2003-04 Athletes/Coaches of the Year

June 4, 2004
 

KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY NAMES ATHLETES, COACHES OF THE YEAR 

KUTZTOWN, PA – The Kutztown University Athletics Department named its 2003-04 Athletes and Coaches of the Year at the annual Hall of Fame and Athletic Awards Banquet on Friday, June 4. 

            Athletes of the Year were Justin Collins (sr. Lake Ariel/Western Wayne), of the men’s track & field team, and Jessie Didier (sr. Tunkhannock/Tunkhannock), of the women’s volleyball team.  Head basketball coach Bernie Driscoll received the Dr. Dennis Roth/Nike Award, presented to KU’s Coach of the Year for male athletics.  Head soccer coach Jeff Schellenberger received the Dr. Dorothy Moyer/Nike Award, presented to KU’s Coach of the Year for Women’s Athletics. 

            Collins had a standout season for head coach Brian Mondschein’s track & field squads.  He was a two-time All-America performer in the long jump, placing fifth at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships.  His indoor-best performance of 24-7 ¾ set a school record.  Earlier in the indoor season, Collins was named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Athlete of the Year, after winning the long jump and triple jump at the PSAC Indoor Championships.  During the outdoor season, Collins earned All-America honors with a third-place finish in the long jump at the Division II Outdoor Championships.  His PSAC Championship long jump of 25-0 ¾ set a meet record. He was also the PSAC champ in the triple jump.   

            Didier guided head coach John Gump’s 2003 Women’s Volleyball team to a superb season.  KU was 21-9 overall, finishing the PSAC East division with a perfect 10-0 mark.  Didier was named the PSAC East Athlete of the Year, while earning first-team All-PSAC East and All-Atlantic Region honors.  She led KU with 81 blocks and added 200 kills.  She was also named to the PSAC Fall Academic Top 10 and was the recipient of Kutztown’s initial Dr. Chambliss Academic Achievement award Gold Medal for her accomplishments in volleyball and in the classroom. 

             Driscoll is a repeat winner of the Men’s Athletics Coach of the Year award.  His 2003-04 men’s basketball team continued its storied success of the past two years.  The Golden Bears finished the year with an 18-11 overall record, 7-5 in the PSAC East.  KU caught fire in the post-season, advancing to the PSAC Championship game for the first time in 15 years.   

            Schellenberger’s women’s soccer team had a breakthrough year during the fall 2003 season.  His squad finished with a 14-4-3 overall record, including a 9-2-1 mark in the PSAC.  Both win totals shattered the previous school records.  Schellenberger coached the team to its first PSAC and NCAA Championship tournament appearances in the program’s 20-year history.