March 14, 2005

Westbury, N.Y. - It was announced today that Adelphi women's lacrosse Head Coach Jill Lessne and Adelphi women's lacrosse All-American Katherine Hock will be honored as the Conde Nast College Coach of the Year and Conde Nast College Athlete of the Year by the Nassau County Sports Commission. Both awardees will be honored at the 11th Annual Awards Dinner which will take place at 7:00 pm on April 11, 2005 at the Chateau Briand in Carle Place, New York.

Lessne led the 2004 Panthers to a 13-1 record and won the first National Title for a women's team in Adelphi history and the first National Title in the four-year history of the program. Lessne was also named coach of the year by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Association. The 2004 team also set new school records for most overall wins (13) and longest winning streak (11). Lessne is 38-13 overall and has coached seven All-Americans.

Hock, who is Adelphi's all-time leader in points (185) and goals (151), is a three-time All-America selection, including a first-team selection in 2004. Hock scored six goals in the second half of the NCAA Championship game to lift Adelphi to a 12-11 win over West Chester. She was named ECAC Division II Player of The Year for her accomplishments.

The dinner honors athletes for excellence in sports, academics, and communityservice, and coaches for exceptional commitment to athletes, sportsmanship, and community. Other honorees at the 11th annual Awards Dinner will include Al Oerter, four-time Olympic gold medalist, Gene Mayer, former professional tennis player, Fremman McNeil and Greg Buttle, New York Jet legends, who will all be inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame. Daniel Graham, of the 2005 World Champion New England Patriots and Natasha Watley, of the 2004 gold medal winnings Olympic softball team will be honored as the Male and Female Athletes of the Year.

Tickets and corporate sponsorship packages for the Awards Dinner are available.

The Nassau County Sports Commission is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization that has brought sporting events and programs to Nassau County for over 12 years. The Sports Commission is dedicated to making Nassau County, "America's First Playground - America's Best Playground" through sports. If you have any questions, please contact Eileen Saguirer via telephone, 516-365-9625 or via email, eileen@nassausports.org.