UD Standout Conte Receives 2016 Unsung Hero Award

2016 Jun 1

University of Delaware graduate Elijah Conte, a top defensive midfielder for the Blue Hen men's lacrosse team and a passionate contributor to numerous community service events throughout his career at UD, has been selected as the winner of the 2016 Yeardley Reynolds Love One Love Unsung Hero Award.

The national award is given annually to two Division I lacrosse players - one male and one female - who demonstrate dedication, integrity, humility, hard work, community service, leadership, kindness and sportsmanship. Temple University's Kara Stroup shared the award with Conte. Both were selected from a pool of nominees from throughout the nation. Conte and Stroup represent the best of college athletics, and were chosen from a pool of outstanding nominees. As winners of the award, they will receive a special bowl and the One Love Foundation will donate $250 to a charity of their choice. A survivor of childhood cancer, Conte graduated from Delaware last weekend after serving as a tri-captain and defensive midfielder on the men's lacrosse team.

A lifelong athlete, Conte has become an amazing role model for young people, and has used his platform as a student-athlete to help others. Conte has forged special friendships with young cancer patients fighting a similar battle to his earlier experience, and has led his team's efforts in raising money for the Headstrong Foundation. He also volunteers with McVey Elementary School Mentoring and the B+ Foundation, which supports individuals and families fighting childhood cancer.His fundraising work with the HeadStrong Foundation was remarkable as he led all fundraisers nationally in total amount raised in 2015 and was second in the 2016, combining to raise nearly $10,000. He spearheaded the UD men's lacrosse team's efforts that saw the squad raise over $44,000 during that time. "It was an honor and a pleasure for me to recommend Elijah for the One Love YRL Unsung Hero Award and I am excited that he has been selected from such an outstanding field of candidates," said Delaware men's lacrosse head coach Bob Shillinglaw. "In my 42 years of coaching college lacrosse I have never met anyone so deserving of an award of this nature. Elijah is a terrific young man and has been a leader on our team, always providing a great example for our team and coaching staff." Conte was diagnosed with High-Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) when he was two years old and was given a 20 percent chance for survival. He endured four years of chemotherapy and numerous surgeries and was told at the age of seven that he would never be able to play competitive sports because the treatments he received. He survived, beat the odds, and became an outstanding football, basketball, and lacrosse player at Glen Ridge (N.J.) High School. During his time at Delaware he was a key member of Shillinglaw's squad as a defensive midfielder. He played in 61 career games and collected 51 groundballs and 25 caused turnovers while scoring three goals and dishing out three assists. He served as a team co-captain during the 2016 season. "Sharing my story and my battle with cancer helps show individuals and families that there is a light at the end of tunnel," said Conte. "As a Division I athlete at UD I have used the platform it provides to try and help as many people that I possibly could. I am forever grateful for the opportunity this great University has given me."

The One Love Foundation was created in 2010 to honor the memory of Yeardley Love, a University of Virginia senior lacrosse player who was beaten to death by her ex-boyfriend just weeks before graduation. Honorees were selected because they embody the qualities Love exemplified throughout her life.