition to finishing fifth all-time in NCAA history with 3,039 career points.

Also earning Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors for their respective sports were William& Mary redshirt junior Kyle Gaillard (men’s basketball), William & Mary junior Andrew Strait (men’s swimming and diving), Towson junior Melanie Rowland (women’s swimming and diving), and Hofstra senior Steve Bonnano (wrestling).