February 15, 1996Release # S050
Contact: Adam Levin
Sports Information Director
Phone #: (207) 786-6411


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Two Bates Athletes Named to Conditioning All-America Team

LEWISTON, Maine -- Dawn Bilodeau, a junior swimmer from Lewiston, and Greg Donoghue, a sophomore football player from Norwell, Mass., have been named National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) All-American Athletes for 1995.

The award acknowledges the athletic acheivements of outstanding athletes as they have benefitted from strength training and conditioning. Bilodeau and Donoghue were nominated by Bates strength coach Mike Verville.

Bilodeau, a three-year member of the swimming and diving team, competes in the freestyle and butterfly sprint events. She is 5' 3" and weighs 120 pounds, but is able to bench press 140 pounds, squat 205 pounds and clean and jerk 115 pounds, "Remarkable figures for someone of her size," Verville said. "Dawn has been training religiously for nearly 12 months and her sprint times have improved by almost a half a second. She is a team leader and an inspiration. Dawn has represented the college well, not only athletically, but as head lifeguard, swim class instructor and team representative to the athletics council at Bates," Verville added.

Donoghue, a two-year member of the football team, plays defensive tackle. He is 5' 11" and weighs 250 pounds. He bench presses 410 pounds, squats 700 pounds, clean and jerks 250 pounds and runs the 40-yard dash in 5.3 seconds. "Those strength figures are normally found among Division I athletes," Verville said. "Greg was exceptionally strong as a first-year player, but through hard work, [he] has put his numbers above and beyond any player of his age or experience. He has dropped his 40 time by three-tenths of a second. He has developed into one of the most dominant players in NESCAC," Verville added.

Bilodeau is a 1993 graduate of Lewiston High School. She is the daughter Lawrence and Claire Bilodeau, 24 Gina Street.

Donoghue is a 1994 graduate of Boston College High School. He is the son of George and Jean Donoghue, 89 Shrine Road.

-30-