Wednesday,  October 7, 1998

For Immediate Release

Record 76 Earn USM Scholar-Athlete Award

	GORHAM, Maine  -- A record seventy-six (76) University of Southern Maine student-athletes, 
cheerleaders and student athletic trainers have earned the Department of Athletics' prestigious 
William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete Award for the 1997-98 academic year.
	The Wise Award is presented annually to those student-athletes, cheerleaders and student 
athletic trainers who achieve a 3.00 or better grade point average for the academic year. This year's 
winners represent every varsity athletic program (22), cheerleading and athletic training.
	The winners will be honored at a reception October 25 at the Kenneth Brooks Student Center 
on the Gorham campus.  The 76 winners represent more than 25% of the students that comprised 
the varsity athletic teams, cheerleaders and student athletic trainers in 1997-98. The previous 
record for Wise Award winners was 60 for the 1996-97 academic year.
	Thirteen student-athletes, including Alyssa Bergeron (cross country, indoor and outdoor 
track), Kim Carpenter (indoor and outdoor track), Sarah Drury (athletic training and soccer), Kevin 
Faria (indoor and outdoor track), Hollie Harnish (cross country, indoor and outdoor track), Carrie 
Murphy (indoor and outdoor track) Julie Plant (basketball and softball), Paula Reed (field hockey 
and softball), Julie Skillings (cross country, indoor and outdoor track), Jennifer Snyder (cross 
country, indoor and outdoor track), Katy Stebbins (field hockey and softball), Christi Thomas (indoor 
and outdoor track) and Derek Veilleux (cross country, indoor and outdoor track), were honored as 
multi-sport athletes.
	Among this year's record setting number of award winners were nineteen recipients who 
earned their second Wise award.  Six, including Jason Crepeau (baseball), Michael Ellerbrook 
(basketball), Erald Kilkenny (baseball), Anuka Puri (tennis), Jodie Rafnell (women's soccer) and 
Katy Stebbins (field hockey and softball), increase the number of student-athletes to earn three 
awards to 27.  One student-athlete, Heather Gilmour (field hockey), became the ninth person since 
the award program started to earn four awards.
	Since the Wise Scholar-Athlete Award program began with the 1987-88 academic year, a 
total of 460 student-athletes have earned the award.

Athletic Training
Sarah Drury, Canton, Maine   *
Ron Hutchins, Cumberland, Maine

Baseball
Jason Crepeau, Biddeford, Maine
Wylie Herzberg, East Lebanon, Maine
Erald Kilkenny, Bridgton Maine
Jeff Lewis, Framingham, Mass.

Men's Basketball
Michael Ellerbrook, Northampton, Mass.
Michael Fennessy, Lewiston, Maine
Wade Millet, East Waterboro, Maine

Women's Basketball
Katie Hamlin, Waterville, Maine
Ali Hathaway, Hampden, Maine
Tracy Libby, Falmouth, Maine
Julie Plant, Gorham, Maine   *

Cheering
Elisha Jack, Buckfield, Maine
Carrie Mahoney, Pembroke, Mass.
Valerie Pollard, South Thomaston, Maine

Men's Cross Country
Derek Veilleux, Fairfield, Maine   *

Women's Cross Country
Alyssa Bergeron, Metheun, Mass.   *
Michelle Cruver, Biddeford, Maine
Hollie Harnish, Bangor, Maine *
Rachel O'Brien, Orr's Island, Maine
Julie Skillings, Falmouth, Maine   *
Jennifer Snyder, Auburn, Maine   *

Field Hockey
Kim Cochrane, Biddeford, Maine
Alison Drury, Canton, Maine
Heather Gilmour, Winthrop, Maine
Kerry LePage, Greene, Maine
Paula Reed, Rockland, Maine   *
Rebecca Reed, Westbrook, Maine
Sara Sleeper, Montpelier, Vt.
Betty Soule, Bowdoinham, Maine
Katy Stebbins, Winthrop, Maine   *

Golf
John Downs, Brunswick, Maine

Men's Ice Hockey
Dominic Coppo, Yarmouth, Maine
Dan Drozdzik, Chicago, Illinois
Andy Gildart, Portland, Maine
William "Chip" Pate, Townsend, Mass.
Scott Prosek, Newtown, Penn.
Darren Roche, Corner Brook, Newfoundland
Aleksi Ylonen, Helsinki, Finland

Sailing (Fall and Spring Seasons)
Jolene Chonko, Topsham, Maine
Jeff Cumming, Wiscasset, Maine
Rich Dedek, York Harbor, Maine
David Hughes, Yarmouth, Maine
Katya Kutnetsova, Arkhangel, Russia
Graciela Lamy, Portland, MaIne
Jennifer Trezza, Saco, Maine

Men's Soccer
Jason Batchelder, Derby, Vt.
Kevin Hogaboom, Milton, Vt.
Jim Hopkins, Bristol, Conn.
Ryan O'Donnell, Windham, Maine

Women's Soccer
Melaine Anderson, New Portland, Maine
Leah Cloutier, Topsham, Maine
Rachel Drury, Canton, Maine
Sarah Drury, Canton, Maine   *
Debbie Jandreau, Madawaska, Maine
Jodie Rafnell, Topsham, Maine
Jessie Read, Portland, Maine
Samantha Whitman, Saxtons River, Vt.

Softball
Alyssa Anderson, New Portland, Maine
Michelle Cloutier, Whitefield, Maine
Erica Gagnon, Oakland, Maine
June LaVallee, Sidney, Maine
Julie Plant, Gorham,  Maine   *
Paula Reed, Rockland, Maine   *
Katy Stebbins, Winthrop, Maine   *

Men's Tennis
Jay Harper, Saco, Maine

Women's Tennis
Anuka Puri, Portland, Maine
Ariel Smith, Rochester, N.H.

Men's Indoor Track
Kevin Faria, Litchfield, N.H.   *
Derek Veilleux, Fairfield, Maine   *

Women's Indoor Track
Alyssa Bergeron, Methuen, Mass.   *
Kim Carpenter, Raymond, Maine   *
Hollie Harnish, Bangor, Maine   *
Carrie-Ann Murphy, Brewer, Maine   *
Julie Skillings, Falmouth, Maine   *
Christi Thomas, Brewer, Maine   *

Men's Outdoor Track
Kevin Faria, Litchfield, N.H.   *
Derek Veilleux, Fairfield, Maine   *

Women's Outdoor Track
Alyssa Bergeron, Methuen, Mass.   *
Kim Carpenter, Raymond, Maine   *
Breanne Fortiguerra, Lyman, Maine
Hollie Harnish, Bangor, Maine   *
Beth Hovencamp, Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
Carrie-Ann Murphy, Brewer, Maine   *
Julie Skillings, Falmouth, Maine   *
Jen Snyder,  Auburn, Maine   *
Christi Thomas, Brewer, Maine   *

Volleyball
Lia Kennedy, Gorham, Maine
Kelley Poulin, Berlin, N.H.
Andrea Raynsford, Fryeburg, Maine

Wrestling
Bryan Chabot, Wells, Maine
Troy Foster, Standish, Maine
Tom Labrie, Vernon, Conn.
John Vasalle, South Berwick, Maine


* = Multi-sport student-athletes