For Immediate Release
Tuesday,  September 1, 1998

USM's Gilmour Receives NCAA Honor

	GORHAM, Maine  --  Heather B. Gilmour, a four-year field hockey 
standout at the University of Southern Maine, was among the 51 state-level 
winners (including the District of Columbia) announced Tuesday (September 1) 
for the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Woman of the Year 
Award.  Gilmour is the first USM female student-athlete to be so honored.
	Since 1991, the NCAA has annually honored female student-athletes 
who have excelled in academics, athletics and community service.  The state 
winners were selected by a committee comprised of representatives from NCAA 
member schools.  The 51 state winners were chosen from more than 400 
nominations.
	Ten finalists will be announced later this month.  The NCAA Committee 
on Women's Athletics will select the NCAA Woman of the Year from among the 
ten finalists.  The winner will be announced at an awards dinner Sunday, 
October 18, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
	"I was pretty surprised," Gilmour said when asked about her reaction after 
being informed by Al Bean, Director of Athletics at USM, that she had won the 
award for the state of Maine.
	"I never really expected to win.  I went to the banquet last year with the 
(national Student-Athlete Advisory Council) and (the ten finalists) all seem like 
really great people.
	"I really couldn't imagine (winning) after going to that banquet and seeing 
those women."
	"Heather is a truly extraordinary young woman and someone who is very 
deserving of this honor.  She has that rare combination of outstanding 
scholastic ability, exceptional athletic talent, and a tremendous commitment 
level to everything she pursues," commented Bean.
	"She has been a very important part of our athletic program. Not only has 
she contributed greatly as a student-athlete, but she also has played a major 
role in the development of our campus student-athlete advisory committee, 
working with the Husky Kids Club and helping develop new initiatives that 
support the student-athletes experience.
	"I'm pleased that she is going to pursue athletics as a career. She will 
have a great deal to offer as a professional in this field," added Bean
	During her four years at USM, Gilmour played in 76 games, third most 
all-time, and scored one goal and two assists.  A two-time captain, she was 
among the region's better defensive players.
	She also was a member of the NCAA's Student-Athlete Advisory Council 
in 1997-98 and she served as a facilitator at the 1998 NCAA Foundation 
Leadership Conference.
	At USM, Gilmour received the Paula D. Hodgdon Award Leadership 
Award in 1998, was a multiple-time winner of the William B. Wise Scholar-
Athlete Award, served as a dormitory resident assistant and did an internship in 
the athletic department.
	Her involvement in all these extracurricular activities comes naturally.  
"I've always been a busy person.  Even back in high school, I looked at the 
extracurricular activities offered when I was looking at colleges.  I never thought 
that it would lead to this,"  said Gilmour.
	Gilmour spent one year attending the University of Maine where she was 
not involved in athletics.  She transferred to USM and quickly became a fixture 
on the field hockey field.
	"When I decided to come to USM, I called (coach Paula Hodgdon) about 
playing because I really missed the game.  Playing field hockey was a big plus.  
I had talked to my high school coach (Sharon Colton) about whether I could 
play at the college level and she said I had the ability to play and I might see 
some playing time as the season progressed.  She was glad to hear I was trying 
out."
	Before her first season as a Husky was completed, Gilmour had moved 
into a starting back position, a spot she would hold down for the next three 
seasons.