Feb. 20, 2003

Duquesne University's Beth Friday (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) has been named to the 2003 Verizon Women's Basketball Academic All-American squad. She one of just five (5) Division I student-athletes from Pennsylvania, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia to be selected.

She will now appear on the National ballot for the Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-America Women's Basketball Team which is scheduled to be announced on Friday, March 7.

Friday, a senior, earns her second consecutive Verizon Academic All-America honor. She boasts a 3.70 grade point average in accounting and was named to the Verizon District II second team last year.

The 6-1 forward leads the Dukes and is second in the Atlantic 10 with 10.7 rebounds per game and adds 14.6 points per game, which is second on the team. She is ranked 14th nationally in rebounds per game.

This past January, Friday became the first Duquesne women's basketball player and just the fourth in the Atlantic 10 to record 1,000 career rebounds and points. She has 1,346 points and 1,113 rebounds to date.

Friday was named a 2002 first team All-Atlantic 10 selection and a second team honoree in 2001. She was also named to the 2001 A-10 Academic All-Conference squad. She also appeard in the Feb. 10 issue of Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd."

To be eligible for the Verizon award, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore at their institution, be a starter or important reserve and have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.00 scale).

Friday is the 12th Duquesne University student-athlete to be named the to the District II list this season. Duquesne has had at least one student-athlete named to each of the six Verizon teams to date - men's & women's soccer, women's volleyball, football and men's & women's basketball.

2003 VERIZON ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT 2 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM

Beth Friday      SR   Duquesne          3.70       AccountingKatryn Costenbaker  SR   American             3.83         PsychologyCourtney Davidson   JR   US Naval Academy     3.75         Political ScienceKelly Mazzante      JR   Penn State           3.38         Accounting / Public RelationsAnne Tierney        SR   Lehigh               3.87         Economic / Finance

DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY
2002-03 Verizon Academic All-America Honorees
(12 district, five national)

Men's Basketball

• Jimmy Tricco (Phoenix, Ariz./Brophy College Prep)
  District 2

Women's Basketball

• Beth Friday (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair)
  District 2

Football

• Jeremy Conley (Pittsburgh, Pa./Allderdice)
  District 2 First Team
• Mike Hilliard (Homer Center, Pa./Homer Center)
  District 2 First Team - National Second Team
• Matt Mrdjenovich (Harrison City, Pa./Penn-Trafford)
  District 2 Second Team
• Joe Pavlick (Canton, Ohio/St. Thomas Aquinas)
  District 2 First Team - National Second Team
• Philip Polony (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall)
  District 2 First Team

Women's Soccer

• Lauren Bracco (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hallow Hills West)
  District 2 Second Team

Men's Soccer

• Jason Kutney (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Borough)
  District 2 - National Second Team
• Terry McNelis (Reading, Pa./Exeter Twp.)
  District 2 - National Third Team
• Christian Reinecker (Reading,Pa./Exeter Twp.)
  District 2 - National Second Team

Women's Volleyball

• Sarah Morrow (Baytown, Texas/Robert E. Lee)
  District 2 Second Team