Honors were handed out in De Pere Thursday evening at the 2016 Lee Remmel Sports Awards banquet.
The Lee Remmel Sports Awards banquet was established in 1998 by the De Pere Rotary Club with the approval, support and participation of Lee Remmel, serving at that time as the Green Bay Packers Director of Public Relations.
Katie Vanden Avond, a recent graduate of St. Norbert College, is the 2016 recipient of the Collegiate Achievement Award for the Lee Remmel Sports Awards.
The numbers do all the talking for Katie Vanden Avond's soccer career at St. Norbert College. Vanden Avond's 130 career goals in just 78 games is the most ever scored by a NCAA Division III player, and the second-most scored by a collegiate player at any level. Vanden Avond led NCAA Division III in goals three times - 2011, 2013 and 2015. A four-time first-team All-Midwest Conference selection, she was also a three-time Midwest Conference Offensive Player of the Year. She finished her career with 130 goals and 21 assists for 281 points. She was a twice named an All-American by D3soccer.com and once by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
Rod Kowalczyk, retired teacher, coach and athletic director from De Pere High School, is the 2016 Lee Remmel Sports Awards recipient of the Superior Achievement Award.
In 1959 Rod began his career in De Pere as a teacher and head basketball coach. Rod was the head basketball coach from 1959-1977. During this time, his De Pere basketball teams won four conference championships and went to the state tournament in 1977. After the 1977 season, Rod became an assistant basketball coach at St. Norbert College under head coach, Romie Kosnar, for four seasons. Rod finished his career at De Pere High School as an athletic director and economics teacher and retired in 1998.
In 2006, Rod was honored for his many years of service to, and lasting influence on, athletics in De Pere when the floor in the gym at De Pere High School was named "Rod Kowalczyk Court".
Proceeds from the banquet are donated through the De Pere Rotary Club for scholarships to area collegiate and high school students.
