December 4, 2008: Drexel’s Nicole Hester Named 2008 Comeback Award Winner

Award announced on ESPN; to be presented at Drexel Basketball Banquet

Drexel University women’s basketball junior guard Nicole Hester has been named the recipient of the eighth annual V Foundation Comeback Award, given annually by The V Foundation for Cancer Research in collaboration with ESPN. ESPN will make the announcement during their broadcast of the MasterCard NIT on Tuesday night. The award will be presented to Hester on April 23 on the Drexel campus at the annual men’s and women’s basketball banquet.

Hester was a rising sophomore on the Drexel squad earning the team’s Defensive Award and a key contributor to Drexel’s back-to-back winning seasons in 04-05 and 05-06 (first time in 15 years). During her junior year, lumps on her neck that she had hoped were the results of a cold, were found to be cancerous lymph nodes and she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She left school to undergo radiation and chemotherapy and the team struggled to a 10-21 record. She returned to Drexel in the Fall of 2007, facing the fact that she might never regain lung capacity to play basketball at 100%. She worked hard and not only regained her healthy form, but improved several aspects of her game. Just as her determined attitude inspired her teammates during her illness, her spirited leadership helped lead Drexel to a 18-12 season in 2007-08. She led the team in assists, starting all but five games. She will return next year for her senior season with the Dragons.

“This is a great honor. I feel very special and humbled to be associated with an amazing person like Coach Valvano and the great things that The V Foundation has done to further cancer research,” Hester said. “I’m personally very thankful for the generosity of groups like The V Foundation because the research and technological development that they have funded helped me get back on the basketball court this season and is helping millions of people out there who are battling cancer right now.

“I also want to thank my family and friends and my whole Drexel family for being with me through it all. It would have been a lot harder to fight through this without their constant love and support. I know that I’m one of the lucky ones who was able to beat this terrible disease, but the fact that there are lots of people out there like me, who were able to come back from this, should give hope to everyone out there to keep fighting,” she concluded.

The V Foundation Comeback Award is open to men and women collegiate basketball student-athletes in all NCAA divisions. It is awarded to an individual or a team who has accomplished a personal triumph in the face of true adversity, be it in health, life or moral dilemma. The award is presented in memory of Jim Valvano, the late basketball coach and ESPN commentator, whose personal battle with cancer inspired the creation of The V Foundation. In his memorable speech at ESPN’s inaugural ESPY Awards announcing the creation of The V Foundation, Valvano’s “Don’t Give Up. . .Don’t Ever Give Up!”® motto created a legacy from which the Comeback Award has been created.

“Nicole has truly been an inspiration to the team this season and to everyone around her,” said Drexel Head Coach Denise Dillon. “She’s an incredibly strong person and incredibly humble. She won’t be the first person to acknowledge what an accomplishment it was to get through an ordeal like this, but anyone who has been around her knows how courageous she is. To be able to overcome something like Hodgkin’s disease and to work at getting herself back in condition to be a contributor at the Division I level is truly amazing. Over the past year she has had to deal with more challenge and strife that most people will deal with in a lifetime. I believe Nicole’s spirit and character through it all make her a fitting candidate for this prestigious award.”

“It is with great pleasure that we honor Nicole Hester with the 2008 V Foundation Comeback Award," V Foundation CEO Nick Valvano said. “My brother Jim was a great fan of women’s basketball, so he would be doubly pleased that the award created in his memory be given to Nicole. She displayed great perseverance and strength in her fight against cancer, and then rejoined her team with determination, displaying a “never give up” spirit. We are proud to welcome her to the list of incredible young men and women who have received this award before her.”

Past recipients of the award are Purdue’s Katie Douglas (2001), Western Michigan’s Kristin Koetsier (2002), Arizona State’s Justin Allen (2003), Texas’ Jamie Carey (2004), Washington’s Kayla Burt (2005); Western Washington’s Grant Dykstra (2006) and the United States Military Academy Women’s Basketball Team (2007).

Hester was one of fourteen finalists for the award. The others were: Jermaine Bishop, Northern Arizona University; T.J. Carter, University of North Carolina Wilmington; Kevin Coble, Northwestern University; Mickey Duncan, Berry College; Jamar Fleming, Virginia State University; Alex Franz, St. Mary’s College of Maryland; Khaliq Gant, Cornell University; Danielle Hagen, University of Northern Colorado; Jessica Hall, University of Memphis; Darnell Jackson, University of Kansas; Taylor Rochestie, Washington State University, Carlos Taylor, Montana State University; Anthony Williams, SUNY Plattsburgh. -v-