SLUHN Announces All Star Awards and Offers Athletes of the Year NIL Deals

June 15, 2023

St. Luke’s University Health Network tonight, June 15, recognized the region’s top scholastic and youth club athletes, coaches and teams at its 2023 St. Luke’s All-Star Awards Night. Eleven awards in seven categories were bestowed during a ceremony that took place from 7 - 8 pm at Notre Dame Green Pond (NDGP) in Bethlehem Township. Winners of St. Luke’s 2023 All-Star Awards were:

All-Star Athlete of the Year Award (Female): Maddy Wetzel, North Schuylkill High School

All-Star Athlete of the Year Award (Male): Dylan Darville, Emmaus High School

All-Star Team of the Year Award (Female): Upper Perkiomen High School Girls Soccer

All-Star Team of the Year Award (Male): Reading Senior High School Boys Basketball

All-Star Against All Odds Award: Cole Serfass / Rocco Sciara / Mia Due Family & Friends

All-Star Coach of the Year Award: Art Corrigan, Notre Dame Green Pond Cross Country

All Star Plays of the Year Award:

Fall – Southern Lehigh High School Football “One in a Lifetime Catch”

Winter – Ruben Rodriquez “Milestone Basket”

Spring – Parkland High School Boys Lacrosse “Behind the Back Goal”

The St. Luke’s All-Star Awards Night was broadcast live starting at 7 pm on WFMZ Channel 69. WFMZ Sports Director Dan Moscaritolo and Sports Anchor Jim Vaughn of “The Big Ticket” served as hosts. Presenters for the night were St. Luke’s Community Ambassadors Chanelle Price, world champion middle distance runner, and Tyrese Martin, a professional basketball player with the Atlanta Hawks.

In addition to featuring several of its community ambassadors during the All-Star Awards event, St. Luke’s also incorporated its NIL program into the night. St. Luke’s NIL effort, called Rising Stars, has opened the door of possibilities for high school and college athletes to earn a stipend while engaging in service activities and efforts focused on giving back to their communities. NIL student athletes involved in the show included Devyn Demchak, Madison Darmstadt, Karam Chakif, Nahjee Adams and Riley Horoshko. Each student athlete had a role to play, up on stage, pumping up the crowd and / or speaking about NIL opportunities.

Fox Sports’ own Mike Raymond, host of St. Luke’s Sports Round Up, served as MC for the evening.

“St. Luke’s is thrilled to host this All-Star event and pay tribute to all of the hard work, dedication and real-life experiences of our region’s brightest student athletes,” says John Hauth, senior director of Sports Medicine Relationships for St. Luke’s University Health Network. “Sports play such a vital role in the lives of students, building character, promoting teamwork and encouraging commitment and personal responsibility.”

Without a doubt, the most impactful recognition of the night went to the family and friends of Mia Due and the Whitehall Community. Killed in a car crash late last summer, Mia was a Whitehall student athlete who had a real and tangible impact on those around her – an impact that is still felt today. Mia’s story is one of loss and heartache… but also one of friendship and community.

As the region’s largest provider of sports medicine, St. Luke’s is committed to providing all-star care and treatment to athletes of all ages and skill level. St. Luke’s offers the most comprehensive and advanced prevention and treatment for athletic injuries including athletic training, sports performance, sports psychology, sports nutrition, chiropractic and more.

Now in its fifth year, St. Luke’s All-Star Awards were affected by the COVID pandemic like all public events and were presented remotely. This is the first year since its debut in 2019 that the show is presented on television with a live audience.

According to Hauth, the idea for St. Luke’s All-Star Awards Night originated with the Network’s athletic trainers who were impressed with the young athletes they work with. A call went out for nominations with hundreds pouring in. “The response has been fantastic,” Hauth said. Winners were chosen by a selection committee made up of people both part of and knowledgeable about youth and scholastic sports in the region.

“We are pleased to announce that both of our Athlete of the Year awardees -- Maddy Wetzel and Dylan Darville – will be offered 4-year NIL agreements with St. Luke’s Rising Stars, valued at up to $25,000 each,”adds Hauth. “We look forward to signing both of these talented young people, getting to know them and mentoring them both on and off the field.”

Also during the event, awards were presented to three St. Luke’s Sports Medicine providers to recognize their commitment to professional excellence and the difference they have made in the field of sports medicine and in the lives of student athletes. Winners were:

Secondary School Athletic Trainer of the Year: Dylan Bradley

Collegiate Athletic Trainer of the Year: Donovan Howard

Sports Performance Coach of the Year: Zack Le Duc

“It was a fantastic night,” Hauth said.