Thursday, May 30, 2002

USM's Jess Short Attends NCAA Leadership Conference

	GORHAM, Maine  --  University of Southern Maine women's cross country and 
track standout Jessica Short (Bennington, Vt.) is among the 282 student-athletes 
from across the nation that are to attending the sixth annual National 
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Foundation Leadership Conference at 
Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex and the Coronado Springs Resort in Lake 
Buena Vista, Florida.  The conference is being held May 26-30.
	Short is the ninth USM student-athlete to be selected to attend the 
conference in its six-year history.  Other former USM student-athletes to attend 
the conference include Heather Gilmour and Ed Pike (1997), Kim Cochrane and 
Michael McCullum (1998), Michelle Cloutier (1999), Kevin Faria (2000) and Tina 
West and Tony Coates (2001).
	A co-captain of the cross country team last fall, Short earned All-New 
England Alliance honors and was among the Huskies' top three finishers in nearly 
every meet.  During the winter indoor track season, she earned All-Alliance and 
All-Little East Conference honors in the 3,000 and 5,000 meter runs.  This 
spring, Short collected Division III All-New England honors in the 10,000 
meters, and All-Alliance and All-Little East citations for winning the 10,000 
meters at the Alliance/Little East championships meet..
	Among the featured speakers at the NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference 
are Lloyd Ward, United States Olympic Committee (USOC) chief executive officer, 
and Donna Lopiano, Women's Sports Foundation executive director.  They will 
speak on leadership, diversity and unity in sports.
	According to an NCAA release, the NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference 
was designed to enhance NCAA student-athletes' leadership and communication 
skills to enable them to become more effective leaders and motivators when they 
return to their campuses. The convention setting provides the student-athletes 
with an opportunity to discuss key issues that affect them on campus 
and in their communities. The conference also provides them with exercises to 
enhance their decision-making and problem-solving skills, and improve planning 
and priority management. The conference is one of the largest non-competitive 
gatherings of NCAA student-athletes.
	The student-athletes chosen to attend the conference were from among 1,183 
nominations submitted from colleges and universities that participate in the 
NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills Program.  The student-athletes attending the conference 
represent 20 NCAA sports: alpine skiing, basketball, baseball, cross country, 
equestrian, field hockey, football, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, 
rowing, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, 
volleyball, water polo and wrestling.
	Criteria for selection include the student-athletes' demonstrated ability 
and strong desire to be a leader and the student-athletes' potential to benefit 
significantly from a leadership development experience.  A committee comprised 
of CHAMPS/Life Skills coordinators from member institutions and NCAA student-
athletes review the nominations to determine the final selections.