Thursday, December 16, 2004

MORAVIAN’S DAWN BENNER RECEIVES USTA/ITA
SECTIONAL COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

SKILLMAN, NJ --- Moravian College head women’s tennis coach Dawn Benner has received the 2004 U.S. Tennis Association/Intercollegiate Tennis Association Community Service Award for the Middle States Tennis Association (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware).

Benner, who serves as a professor of physical education, associate athletic director, senior women’s athletic administrator and CHAMPS Like Skills in addition to head women’s tennis coach at Moravian, was one of 12 coaches (one per region) selected to receive the award, which honors an intercollegiate tennis coach for developing community-based tennis programs in community centers, schools, parks, inner city, suburban, or rural programs.

Benner has taught, played, and coached tennis in the Lehigh Valley for 25 years and has been an active volunteer with the Eastern District Tennis Association. She has organized junior tennis tournaments and tennis clinics in the schools and published a monthly tennis newsletter. Most recently, Benner organized a USA Team Program and USTA Welcome Center at Moravian, chaired the Middle States Collegiate Committee, and helped organize the first Middle States college club tourney.

During her career as Moravian’s head women’s tennis coach, Benner has led the Greyhounds to 181-67 record over the last 18 years. Benner’s teams have also won seven of the last nine conference championships and have played for the conference title in each of the last 11 years while posting a record of 160-15 during that span. Benner has been the Commonwealth Coach of the Year four times, and she was the Middle States Coach of the Year in 1999-2000.