Aug. 28, 2007

Garden City, N.Y. - Senior outfielder Dely Francisco (Haverstraw, N.Y.) has been named the Jay B. Nash Award recipient by the New York State Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (NYS AHPERD). One male and one female is chosen to receive the top physical education award in New York State and she will be honored at the annual award ceremony on November 8 in Verona, New York.

The award includes a two-year membership to NYSAPHERD and up to $750 for graduate courses in the field.

Francisco is a physical education and health major who maintains a 3.949 grade point average and has been on the Dean's List every semester while at Adelphi. In 2007,she was honored as the Departmental Major of the Year She is a two-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Scholar Athlete Award recipient and in 2006 was named the East Coast Conference (ECC) Softball Scholar Athlete of the Year. She was also named an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar by Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

Francisco is active on campus and in the community, serving as an EXCEL mentor and has been a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for the past three years. Through the Physical Education Majors Club she has participated in WheelChair Basketball and Hoops for Heart.

On the playing field, Franciso is a second-team All-ECC selection. In 2006 she set a new school record for most stolen bases in a season with 21.

A three-year starter, Francisco helped the Panthers a 2007 regular season conference title en route to a Divison II school record of 39-13 and a trip to the NCAA Northeast Regionals.

Franciso is the second Adelphi softball player to earn this award. The first was Naomi Lerner in 2003. In 2006, baseball standout Brian Rath was also honored.