GORHAM, Maine – The University of Southern Maine Department of Athletics will take part in the NCAA's annual Division III Week celebration from April 5-11.  Along with hosting baseball, softball, men's lacrosse, men's tennis, women's tennis, volleyball, men's soccer and women's soccer contests throughout the week, USM Athletics will highlight its outstanding student-athletes and program achievements and will host several events focusing on the Division III Student-Athlete.

 Division III Week is an opportunity to observe and celebrate the contributions and impact of athletics and student-athletes on the University of Southern Maine campus and surrounding community.  The Huskies' athletic department supports 22 Division III intercollegiate athletic teams and nearly 500 student-athletes, nearly split evenly between female and male students. Huskies' Athletics has over 125 All-American, more than 50 former Huskies in the pros, 119 conference championships, and eight national championships in its history books.  Recent NCAA All-Americans hail from the Huskies baseball, wrestling, and men's and women's track and field programs, including baseball's Ben Lambert (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy); Adele Kalilwa (Lewiston, Maine) of women's track & field, CJ Moody (Old Town, Maine) of men's track & field, and Peter Del Gallo (Gardiner, Maine) of the Huskies' wrestling team.
Collectively, Husky student-athletes have been also been at the top of their game academically and have an outstanding 3.2 grade point average and a record 259 student-athletes were recognized this past Fall as William B. Wise Scholar-Athletes.  To earn William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete accolades, a Southern Maine student-athlete must have a minimum of a 3.00 cumulative grade average for the fall and spring semesters, be a full-time student both semesters and be a member of a varsity team for a full season.  Each of the Huskies' 22 intercollegiate programs has representation among the 259 student-athletes that were honored.

Leaders on and off of the field, 13 members of the Huskies' field hockey team were named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division III All-Academic Squad and four members were honored as NFHCA Scholars of Distinction: sophomore Mackenzie Banks (Belfast, Maine), freshman Hannah Banks (Belfast, Maine), freshman Brooke Carson (Woodstock, Maine/Oxford Hills) and freshman Mary Keef (Westbrook, Maine).

With 20 LEC championships and 25 NCAA tournament appearances in its history, Huskies' women's basketball consistently produces academic achievers.  Currently the team with the highest GPA among the Huskies 22 intercollegiate programs with a 3.67, the team had one of its own, graduate student and All-LEC guard Jackie Luckhardt (Londonderry, N.H.) selected to attend the 2021 NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar. 

 To celebrate and showcase our student-athletes during the 2021  Division III Week celebration, in addition to "Husky Game Days!," the USM Department of Athletics will feature digital content that will highlight the diverse life of a Division III student-athlete, including on-going game-show style segments "Teammate Tuesday" and "Are You Smarter Than a Husky?"
The Teammate Tuesday will feature freshman Hannah Corbett (Sebago, Maine/Bonny Eagle) and senior Samantha Comeau (Maple Grove, Minnesota/OMGHA/Easton Stealth) of the women's track & field team, while the Are You Smarter Than a Husky segment will feature women's lacrosse head coach Angela Mallis in a battle of wits against her player, sophomore Maeve McGarrity (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus). 

The Huskies' Instagram account @southernmainehuskies will also feature a pair of Student-Athlete Takeovers on Monday, April 5 and Sunday, April 11.  On Monday, Huskies' social media will be dominated by men's ice hockey's very own sophomore Nick Ritmo (Niskayuna, N.Y./New Hampshire Avalanche), while Sunday will feature USM softball rookie Rona Scott (Beverly, Mass.).  A History major, Ritmo works in the Office of Admissions as a student ambassador, and is a Resident Assistant on the Gorham campus.  Scott, a Biology and Education major, holds a pair of student-employment positions as a Study Tables Monitor in the Costello Sports Complex and as a Statistician Assistant with the Athletic Communications Department.  Scott is also a member of her team's leadership group and a member of Huskies' SAAC and SADIE.
 

2021 NCAA Division III Week at the University of Southern Maine
Monday, April 5	Instagram Takeover – Featuring Nick Ritmo, Men's Ice Hockey Husky Pack Chat: USM Career Hub – Featuring Husky student-athlete alumni 4-5:30 pm
Tuesday, April 6	Teammate Tuesday: Hannah Corbett & Sam Comeau, Women's Track & Field Husky Game Day: Softball vs. St. Joseph's College, 4 pm & 6 pm
Wednesday, April 7	Are You Smarter Than a Husky: Coach Angela Mallis and Maeve McGarrity, Women's Lacrosse Husky Game Day: Baseball vs. St. Joseph's, 3:30 pm Husky Game Day: Men's Tennis vs. Plymouth State Husky Game Day: Women's Tennis vs. Plymouth State
Thursday, April 8	Special Olympics Virtual Swim Workout with Jessica Blake (ft. USM Huskies as guests). USM student-athletes can join the workout session with the Special Olympians and go through a home Zoom workout together.
Friday, April 9	Husky Athletics: Lead the Pack Video Husky Game Day: Baseball vs. Western Connecticut State, 12 pm & 3 pm
Saturday, April 10	We Are Huskies Video Husky Game Day: Huskies' Track & Field at St. Joseph's, 11:00 am Husky Game Day: Men's Lacrosse vs. Castleton, 2 pm Husky Game Day: Men's Tennis vs. Rhode Island College, 2:00 pm Husky Game Day: Women's Tennis vs. Rhode Island College, 2:00 pm
Sunday, April 11	Instagram Takeover – Featuring Rona Scott, Softball Husky Game Day: Softball vs Western Connecticut, 2 & 4 pm

 
One of the highlights of the 2021 Division III Week celebration for Huskies' Athletics will be a feature in its on-going Husky Pack Chat series.  Husky Pack Chats are a virtual series that provide a path for USM student-athletes at all stages of their collegiate careers with an opportunity to prepare for all facets of the job hunt.  The latest Husky Pack Chat will be hosted online via Zoom on Monday, April 5 (4:00 – 5:30 pm) and will feature a pair of former USM student-athlete standouts. Entitled Huskies at Work: Connecting the Interview Process with Practice, former and current USM student-athletes in the fields of Nursing, Engineering, Social Justice, and Education will take part. 

Among the Husky alums are Greg Cox '10, a former men's soccer player and Husky Hall of Fame Inductee; Erin McNamara '14, a former All-New England women's basketball player, and Michaela (Demers) Archambault '17, a three-time William B. Wise Scholar Athlete and former forward for the Huskies' field hockey program.  Cox earned his degree in Economics and is currently a Portfolio Manager with R.M. Davis. McNamara earned her Nursing degree from Southern Maine, and is a Registered Nurse at Maine Medical Center.  Demers, a founding member of USM's Women in STEM student organization, earned her degree in Mechanical Engineering and is employed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
 

USM STUDENT-ATHLETE QUICK FACTS

Nearly 500 University of Southern Maine students participate in one of the Huskies' 22 intercollegiate athletic teams.

USM Student-Athletes have a collective 3.1 grade point average

Forty-four academic majors are represented by USM Student-Athletes with some of the most popular being: Nursing, Engineering, Exercise Science, Business, Sports Management, Education.

USM Student-Athletes volunteered 2,103 hours of community service so far during the 2019-2020 academic year

USM Student-Athletes have a tradition of excellence including, 119 conference championships, eight national championships, and more than 150 All-Americans

 
 "As we approach NCAA Division III Week, it gives me occasion to reflect on the wonderful work and many significant accomplishments of our student-athletes," said USM Director of Athletics Al Bean.   "Whether it is in the classroom, in competition or in the community, our student-athletes rise to the occasion and achieve at very high levels.  They accomplish all of this while still balancing family, social life and part-time employment responsibilities.  It's rewarding to see the personal growth and development of each student-athlete and I'm especially proud of the many contributions they make to strengthen our learning community in Athletics.  I'm confident that USM student-athletes will continue to be leaders in their chosen field."
Forty-four different majors are represented by the Huskies' student-athletes, with General Management,  Exercise Science, Nursing, Athletic Training, Health Science, Sport Management, Engineering and Biology among the favorites.  However, USM student-athlete pursuits range from Theatre to Social Behavioral Sciences, to Chemistry and Liberal Studies, and Cyber Security to Music Education. Husky student-athletes' academic achievements have been recognized not only by the athletic department, but also at the University, conference, regional and national level. 

Southern Maine student-athletes have also excelled in the community as its Student-Athlete Advisory Committee earned top honors from the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIAA) for its community service efforts and work with Special Olympics Maine, and its Mental Health Awareness events. With in-person large-group activities on hold, it is important to note that over the course of the 2018-2019 year USM student-athletes completed more than 2100 hours of community service hours.  And, during this current academic year, USM SAAC has continued its relationship with Special Olympics Maine contributing to online workouts and activities.

USM student-athletes have also taken a greater interest in its broader community with the recently established student-athlete group Huskies' SADIE (Student-Athlete Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Committee).  Created in the Fall of 2020, Huskies' SADIE is dedicated to creating a community that values and prioritizes diversity, equity and inclusion, and is committed to listening to student-athletes' concerns surrounding social justice issues. The idea for Huskies' SADIE followed a dialogue between the USM Department of Athletics and its student-athlete population, particularly our students of color, to ascertain and develop ways to help support USM student-athletes in the best way. 

Led by student-athlete co-chairs Abedom Gebreyesus (Lynn, Mass.) of the men's soccer team, Antoine Grace (Queensbury, N.Y.) of the wrestling and men's track & field programs, and Sophie Lindsay (Sierra Madre, Calif.) of the women's track & field and volleyball teams, Huskies' SADIE nearly has representation from all 22 of the University's intercollegiate teams, and is open to all who wish to participate.

Student-athletes will also be given an opportunity to recognize the faculty and staff at the University of Southern Maine with Division III Week pins that bear the insignia "A USM Student-Athlete Appreciates Me."  Student-Athletes will be able to nominate people at USM and the pins will be delivered throughout the week.