April 7, 1999

Villanova, Pa. --- Villanova University softball player Mia Brickhouse has been chosen to represent Villanova at the third annual NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference to be held May 31-June 4, 1999, at Disney's Wide World of Sports and Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Student-athletes were nominated from NCAA member institutions that participate in the CHAMPS/Life Skills Program, and a total of 300 student-athletes were selected to participate in the conference.

The NCAA's stated mission of the conference is, through challenging and thought-provoking dialogue and activities, to prepare a diverse group of student-athletes to take an active leadership role on their campuses and in their communities. It will provide NCAA student-athletes with the opportunity to discuss and explore critical issues facing their peers, to enhance their leadership skills, and to promote better communication among student-athletes, coaches, administrators, faculty, and communities.

Brickhouse came to Villanova University from the Girard Academic Music Program in the fall of 1996 as a student looking to make the school's Division I varsity softball team as a walk-on. After making the squad as a freshman, the Philadelphia native was given a chance to start in centerfield as a sophomore for the Wildcats. She did not disappoint. The fleet-footed Brickhouse started 52 of the team's 53 games in 1998, hit .343, and finished second in the Big East Conference in stolen bases with a perfect 25 steals in 25 attempts. For her accomplishments, Brickhouse was named to the All-Big East first team following her sophomore season. This year through 29 games, the 5'5" junior is again providing a spark for the 'Cats, leading the team in hitting (.500), hits (54), runs scored (30), triples (4), and stolen bases (18) in leading Villanova to a 22-7-2 start, a school record beginning to a season.

Brickhouse's off-the-field exploits are just as remarkable as her softball statistics. Since her high school days as a National Honor Society member, she has continued to strive for success in both academics and community. Brickhouse, 20, is a communications major at Villanova with a minor in political science and aspirations of law school. She is also a resident advisor, a member of Community Action Through Sports (an organization of athletes that visits schools to promote higher education), a part of Villanova's Academic Integrity Board, and a member of the Black Cultural Society.

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