December 28, 2007 - Hall of Fame Coach Ryan Returns to Rider - To Be Honored by CVC Jan. 2
December 28, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Women’s College Basketball
Hall of Fame Coach Ryan Returns to Rider
To Be Honored by CVC Jan. 2
LAWRENCEVILLE—Debbie Ryan, a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2008, will bring her 31st University of Virginia team to Rider’s Alumni Gymnasium Wednesday, January 2, and will be honored that night by the Colonial Valley Conference.
Prior to the 7:00 pm tip off with the Broncs, Coach Ryan will be honored for being the inaugural sponsor for the First Annual Courage Award in memory of Chris Somma. Somma was a member of the Hamilton West High School Basketball Program before succumbing to cancer.
The CVC will present the Courage Award sponsored by Coach Ryan to a Mercer County Athlete at the championship game of the Mercer County Tournament February 22. The sponsorship will be donated to the ‘V ‘Foundation in memory of Somma as part of the Tip Off Against Cancer campaign.
Hightstown High School Athletic Director Gary Bushelli and the Somma Family will make the presentation to Coach Ryan Wednesday night at Rider.
The last time Coach Ryan brought her UVA team to Rider was during the 1995-96 season for a game that drew a then Alumni Gym women’s basketball record crowd of 1,153.
A seven-time ACC Coach of the Year, Coach Ryan has reached the “Sweet 16” twelve times and went to the Final Four three straight years.
Coach Ryan’s sister-in-law, Mika Ryan, is a former assistant coach at Rider. Mika Ryan is President of the Mercer County Sports and Entertainment Commission and is the color analyst for the women’s basketball games on the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Television Network. Mika Ryan captained the University of North Carolina basketball team in the 1970s and served as assistant women’s basketball coach and head softball coach at Virginia. In 1981, Mika married Patrick Ryan and moved to New Jersey, where she was an assistant basketball coach at Rider for a year before taking over as head coach at Trenton State College.
The January 2 game kicks off Rider’s Youth Month with Rider Athletics where all kids 18 and under get free admission to all home men's and women's basketball games and wrestling meets.
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