A&M senior Gabby Mayo receives Penn Relays Frank Dolson award
Jan 31, 2011 | Track and Field
Jan. 31, 2011
PHILADELPHIA - Texas A&M senior Gabby Mayo will be honored by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association Monday evening as the organization holds its 107th annual banquet.
Mayo will receive the Penn Relays / Frank Dolson Award, which is presented to one of the four athletes selected for an outstanding college athlete award during the weekend of the Penn Relay Carnival held at the historic Franklin Field in April.
Frank Dolson was a longtime columnist and sports editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer. On his passing in 2005, one of Mr. Dolson's bequeaths went to the Penn Relays directorship. Current Relays director Dave Johnson, and everyone who follows him, is the Frank Dolson Director of the Penn Relays.
Mayo, who was named the college women's athlete of the meet for relay events during the meet, becomes the fifth winner of the Frank Dolson award, joining Garrett Johnson of Florida State, Anna Willard of Michigan, LaTavia Thomas of LSU, and Sarah Bowman of Tennessee.
During the 2010 Penn Relays, which drew a record crowd of 117,346 fans, Mayo ran a leg on three winning Aggie relays, two of which established collegiate records.
Mayo anchored the 4 x 100 relay that defended its 2009 title in a winning time of 43.09 seconds. She handled second leg duties on the 4 x 200, which ran a collegiate record of 1:29.42 as Texas A&M won the event for the third consecutive year at the Penn Relays.
On the shuttle hurdle relay Mayo also ran the second leg as the Aggies lowered the collegiate record to 52.50 seconds, bettering a mark of 52.77 set in 2008 by LSU. In that 2008 race Mayo was a freshman on an A&M crew that set a still standing American record of 52.96 as runner-up to LSU.
The Philadelphia Sports Writers Association awards banquet is the longest running sports awards affair in the nation. Among other collegiate honorees during the banquet on Monday evening include the Villanova women's cross country team for winning the NCAA title this past fall along with Villanova's individual champion, Sheila Reid.
Some of the professional athletes being honored include the Phillies duo of Roy Halladay as outstanding pro athlete and Shane Victorino as humanitarian. Other pro athletes include Elton Brand of the 76ers for media co-operation and the Philadelphia Flyers as team of the year.
