2002-03 Year-End Awards

May 30, 2003 

KUTZTOWN ANNOUNCES ATHLETES, COACHES OF THE YEAR 

KUTZTOWN, PA – The Kutztown University Athletics Department named its 2002-03 Athletes and Coaches of the Year at the annual Hall of Fame and Athletic Awards banquet on Friday, May 30. 

            Scott Eisenhart (sr. York/Spring Grove) and Missy Klein (sr. Havertown/Cardinal O’Hara) were the Male and Female Athletes of the Year, respectively.  Head basketball coach Bernie Driscoll received the Dr. Dennis Roth/Nike Award, presented to KU’s Coach of the Year for male athletics.  Head volleyball coach John Gump received the Dr. Dorothy Moyer/Nike Award, presented to KU’s Coach of the Year for Women’s Athletics.      

Eisenhart

Klein

Driscoll

Gump

       Eisenhart had a stellar season on the track for the Golden Bears, including a second-place finish at the 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships in the 400 meters (47.76).  During the outdoor season, he earned Most Outstanding Track Athlete and Most Outstanding Athlete honors at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships, leading KU to a fourth place finish.  Eisenhart won the 400 in a stadium record time of 47.54 and helped the 4x400 relay team to a first-place finish in championship-record time (3:12.15).  The 4x400 relay team went on to set a school record (3:11.92) in the preliminaries at the Outdoor Track and Field Championships and placed sixth in the finals.  Eisenhart will graduate as the schools record-holder in the indoor 400 and 500 and the outdoor 400.  He also on four other record-setting relay teams during his career. 

            Klein was an important part of the KU’s women’s volleyball team that won a share of the PSAC East title for the first time in school history.  She enjoyed perhaps the best single-season ever from a statistical standpoint, setting the mark for kills (445) and digs (532).  She had a .252 hitting percentage and led the team in kills per game (3.74) and service aces (47).  Klein also established two impressive career records – kills (1,142) and digs (1,327).  An All-PSAC first team selection, Klein led a Golden Bear team with six seniors to a 21-13 overall record.  KU was 8-2 in the PSAC East, qualifying for a berth in the PSAC final four and setting a school record for conference wins.   

    
          Driscoll engineered a storybook turn around for Kutztown’s men’s basketball team in just his third year as head coach.  After winning just 11 games combined over the past two seasons, the Golden Bears went 18-10 in 2002-03 and qualified for the PSAC Playoffs.  The 18 wins were second-most in school history, only behind the 1987-88 team that finished 21-10.  KU went 8-4 in the PSAC East, including road wins at West Chester, Mansfield and Bloomsburg.  After starting the season 0-2, the Golden Bears reeled off 14 wins in their next 16 games, earning a spot in the NCAA East Regional poll.  Driscoll coached two All-PSAC East selections, including one first-team member.       

          Gump guided KU’s women’s volleyball team to the PSAC Playoffs for the first time since 1998.  After losing two of its first three matches, Kutztown rebounded by winning 11 straight, including taking first place at two of its own tournaments – the Kutztown Classic and Kutztown Challenge.  In conference play, KU started 5-0 and defeated East Stroudsburg 3-1 on the final day of the regular season to claim its share of the PSAC East crown.  Gump coached four All-PSAC selections, including the PSAC East Rookie of the Year and two first-team picks.  In six seasons at KU, Gump owns a 117-69 record.