Words Unlimited, the statewide organization of sports writers, sportscasters and sports publicists, will hold its 63rd annual Sports Awards Banquet on Sunday, February 15, at The Radisson Airport Hotel on Post Road in Warwick.
The reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are priced at $35 each and may be obtained by contacting Johnson & Wales University director of athletics John Parente at (401) 598-1604, or any Words Unlimited member.
Following is a list of award recipients for the 2008 calendar year:
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Hall of Fame inductee, Steve Krasner - Cranston native Steve Krasner retired from the Providence Journal last fall after covering a variety of sports, but especially baseball, for over 30 years. He began covering the Boston Red Sox on a daily basis in 1986. He witnessed three no-hitters in addition to covering numerous World Series and All-Star Games. Krasner also covered the New England Patriots in four Super Bowls in addition to reporting on college hockey.
Amby Smith Award, Keith Carney - Pawtucket native Keith Carney retired last November after a 17-year career in the NHL. Carney, who was drafted 76th overall by Buffalo in 1988 after a superb career at Mount St. Charles, became only the 29th American-born player to appear in 1,000 career NHL games on Feb. 24, 2008.
Frank Lanning Award, Bobby Doyle - The late Bobby Doyle won the Ocean State Marathon seven times and competed in four Boston Marathons. Doyle finished 15th or better in each attempt and ran a personal best of 2:14.4 en route to a seventh-place finish in 1979. His best finish was fifth in 1985 and he was a two-time U.S. Olympic Marathon trials qualifier.
Bill Cawley Award, Lauren Anderson - Lauren Anderson retired last June after a 41-year career in athletics which included 31 years at the University of Rhode Island. Anderson was URI's first women's cross country/track & field coach. After coaching for 15 years, she transitioned into administration and served as URI's senior associate director of athletics and then senior associate director of athletics.
Male Athlete of the Year, Demetrius Andrade - The top-ranked U.S. welterweight for more than three years and the reigning AIBA World Welterweight champion, Andrade represented the United States at last summer's Olympic Games in Beijing, advancing to the quarterfinals.
Men's Sports Coach of the Year, Ron Johnson - Under manager Ron Johnson, the Pawtucket Red Sox won a franchise-record 85 games and established their best winning percentage in team history (.594). Pawtucket qualified for the Governors' Cup playoffs for the first time in five years and sent 18 players to Boston.
Female Athlete of the Year, Elizabeth Beisel - North Kingstown's Elizabeth Beisel boasted the fourth-fastest time in the world last year and the fifth-fastest ever in the 200 backstroke with her 2:06.92 at the U.S. Trials. She placed second in that event and the 400 individual medley and earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team.
Biesel placed fourth in the 400 I.M. and fifth in the 200 backstroke at Beijing.
Team of the Year, Brown University football - Brown was picked to finish third in the Ivy League pre-season poll but captured its second Ivy title in the last four years, and its fourth-ever in 52 years of league play.
Story of the Year, Rocco Baldelli, Dan Wheeler and Davey Lopes - The 2008 World Series featured Rhode Island natives Rocco Baldelli and Dan Wheeler playing for the Tampa Bay Rays and Davey Lopes coaching first base for the eventual champion Philadelphia Phillies.
Schoolboy Athlete of the Year, David D'Errico, North Kingstown football and baseball - On the baseball diamond last spring, David D'Errico, was named the Division I-South Outstanding Player after leading the Skippers to a share of the regular-season title. In the fall, he was named the 2008-09 Gatorade Rhode Island Football Player of the Year and was a First Team All-State pick by the coaches association.
Schoolgirl Athlete of the Year, Alexa Monti, East Greenwich - Alexa Monti earned First Team All-State honors as a senior in soccer, basketball and outdoor track. She was the state's 100- and 200-meter dash outdoor track champion.
Schoolboy Sports Coach of the Year, Geoff Marcone - In a rare if not unprecedented feat, Geoff Marcone guided La Salle's baseball team to the Division I finals last spring and then led the undefeated Rams to the Super Bowl where they beat Barrington for their first state title since 2001.
Schoolgirl Sports Coach of the Year, Jeanne Carhart - Jeanne Carhart's Moses Brown lacrosse team competed in the R.I. Interscholastic League for the first time and captured the Division I state championship, thus ending Barrington's seven-year reign as the state champion in the process.