Olympic Gold Medalist Dawes to Speak at UB

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A speech by Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Dominique Dawes will highlight the University at Buffalo's 14th annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Feb.11.

Dawes was a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team that won the team gold medal. She took a bronze medal in the floor event.

She will speak at 5 p.m. in Slee Concert Hall on the UB North (Amherst) Campus. Dawes' presentation is sponsored by the UB Division of Athletics, in conjunction with the undergraduate Student Association.

During the event, which also will feature UB student-athlete speakers in addition to Dawes, former President William R. Greiner and his wife, Carol, will be presented with the UB Recognition Award in honor of their ardent support of UB athletics.

A reception will follow the presentation. The UB women's basketball team will take on Kent State at 7 p.m. in Alumni Arena, North Campus. Group tickets to the presentation in Slee Hall and to the women's basketball game are available for $3 by calling the UB Ticket Office at 645-6666.

In conjunction with National Girls and Women in Sports Day, UB will hold a series of activities from Feb. 4-14. They will kick off on Feb. 4 with a panel discussion featuring university faculty and staff from 8-9:30 a.m. in 120 Clemens Hall, North Campus. The panel discussion, "Beyond the Playing Field," is sponsored by UB's Institute for Research and Education on Women and Gender. The breakfast networking event will explore the theme of "playing fair" and its effects on other areas, from Title IX to sports psychology.

As part of the community outreach portion of the celebration, UB varsity and club student-athletes and coaches will host an all-youth multi-sports clinic at 11 a.m. on Feb. 14 in Alumni Arena. The clinic will be followed by a basketball doubleheader -- UB women versus Akron at 1 p.m., men versus Central Michigan at 3 p.m.

Boys and girls ages 5 to 15 can register for the Feb. 14 event at http://www.buffalobulls.com/events.

National Girls and Women in Sports Day is a national event that celebrates and honors women's participation in and contributions to sports around the country and around the world. UB's celebrations have featured such Olympians as Janet Evans, Cheryl Miller, Sheryl Swoopes and Jillian Vogtli, as well as television broadcaster Robin Roberts.