Page 3 - Fall 2013 | Rochester Athletics

2013 Garnish Award Winners Alumni Spotlight—Dick Keil ’83

The Garnish Scholars Award program recognizes senior student-
athletes who represent the ideal of the scholar-athlete. “They lead coined Keil “Stretch” and was intrigued with his status as an All-
our teams on the feld of play, while doing outstanding work in the American at Rochester.
classroom” says George VanderZwaag, director of Athletics. The
Garnish Program was created in honor of Lysle “Spike” Garnish, coach After the run, Keil called a friend to tell him about the morning with
and mentor to many Rochester student-athletes from 1930 to 1948. the president. His friend was distracted by news he had just heard of
He became a trainer and assistant basketball coach in 1931 and was a plane hitting the World Trade Center. Information started trickling in
named an assistant baseball coach in 1932. Garnish was an assistant then.
football coach from 1945 to 1948. The 2013 Garnish Award Winners:
While at the local school where Bush was to make his speech, the
Kenny Apostolakos (Football) magnitude of what had happened hit everyone—the president, the
press corps, and all those around the world. For Keil on that fateful
Chris Doser (Men’s Swimming) day, he learned of—and felt—not only the country’s pain but also its
Katie Flaschner (Field Hockey) optimism and pride.
Becky Galasso (Women’s Track and Field) Keil remained with Bloomberg until 2006. He cofounded Purple
Meghan Hennessy (Softball) Strategies, a full-service public afairs frm based in D.C., where he
Dean Kennedy (Football and Men’s Basketball) could apply his journalism background to corporate communication,
Karen Meess (Women’s Swimming) Richard Keil ’83 (left) and his son, Reid, at a September 2012 Bruce Springsteen concert reputation management, and issue advocacy work. “Becoming
Adam Pacheck (Men’s Cross-Country/Track) at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. a communications advisor was a natural shift for me. And as an
entrepreneur, I learned new skills and honed other ones,” he says.
Sarah Skinner (Women’s Lacrosse) Dick Keil has done a lot of running. At Rochester, he ran track
and cross-country and was a 1998 inductee into the University
Nate Vernon (Men’s Basketball) of Rochester Athletic Hall of Fame. He set several records in the After nearly a decade with Purple Strategies, Keil just took on a new
1,500-meter run, including the school’s then best time during the 1983 challenge. He recently moved to Dallas to join Exxon Mobil as its
NCAA Division III championships. He also ran at four NCAA cross- senior media relations advisor. “This is a great new opportunity for me.
country championships. Since leaving Rochester, Keil has run all over The company is in more than 100 countries and deals with interesting
Be Part of a the world—both literally and fguratively. issues. I have a chance to navigate a diferent kind of space. I’m having
Winning Team Growing up, Keil dreamt of becoming a journalist. When he graduated a lot of fun, too.”

from Rochester with his English degree in hand, he headed for Keil’s time at Rochester taught him about the value of commitment
Support of the Friends of Rochester Washington, D.C. “I had this naïve idea that I’d be a good reporter,” Keil and hard work. It also provided him with lifelong friendships. “The
Athletics is critical to the University of says. “I worked my way into the Associated Press as a stringer and was track program at Rochester was extremely good. It still is. Our coach,
Rochester’s continued pursuit of excellence. With your later hired as a vacation relief reporter in D.C. and then in Seattle. I was Tim Hale, provided opportunities to challenge us and make us be
better athletes, students, and people. From him, I learned about
help, the University is able to recruit nationally and basically someone who flled in for others when they were out of the leadership and the importance of good mentoring.” Keil is still in
provide students with special opportunities, such as ofce. After a few years, I landed on the city desk of the Washington, contact with Hale (who retired in 2001) and a number of his former
D.C., bureau and spent about 10 years covering a broad range of news,
enhancing team travel or funding an international tour. from Mayor Marion Barry’s rise and fall to Georgetown basketball running mates.
Technology can make our teams better—enhanced games to track and feld at the Barcelona Olympics.” Keil, a longtime supporter of Rochester Athletics, and a few other
video equipment aids in recruiting, scouting, and teammates set up an endowment in honor of Hale. Their goal is
preparing our students to compete. In 1997, Keil accepted a job ofer from Bloomberg News—a new to raise $1 million to supplement the track team’s budget, allow it
As a Friend of Rochester Athletics, your gift enables organization at that time—to cover the White House and politics. to travel to elite competitions, and help all team members realize
He became part of the White House Press Corps and traveled with
student athletes to compete at their best and makes President George Bush. He was with him the morning of September their potential. “The University was very generous to me as an
a lasting contribution to their lives. Through your gift 11, 2001. undergraduate. It provided a fnancial package which made it possible
to the Friends, you can help the next generation of for me to attend,” Keil says. “I promised myself that if I was ever in a
position to help, I would pay it forward.”
Rochester students achieve success—at Rochester and Bush had fown to Sarasota, Fla., for an education speech on the 11th.
“He invited me to run with him—and his Secret Service agents—early
beyond. that morning, something we had talked about doing but had never Keil still tries to run nearly every day. “I’m not quite as fast as I used to
Go GREEN by making your gift to the Friends of done,” Keil recalls. “While running, we talked about politics, training, be, but I get out there and I do my best,” he says.
Athletics through our online secure website at www. baseball, and family.” Bush, a fve-days-a-week runner at the time,
rochester.edu/annualfunds, or you can mail your check
to the University of Rochester, Alumni and Advancement
Center, Ofce of Gift and Donor Records, 300 East River Annual Athletic Fund Winner!
Road, P.O. Box 270032, Rochester, New York 14627-0032.
And the winner is—Crew! Congratulations to Crew as they won the 2012–2013 Athletic
Annual Fund Challenge by having the highest percent participation amongst their alumni. Along
KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE JACKETS! with the Annual Fund trophy and a permanent plaque recognizing this accomplishment, they also
received a cash prize to the crew program. They have set the bar high for this year’s competition—
Visit our website at encourage your teammates to join in!
www.rochester.edu/athletics
for the latest in scores, schedules, and news You can track the progress of your sport and others by going to the Athletics website and clicking
about your favorite team. on the Annual Fund Challenge icon.