Network plans to honor Calabrese for support of girls’, women’s sports
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">A Union County resident will be honored at an upcoming Women’s Intersport Network, WIN, for Southern Illinois Awards ceremony.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Tony Calabrese of Cobden will be among those honored at a March 2 Celebrate Women luncheon which is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in ballroom D at the Southern Illinois University Carbondale Student Center.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Calabrese will receive the network’s Mentoring Award.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Calbrese is an instructor in the SIUC Department of Kinesiology, owner of Shawnee Hill Bed and Breakfast near Cobden and coach of the Lick Creek School junior high girls’ volleyball team.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Women’s Intersport Network for Southern Illinois is a membership driven not-for-profit organization.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The network was founded in February 2012 with a mission to educate and empower girls and women in Southern Illinois through sport and physical activity. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">One of the organization’s objectives is to recognize and support the talent that currently exists in the region.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The WIN Awards are one of the ways in which the network is able to do this. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Four categories of WIN Awards are presented, including the Pioneer, Mentor, Courage and Outstanding Female High School Athlete awards. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Celebrate Women event is cosponsored by the American Association of University Women, University Women’s Professional Advancement, Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies and the Women’s Intersport Network for Southern Illinois.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Tickets are $25 and can be purchased from Martha Ellert at msellert@aol.com or 618-521-0613.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Mentor Award which is being presented to Tony Calabrese is given to a member of the Southern Illinois community who has demonstrated a deep commitment to fostering a successful attitude/ability to girls/women in sport or physical activity through advising, teaching, encouraging and supporting such efforts. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Calabrese was a member of the national championship men’s gymnastics team at SIU. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">In a news release, WIN noted that he has served as a role model and provided guidance for generations of future coaches and PE teachers through his many years as a physical education teacher, coach and instructor for the physical education teacher education program at SIU.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">This year’s Pioneer Award winner is Connie Stotlar. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Pioneer Award is given to a Southern Illinois woman who has dedicated much of her life towards advancing opportunities for girls and women in sport and/or physical activity. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Stotlar was in the first wave of young girls in Southern Illinois to participate in any kind of organized youth sport activities outside of what might be found in the local school when she participated for AAU age group competitive swimming. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">She is a former physical education teacher and coach with the Carbondale School District.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Courage Award is given to a Southern Illinois female athlete who exhibits extraordinary courage in her athletic performance, demonstrates the ability to overcome adversity and serves as an inspiration and role model to those who face challenges, overcomes them and strives for success at all levels. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">This year’s Courage Award winner is Bobbie Waggoner. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Waggoner has been a part of the SIH-SIUC Strong Survivors exercise and nutrition program for cancer survivors and caregivers program for a number of years and has done her best to participate actively despite numerous cancer-related setbacks. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">This year’s Outstanding Female High School Athlete Award winner is Sydnee Rushing. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The award is given to a Southern Illinois female high school athlete who excels in the classroom and on the sports’ field/court as well as demonstrates an outstanding spirit through involvement in her school/community and in her demonstration of sportswomanship. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Rushing is a multisport athlete at Goreville High School, where she has competed in softball, golf, basketball, and track and field. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Her athletic accomplishments include all-conference, all-regional and all-state recognition. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">She also has done well academically, maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. She also has been involved in other extracurricular and volunteer activities. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">For more information visit www.winsoill.com or email info@winsouthernil.com.</span></p>