Keselowski, Dombrowski & Zayak Honored
By National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame
Former New Orleans Saints tackle/guard Jim Dombrowski and World Champion figure skater Elaine Zayak have been elected into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame for 2013. Additionally, Sprint Cup Champion Brad Keselowski has been chosen to receive the Hall of Fame’s Excellence in Sports Award.
Dombrowski, a unanimous All-American and two-time recipient of the Jacobs Blocking Award, was a standout offensive lineman at the University of Virginia from 1982-1985. A three-time all-ACC selection Dombrowski was equally impressive in the classroom earning first team Academic All-Conference. He was the sixth overall pick by the Saints in the 1986 NFL Draft and anchored the Saints offensive line for 11 seasons from 1986-1996. In 2008 Dombrowski was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame and in 2003 he was elected into the Saints Hall of Fame.
Zayak, who began figure skating as physical therapy after losing three toes in a lawn mower accident, won both the U.S. Junior Championship and the World Junior Championship in 1979 at age 13. Noted for her consistency in landing the triple jump, Zayak won the gold medal at the U.S. National Championships in 1981 and captured another gold medal in 1982 winning the World Championships in Copenhagen. She also won a silver medal and two bronze medals at the U.S. National Championships from 1982-1984 and a silver and a bronze medal at the World Championships in 1981 and 1984. Zayak was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2003.
Keselowski won the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship in November in only his third full-time Sprint Cup season. An underdog to start the season, Keselowski, driving the Number 2 Miller Lite Dodge for Penske Racing, won five times and had eight other top five finishes. He is one of two NASCAR drivers to have won a championship in both the Sprint Cup Series and the Nationwide Series.
The awards will be presented to the recipients at the 40th Anniversary Induction Banquet on Thursday, June 13, 2013, at the American Polish-Cultural Center in Troy, Michigan, with Detroit Pistons play by play announcer George Blaha serving as Master of Ceremonies. Tickets for the banquet, which begins at 6 p.m., are $100 and can be ordered by calling (313) 407-3300. Information on the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame is available at www.polishsportshof.com.