Two Yale seniors who represent "the highest ideals of sportsmanship and Yale tradition" were given athletic awards at the Senior Class Day exercises on May 21 by Athletics Director Tom Beckett.
The students and Beckett's description of their accomplishments follow:
Heather Bentley
Nellie Pratt Elliot Award
Heather Bentley, one of the most prolific goal scorers in Yale women's lacrosse history, was presented with the 2000 Nellie Pratt Elliot Award, the most prestigious athletic award given to a senior female at Yale.
The award goes to the senior woman whose excellence in the field of athletics and in her life at Yale best represents the ideals of sportsmanship and Yale tradition. It is awarded in memory of Nellie Pratt Elliot, who was an assistant director of undergraduate admissions at Yale for 46 years.
A four-time All-Ivy League selection, Bentley finished her career second in school history in points (195) and goals (164). During her four years, the Bulldogs won 49 games and made three appearances in the ECAC Tournament.
This year, as a senior, she earned second-team All-Ivy honors after finishing second on the team in goals (30) and points (38). In 1999 she was named second-team All-America and first-team All-Ivy. She also was chosen Academic All-Ivy for the second year in a row. She finished with 46 goals and 10 assists for 56 points, which was fifth in the league. As a sophomore, Bentley had 53 goals, which was third in the league, and 61 points, which was fourth. For her efforts she shared the Barbara Bowditch Award as the team's most valuable player. In her freshman season, Bentley was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year and first-team All-Ivy.
"Players like Heather are rare," Yale women's lacrosse coach Amanda O'Leary said. "She is unmatched in dedication, spirit and talent. Not only has she been able to lead Yale each year on the field, she has helped inspire her teammates off it. Heather Bentley will go down in the record books as one of Yale's best lacrosse players and, in my mind, one of its best personalities." Heather R. Bentley is the daughter of Anthony and Barbara Nash. She is a history major.
Joe Walland
The William Neely Mallory Award
Joe Walland, the quarterback who led the Yale football team to its 13th Ivy League championship this past fall, has been named the winner of the William Neely Mallory Award, the most prestigious athletic award given to a senior male at Yale.
The award citation reads, "William Neely Mallory Award, given to the senior man who on the field of play and in life at Yale best represents the highest ideals of American sportsmanship and Yale tradition." Walland's leadership abilities on and off the field made him the perfect choice for the award named after the Yale Class of 1924 athlete.
Walland, who threw for 2,207 yards and 17 touchdowns last fall, is the most prolific offensive player in the 127-year history of the Yale football program. The 5-foot-10 lefty broke 22 individual school records and tied three others in just three seasons behind center, while he helped the 1999 Ivy Champions shatter eight team offensive marks.
Walland earned legendary status in beating Harvard last fall in the title-clinching game. Dehydrated from the flu, Walland left his hospital bed to break Ivy records with 42 completions and 67 attempts, while throwing for a Yale record 437 yards in the come-from-behind, last second, 24-21 win.
His scoring toss to Eric Johnson with 29 seconds left gave the game-winning points in that season-ending win, which also featured Walland breaking five NCAA single-game records before 52,484 in Yale Bowl. He finished off his career with the NCAA's all-time lowest interception rate.
Walland, who won a Gold Helmet from the New England Sports Writers for his heroics against the Crimson and was the top rated passer in the Ancient Eight, won the Cleveland Touchdown Club's Chuck Heaton Hometown' Collegiate Award and was second-team All-Ivy in 1999. He was also named Yale's team MVP.
Robert E. Lewis Award: Intramural Sports
Two Yale College seniors received the Robert E. Lewis Award during Senior Class Day exercises on May 21.
The trophy is given annually at Commencement to the senior woman or man who best demonstrates the ideals of athletics in intramural college competition. In addition to the two winners, honorable mentions were also awarded to Rebecca Goodman of Branford College and Shande Dizon of Silliman College.
This year's awards were presented by Robert Farris Thompson, master of Timothy Dwight College and the John Trumbull Professor of the History of Art, who also chairs the Council of Masters Committee on Athletics. Thompson's remarks follow:
Natasha Bloom
Natasha Bloom of Saybrook College was lauded by her master as having "all the best aspects of amateur athletics: scrappy, resourceful, determined. She viewed intramurals with an apalled sort of glee, recruiting her warriors with a fine crooked smile, piling them on from the dining hall to the playing fields. She was a woman with heart; she was the best."
Dan Wilderman
Dan Wilderman of Morse College was credited for leading his college to Tyng victory this year by his master, who said of his dedication: "He got out the players, the doubtful and timid, he moved the lethargic. ... Morse finished eighth when he was a freshman, but then he came in and Morse then took seventh, then second, then first, all 'cause he did his fine duty. Morse holds him high as a flag of all sports in all forms."
C O M M E N C E M E N T
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Introduction
Baccalaureate Address
Honorary Degrees
Senior Class Day
Teaching Prizes
Scholastic Prizes
Roosevelt L. Thompson Prize
Athletic Awards
David Everett Chantler Prize
Other Student Awards and Honors
Wilbur Cross Medals
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Fair will highlight continuing education
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