Winners named for Giant Steps

In conjunction with National Student-Athlete Day, held April 6, the National Consortium for Academics and Sports (NCAS) has announced its Giant Steps Award winners.

Giant Steps Awards are given to those individuals who exemplify the ideals of balancing academics, athletics and life pursuits.

This year's student-athlete winners are Jennifer McClain and Rashad Williams.

McClain, a former volleyball player at Quinnipiac College and a recent graduate in international business, has overcome spina bifida, a rare birth defect that usually results in severe spinal damage and loss of motor skills.

McClain has been team captain for the Braves for the last three years, and she also volunteers in her community, teaching volleyball and giving motivational speeches.

Williams, a 15-year-old runner from Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco, participated in a road race last year to raise funds for Columbine High School student Lance Kirklin, who was wounded last April by the Columbine gunmen. Williams, who had never met Kirklin, raised $18,000 to help cover medical expenses.

This year's winners in the coach category were Dave Sanders and Carolyn Peck.

Sanders, who coached basketball, softball and soccer at Columbine in addition to teaching, has been credited with saving the lives of 200 to 300 students before he died in last year's tragedy.

Peck, now the general manager and head coach of Orlando's WNBA franchise, last year became the first African-American woman to coach a team to the Division I Women's Basketball Championship. Peck led Purdue University to a 34-1 overall record in 1999, and her 23-10 team in 1998 advanced to the regionals. Peck has a degree in communications from Vanderbilt University, where she was the team captain her junior and senior seasons.

Sister Rose Ann Fleming, academic counselor at Xavier University, was recognized in the athletics administrator category. Fleming, who has been the athletics academic advisor at Xavier for the last 14 years, also has been a college president, a school superintendent and a high-school Latin and English teacher. Her many academic degrees include a law degree, a doctorate and an MBA. Since she began her career at Xavier, more than 90 percent of the school's student-athletes have graduated.

Winners in the civic leaders category were Derrick Thomas, the recently deceased Kansas City Chief's linebacker known for his extensive community service, and Darryl Williams, a quadriplegic motivational speaker known for his work with young people in Boston.

Homer time

Cedar Crest College's Katie Mertz had an inning to remember in a recent softball game against Rosemont College.

Mertz led off the second inning of the second game of a double-header with a solo home run. The Classics scored four more runs before Mertz returned to the plate. With two outs and two runners on base, Mertz blasted her second round-tripper of the inning and third of the day.

Mertz's first homer that day was the first hit by Cedar Crest in the three-year history of the softball program.

Four times the frozen fun

The men's ice hockey teams from St. Lawrence University and Boston University dueled their way through four overtimes in the NCAA East Regional in Albany, New York, last month, resulting in more than 123 minutes of action.

The six-hour, televised contest -- which totaled more than the equivalent of two full games -- is believed to be the longest game in an NCAA tournament, and the longest live NCAA championship event ever on television.

St. Lawrence emerged the victor, earning a trip to the NCAA Frozen Four with its 3-2 win.

'Brave New World' summit

The Women's Sports Foundation's annual summit, held May 4-7 in Uniondale, New York, will focus on expanding women's sports into new territory as emphasized by this year's theme, "Brave New World ... of Women's Sports."

Summit attendees will have the opportunity to interact with a diverse group of women and men involved in all aspects of women's sports and fitness. Sessions will address issues relating to current and future opportunities for girls and women in sports and fitness, specifically focusing on marketing, media, grass-roots programming, coaching, health and advocacy.

The opening keynote speaker will be ESPN senior vice-president and executive editor John Walsh. Other speakers include Val Ackerman, president of the WNBA and Kim Ng, New York Yankees assistant general manager. The closing keynote speaker will be Donna de Varona, chair of the 1999 Women's World Cup.

For more information about the summit, call 800/227-3988 or see the foundation's Web site at www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.