University of North Carolina Athletics
Hunt & Zimmerman Named Lacrosse Team Co-MVPs
September 27, 2008 | Men's Lacrosse
Sept. 27, 2008
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C.--The University of North Carolina men's lacrosse team held its annual team awards dinner Saturday night in the Rams Room of Kenan Fieldhouse with senior midfielder Ben Hunt and redshirt senior goalkeeper Grant Zimmerman being named the co-Most Valuable Players of the 2008 Tar Heel team. This was the first awards dinner to be held under the tutelage of new UNC head lacrosse coach Joe Breschi.
Hunt and Zimmerman were named the co-recipients of the Turnbull Trophy as the team's most valuable players. Assistant coach Greg Paradine presented the awards to the two Tar Heels. Hunt and Zimmerman were both named first-team All-ACC players last year while Hunt was a third-team All-America and Zimmerman an honorable mention All-America. Hunt was Carolina's second-leading scorer in 2008 with 30 points with a team-leading 21 goals and nine assists. Zimmerman started all 14 matches in goal and was one of the most improved goalkeepers in the nation with a save percentage of .576, including 170 saves on a team that was outshot on the season 545-500. He also led UNC in ground balls with 65.
Several members of the Davy family were on hand to present the first-ever Ralph T. "Rip" Davy, III Senior Leadership Award to senior midfielder Mike Munnelly. Munnelly's father, James, was on hand to accept the award for his son. The award honors Rip Davy, who passed away earlier this year. Davy was the first Tar Heel to win first-team All-America honors after Carolina had advanced to NCAA Division I status in men's lacrosse in the mid-1970s. Davy was a senior defenseman and captain of the 1979 team, the first coached by legendary UNC head coach Willie Scroggs.
Munnelly was a two-time team captain, winner of the Carolina Leadership Academy's Three-Dimensional Award, four-time ACC Academic Honor Roll selection, eight-time UNC Dean's List honoree and coordinator for the past two years of the Carolina Dreams program, a philanthropic cause coordinated by UNC athletes with UNC Children's Hospital. Munnelly had inherited leadership of the program from UNC lacrosse player Dave Werry two years ago. Munnelly overcame seven knee surgeries in a two-year period to have an outstanding senior year for Carolina in 2008.
Brooks Brown, Class of '97, presented the Kevin Reichardt Memorial Award as the team's most improved player to junior midfielder Sean Delaney. Delaney, who played attack as a freshman in 2007, had a dynamite sophomore year in '08 with 12 goals and eight assists. He was the team's fifth-leading scorer with 20 points. The award honors Kevin Reichardt, Class of '97, who was tragically killed in the spring semester of his sophomore year in 1995.
Pat Olmert, Class of '89, presented the Dan Andrews Sportsmanship Award to senior midfielder Fletcher Gregory. The award honors Dan Andrews, Class of '86, who played one year at Carolina before suffering a career-ending injury in a bicycle accident following his freshman year at UNC. Andrews earned his degree from Carolina, went on to law school and serves as a judge in his native Maryland. Gregory, the recipient of the award, was a two-time team captain whose play as a senior was exemplary. His father, Fletcher Gregory, III, accepted the award on behalf of his son.
The Jay Gallagher Memorial Award as the outstanding freshman was given to sophomore Billy Bitter, who was amongst Carolina's leading scorers last year, with six goals and 15 assists for 21 points, the fourth highest total on the team. His 15 assists were second on the team. Gary Burns, Class of '82, made the presentation to his fellow Manhasset (N.Y.) High School graduate. The award honors former UNC assistant coach Jay Gallagher and was initiated by the Class of 1979.
The Danny Fox Memorial Award given for Service to UNC Lacrosse was presented by Tar Heel assistant coach Greg Paradine to Randy Cox, Class of '84, who has served as UNC's official timekeeper for many years while also organizing many alumni events in the Triangle area. The award honors long-time Tar Heel lacrosse fan and supporter Danny Fox, who we lost in 2002.
The Colonel Robert Needham Unsung Hero Award was given by former Tar Heel head coach Willie Scroggs to senior midfielder Nick Tintle. A two-time All-America, Tintle was a relentless competitor both on the offensive and defensive ends of the field as a short-stick midfielder for four years. A senior captain of the 2008 Tar Heels, Tintle had 19 points as a senior with six goals and 13 assists, third highest total on the team.
The Holmes Harden, Sr. Memorial Award for the Most Ground Balls was presented by Graham Harden, Class of 1991. Harden was the National Defenseman of the Year in 1991 and the award honors his father who passed away just weeks after the Tar Heels won the national championship in 1991. The winner of this year's award came from the defensive end of the field. UNC redshirt senior goalkeeper Grant Zimmerman claimed the most ground balls on last year's squad with 65 ground balls.
Members of the 2007-08 ACC Academic Honor Roll, All-America, All-ACC and All-ACC Academic Teams were also recognized during the course of the evening.
