Wednesday, July 2, 2003

Darryl Whitney Named Verizon Academic All-America®

	GORHAM, Maine  -- University of Southern Maine senior men's track and cross 
country standout Darryl Whitney (Hudson, N.H.) has been named to the 2002-2003 
Verizon Academic All-America® College Division Men's Track & Field/Cross Country 
second team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America 
(CoSIDA).  Kevin Gilmore, CoSIDA national coordinator for college division men's 
track and field/cross country, made the announcement.
	Whitney is the second USM student-athlete to receive national Academic All-
America® honors.  Former field hockey star Alison Drury (Canton, Maine) was named 
to the Women's College Division Fall/Winter At-Large third team in 1999.
Whitney also was one of three USM student-athletes to receive Verizon Academic 
District One honors this spring.  Senior shortstop Sarah McLean (Portsmouth, R.I.) 
was named to the softball first team while senior pole vaulter Amy Swanberg 
(Lamoine, Maine) was named to the women's track and field/cross country second 
team.
	This past winter, Whitney became the first USM male track athlete to qualify 
for the NCAA indoor track and field championships, competing in the 1500-meter 
run.  He reached the finals where he set a school record with his time of 3:55.95 
to place ninth.
	The holder of eight school records (five indoor and three outdoors) and part 
of two record indoor relays, Whitney has been a Dean's List student every semester 
he attended USM since transferring from Liberty University in the middle of his 
freshman year.  He graduated this spring with a degree in exercise physiology and 
a 3.95 cumulative grade point average.
	During his stellar career, Whitney set school indoor records at 800 meters 
(1:56.72), 1,000 meters (2:29.58), 1500 meters, mile (4:14.92), and 5,000 meters 
(15:11.75).  He holds the outdoor records at 800 meters (1:58.40), 1500 meters 
(4:03.33) and in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:36.54).  He also was the cross 
country team's top runner the past two seasons.
	This past year, Whitney earned All-New England Alliance honors in cross 
country, All-New England Alliance accolades in the 800 and 1500 meters, All-ECAC 
honors in the 1500, and All-State recognition in the 1,000 meters during the 
indoor season, and All-Alliance citations in the 800 and 1500 meters and All-ECAC 
and Division III All-New England honors in the steeplechase outdoors.
	The Verizon Academic All-America® program is conducted annually by the 
College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).  To be nominated by 
their respective schools, student-athletes must maintain at least a 3.20 
cumulative grade point average and be a starter or important reserve with 
legitimate athletic credentials. The CoSIDA Academic All-America® college division 
is comprised of schools from NCAA Divisions Two and Three and all NAIA schools.
	CoSIDA selects Verizon Academic All-America® teams in 12 programs:  football, 
women's volleyball, men's soccer, women's soccer, men's basketball, women's 
basketball, baseball, softball, men's track and field/cross country, women's track 
and field/cross country, men's at-large and women's at-large.