USM field hockey names tri-captains

Former Dexter High School defender Brandi Alton, along with Allison Hill of Cape Elizabeth and Melissa Rivet of Bridgton have been selected as captains for the University of Southern Maine field hockey team for the upcoming season.

“Brandi, Allison and Melissa are excellent choices as captains,” USM coach Bonny Brown-Denico said in a press release. “All three student-athletes are exceptionally dedicated to the overall success of the team.”

Alton, one of just three seniors on the Huskies’ roster, has played 59 games with USM, including 11 starts.

“Brandi has developed into a true leader during her playing career,” said Brown-Denico.

Rivet, a junior midfielder, played in all 23 games last fall for the Huskies, tallying four goals and an assist while playing a key role defensively.

Hill, a junior goalkeeper, notched a 15-8 record last year and a 1.49 goals against average to earn first-team all-Little East Conference honors.

She boasts a 1.71 GAA in 44 games with USM.

The Huskies open the 2008 season Saturday against Colby College in Waterville.

UMF announces HOF class

Longtime coach Bob Leib headlines the 12th University of Maine-Farmington Athletic Hall of Fame class, which was announced recently.

Other inductees are Jeff Neal, John Ryan, Gail Sanborn and Rebecca Vaughan.

Leib coached baseball (134-129-1), softball (271-145), men’s soccer (260-94-34) and women’s soccer (151-63-16) at the school, retiring earlier this year after three decades guiding those respective teams for the Beavers.

He will remain at UMF in a teaching and administrative capacity in the fall of 2008 and will work on special projects for the athletics department and development until the spring of 2010.

Neal allowed 44 goals while compiling 379 saves during his career at UMF from 1987-90. His save mark ranks second all-time in school history.

Ryan captained the 1991 UMF baseball team to one of its most successful seasons in program history, leading them to a 16-8 record. He is third in school history with 139 strikeouts and fourth in wins (14) and earned run average (3.75).

Sanborn was a three-sport star who excelled in volleyball, basketball and soccer, captaining the 1993 volleyball team to a 20-12 record while earning all-conference honors.

Walker currently holds UMF’s softball record for career wins, strikeouts and earned run average.

Bashaw to coach at Colby

Chris Bashaw, who scored 16 touchdowns over the last four seasons as a running back for Colby College, has taken an assistant coaching post at the school.

Bashaw will coach the running backs for head coach Ed Mestieri. He rushed for 1,848 yards in his career with the Mules while coming up with 587 receiving yards on 64 catches.

DeWitt earns academic honor

Ellsworth native Steve DeWitt, a runner at UMass Lowell, was named to the inaugural Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement winners list.

The Biological Science major was one of 29 UML student-athletes to receive the honor.