king as a coach and recruiter.Shelly Respecki '92, women's assistant basketball coach, was named 1997 "Graduate Assistant of the Year" by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
Respecki, who led the Golden Eagles as a student on their first trip to the Elite Eight
in 1991, is now working as a coach and recruiter.
"We were really blessed when Shelly returned to continue her post-graduate education and serve as an assistant coach," said head coach Gie Parsons. "She is an outstanding and very determined young woman who always dedicates herself to excellence."
Transferring from Division I Niagara College, Respecki was Clarion's starting point guard in the 1991 and 1992 seasons. She led the Golden Eagles to a 24-8 overall record, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)-West, PSAC, and NCAA Division II East Regional titles and an NCAA Division II "Elite Eight" finish in 1991. In 1992, Clarion was 25-4 overall, won the PSAC-West title, and had an NCAA Division II "Sweet 16" finish.
Respecki earned First Team PSAC-West honors in 1991 and 1992.
After college, Respecki served as first assistant coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania for three seasons, before returning to Clarion to work on her masters in Science Education.
Women's Sports Foundation Director of Development Tuti Scott presented the $750 award to Respecki on March 30, at the Jostens-Bereson Awards brunch at the WBCA National Convention, held in conjunction with the NCAA Women's Final Four in Cincinnati, OH. Respecki's award will benefit the women's basketball program at Clarion.