March 13, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Senior track and field athlete Josh Nadzam has been named one of five finalists for the 2012 Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup, as announced Tuesday by Athletes for a Better World.
The Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup is presented to two distinguished athletes, one collegiate and one professional, for their character and leadership both on and off the field and their contributions to sport and society.
Nadzam joins Tommy Chase of Notre Dame (baseball), Aleca Hughes of Yale (ice hockey), Roddy Jones of Georgia Tech (football) and Cody Reichard of Miami (Ohio) (ice hockey) as a finalist for the award. The professional recipient this year is legendary Tennessee women’s basketball head coach Pat Summitt.
Recipients of the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup are chosen by a committee chaired by former Georgia athletic director Vincent Dooley, and other distinguished individuals involved in athletics across the country. The award recipients will be announced April 25 in a ceremony held in the Egyptian Ballroom at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.
The Coach Wooden Citizen Cup is one of the most prestigious awards in sports. Previous recipients of the award include Dikembe Mutombo, Mia Hamm, Peyton Manning, John Smoltz, John Lynch, Andrea Yaeger and Cal Ripken Jr.
Nadzam, a senior from Monaca, Pa., has always made himself present in the community during his time at Kentucky. On Feb. 22, Nadzam was awarded the Sullivan Medallion by UK President Eli Capilouto during the annual Founders Day Award Ceremony.
A member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll in each of the last three years, Nadzam was also a 2010 U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division I All-Academic Honoree, 2010 SEC Community Service Team member, winner of the 2010 CATSPY for Community Service, and is a member of the Frank G. Ham Society of Character.
In addition to Nadzam’s off the field work, he has also been a prominent athlete on both the cross country and track and field teams. Nadzam raced in all six races during the cross country season this year, finishing in the top two on the team in each of Kentucky’s final three races.
Nadzam and the Wildcats will begin their outdoor season Friday at the Bulls Invitational in Tampa, Fla. For all Kentucky track and field news and information, go to UKathletics.com.
