The University of Maine field hockey team was picked to finish second in the America East Preseason Poll, which was released Wednesday.

“We are flattered to be chosen second in the conference,” Black Bears interim head coach Andrea Thebarge said in a press release.

Boston University received 25 points overall and five first-place votes to claim the top spot. Maine earned one first-place vote and 18 points. Albany and New Hampshire tied for third with 15 points apiece and Vermont’s 12 rounded out the top five.

Maine posted a 13-7 record a year ago including a 4-1 conference record. The Bears earned a share of the America East Regular Season title for the first time in school history.

UMaine opens the 2006 season with three home games, starting this Saturday against Sacred Heart at noon at Morse Field.

Colby grads compete at Worlds

Colby College graduates Pete Morelli (2002) and Ted Farwell (2005) both competed at the 2006 FISA World Rowing Championships in Eton, England Tuesday and will compete for world titles on Saturday.

Farwell and partner Pat Godfrey teamed up with coxswain Vincent Puma to record a first-place finish, recording a time of 7 minutes, 5.51 seconds, edging the boat from Germany by 0.98 seconds.

Morelli was in the U.S. lightweight men’s boat that finished fourth. The U.S. battled with Italy and Denmark for second place throughout the race. The American boat clocked a time of 5:54.75.

SMCC announces Hall class

Southern Maine Community College of South Portland has inducted the following into its inaugural Hall of Fame class: former coach and athletic director John Dakin, three-sport standout Mark Dudley and men’s basketball player Greg Smith.

Dakin served as athletic director from 1967-2002, and also had head coaching stints with the men’s basketball and baseball teams.

Dakin’s baseball teams compiled an 89-75 record and won seven conference titles while his basketball record stands at 199-56.

Dudley played four years of basketball, three years of baseball and ran cross country for one season at the school. He ranks 10th all-time in school history in points (1,001) and first in rebounds (805) and steals (184) and sixth in blocked shots (68).

His baseball statistics include a .317 career batting average with a .940 fielding percentage. He is the only former student-athlete at the school to have his jersey number retired.

Smith was a part of the 1995 and 1996 men’s basketball teams that made back-to-back trips to the NSCAA National Tournament. His 1,688 career points leads all SMCC players. He was a 1996 NSCAA All-American choice.