CHESTER, PA (09/23/2016)—The Army-Navy Cup Committee is proud to present the inaugural 1^st Lieutenant Travis Manion & Corporal Michael Crescenz Award to Elizabeth Lentz and Kyle Hicks.  

The Manion/Crescenz Award honors two men who lived by the motto “If Not Me Then Who…” First Lieutenant Manion and Corporal Crescenz exemplified selfless service and lived lives of substance and not just existence. They gave their lives defending our country.

The Manion/Crescenz Award goes to two high school soccer players, one boy and one girl, who exhibit the same qualities as 1^st Lt. Manion and Cpl. Crescenz.

“Out of the many qualified nominees, the committee feels that Elizabeth and Kyle best exemplify the spirit of Travis and Michael and live by the ‘If Not Me Then Who…’motto,” said Rob Bender, Director of Advancement at the Travis Manion Foundation. “Their selflessness and community service is admirable and something we hope other young people aspire to.”  

Lentz, a junior at Oxford Area High School, is the Vice-President of Oxford’s Helping Hands program, where she spends countless hours helping others within her school and community.  Lentz devotes time to the elderly population, hosts a drive for “get-well” cards for children that suffer from life-threatening illnesses, and organizes a community clean-up day to keep Oxford looking its best.

A West Chester Henderson senior, Hicks is an active supporter of the Andrew L. Hicks, Jr. Foundation in Chester, which honors Kyle’s late brother Andrew. The foundation was established in Andrew’s honor to further his outreach work that he had begun in the Chester community.  The foundation supports a variety of events for the youth of Chester such as a fall carnival, a summer camp, school supplies drives and a “Warrior Guide” program where the elementary-aged students of Chester are paired with a West Chester high school student and attend events such as a bowling night or a high school football game.

Both winners will be honored at halftime of Friday night’s Army-Navy Cup V, which will take place at Chester’s Talen Energy Stadium at 7:00 PM. Travis’s father, Colonel Tom Manion, US Marine Corps (Ret.), will present the award a long with Mr. Joe Crescenz, Michael’s brother. They will be joined by LTC Ed Croot and Commander Michael Vaas of the United States Navy.

Tickets to Army-Navy Cup V can be purchased at PhiladelphiaUnion.com.