Story Links
July 24, 2003
Greensboro, NC – University of Virginia lacrosse player Chris Rotelli has been selected as the recipient of the Anthony J. McKevlin Award as the Atlantic Coast Conference’s 2002-03 male athlete of the year, as voted on by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. The award is named for the longtime sports editor of The (Raleigh) News & Observer newspaper.
Rotelli is the first men’s lacrosse player ever named the conference’s top athlete. He is also the first Cavalier to receive the award since basketball player Ralph Sampson was named the league’s top athlete 20 years ago. Clemson’s Kris Benson (1996) was the last non-basketball or football player to win the award before this season.
Rotelli received 16 votes, four more than Wake Forest basketball player Josh Howard and six more than Clemson golfer D.J. Trahan. Rounding out the voting for the McKevlin Award was N.C. State baseball player Colt Morton (2), and Georgia Tech golfer Troy Matteson and North Carolina baseball player Jeremy Cleveland with one vote apiece.
Rotelli, a Rumford, R.I., native turned in one of the best seasons ever by a Virginia lacrosse player in leading the Cavaliers to the national championship. He was the winner of the Tewaaraton Trophy, presented annually to the top player in the nation as well as being named USILA Midfielder of the Year. He was a first-team All-American this season and was selected the ACC Player of the Year, as well as being on the All-ACC squad for the third year in a row.
In postseason tournament play, Rotelli was named to the All-NCAA Championships team and the ACC All-Tournament team as UVa won both titles.
He led the team in scoring this past season with 49 points, the first midfielder to lead the team in 37 years. He scored 26 goals and added 23 assists-both figures are school records for a midfielder-to become the first “20-20” middie in school history.
Other Cavaliers to win the ACC Athlete of the Year Award include football player Frank Quayle (1968) and basketball player Barry Parkhill (1972).
Duke basketball player Alana Beard was selected as the Mary Garber Award winner as the ACC’s Female Athlete of the Year.
The complete list of ACC Athletes of the Year is below.
Anthony J. McKevlin Award Recipients
ACC Male Athlete of the Year
1954 Joel Shankle, Duke……………… Track & Field
1955 Dickie Hemric, WF………………….. Basketball
1956 Dave Sime, Duke….. Track & Field/Basketball
1957 Lennie Rosenbluth, UNC………….. Basketball
1958 Dick Christy, NCS……………………… Football
1959 Lou Pucillo, NCS……………………. Basketball
1960 Mike McGee, Duke…………………….. Football
1961 Roman Gabriel, NCS………………….. Football
1962 Len Chappell, WF…………………… Basketball
1963 Art Heyman, Duke………………….. Basketball
1964 Jeff Mullins, Duke…………………… Basketball
1965 Brian Piccolo, WF……………………… Football
1966 Danny Talbott,UNC………… Football/Baseball
1967 Bobby Bryant, USC………… Football/Baseball
1968 Larry Miller, UNC…………………… Basketball
1969 Frank Quayle, UVa……………………. Football
1970 Charlie Scott, UNC………………….. Basketball
1971 Don McCauley, UNC…………………… Football
1972 Barry Parkhill, UVa………………… Basketball
1973 David Thompson, NCS…………….. Basketball
1974 Tony Waldrop, UNC…………….. Track & Field
1975 David Thompson, NCS…………….. Basketball
1976 John Lucas, Md…………….. Basketball/Tennis
1977 Phil Ford, UNC……………………… Basketball
1978 Phil Ford, UNC……………………… Basketball
1979 Renaldo Nehemiah, Md………… Track & Field
1980 Julie Shea, NCS………………….. Track & Field
1981 Julie Shea, NCS………………….. Track & Field
1982 James Worthy, UNC………………… Basketball
1983 Ralph Sampson, UVa……………… Basketball
1984 Michael Jordan, UNC………………. Basketball
1985 B.J. Surhoff, UNC……………………… Baseball
1986 Len Bias, Md………………………… Basketball
1987 Riccardo Ingram, GaT….. Football/Basketball
1988 Danny Ferry, Duke………………….. Basketball
1989 Danny Ferry, Duke………………….. Basketball
1990 Clarkston Hines, Duke……………….. Football
1991 Christian Laettner, Duke………….. Basketball
1992 Christian Laettner, Duke………….. Basketball
1993 Charlie Ward, FSU………. Football/Basketball
1994 Charlie Ward, FSU………. Football/Basketball
1995 Randolph Childress, WF…………… Basketball
1996 Kris Benson, Clem……………………. Baseball
1997 Tim Duncan, WF……………………. Basketball
1998 Antawn Jamison, UNC…………….. Basketball
1999 Elton Brand, Duke………………….. Basketball
2000 Joe Hamilton, GaT…………………….. Football
2001 Shane Battier, Duke………………… Basketball
2002 Juan Dixon, Md……………………… Basketball
2003 Chris Rotelli, UVa…………………….. Lacrosse
Mary Garber Award Recipients
ACC Female Athlete of the Year
1990 Shannon Higgins, UNC…………………. Soccer
1991 Dawn Staley, UVa………………….. Basketball
1992 Dawn Staley, UVa………………….. Basketball
1993 Mia Hamm, UNC…………………………. Soccer
1994 Mia Hamm, UNC…………………………. Soccer
1995 Tisha Venturini, UNC……………………. Soccer
1996 Kelly Amonte, Md…………….. Soccer/Lacrosse
1997 Sarah Forbes, Md…………………….. Lacrosse
1998 Vanessa Webb, Duke……………………. Tennis
1999 Cindy Parlow, UNC………………………. Soccer
2000 Jen Adams, Md………………………… Lacrosse
2001 Jen Adams, Md………………………… Lacrosse
2002 Bea Bielik, WF…………………………… Tennis
2003 Alana Beard, Duke…………………. Basketball