May 16, 2016
BRONXVILLE, N.Y. -- Penn State men's lacrosse's James Chakey (Havertown, Pa.) has been named a finalist for the Yeardley Reynolds Love Unsung Hero Award, presented by the One Love Foundation.
Chakey is among a group of 10 men's and women's lacrosse student-athletes from around the nation to be selected as a candidate for the prestigious award.
"Our staff is very proud of James Chakey for all that he has accomplished during his time at Penn State. He is the epitome of a great `teammate' and it is an honor to have him listed alongside such an impressive group of finalist for the YRL Unsung Hero Award. Our program stresses the importance of `leaving it better than you found it' and James has certainly fulfilled his obligation. His contributions in the community, classroom and on the field have gone above and beyond the scope of most student athletes," head coach Jeff Tambroni said.
Chakey recently closed out a four year career for the Nittany Lions in Penn State's second consecutive appearance in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. He played in all 15 games during the 2016 season, netting his first collegiate goal in the season-opener against Robert Morris, while also adding a career-high two assists. He matched a career-high mark with four ground balls in the OT win against then-No. 8 Harvard and posted two ground balls and one caused turnover in the upset victory against then-No. 1 Denver this season.
Off the field, Chakey serves on the Nittany Lion's leadership council and is also actively involved in Penn State's Student-Athlete Advisory Board (SAAB). In addition to being named a recipient of the "True Grit" Award this spring, Chakey also earned Penn State's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, which is presented to a student-athlete who has distinguished himself through sportsmanship and ethical behavior.
The Yeardley Reynolds Love Unsung Hero Award recognizes the accomplishments of two DI lacrosse student-athletes (one male, one female) who demonstrate dedication, integrity, humility, hard work, community service, leadership, kindness and sportsmanship -- all qualities that Yeardley Love exemplified throughout her life.
The One Love Foundation in honor of Yeardley Love was created in 2010 to honor the memory of Yeardley Love, a UVA senior who was beaten to death by her ex-boyfriend just weeks before graduation. Today, the foundation works to educate, empower, and activate students in the movement to end relationship abuse.
"James embodies what is great about college athletes - a combination of leadership, drive, and teamwork. Despite having Crohn's Disease, he never wears down though practices and earned the True Grit award at Penn State. His dedication to the broader community is evident in his work with Uplifting Athletes, utilizing love of sports to raise money for research for research on rare diseases. We are proud to name James as a Finalist for the YRL Unsung Hero Award," Sharon Robinson, Yeardley's cousin and Vice Chair of the One Love Foundation said.
The two award winners will be announced on Wednesday, May 25th. For more information on the award and to view the rest of the finalists, please visit www.joinonelove.org.