University of Massachusetts Dartmouth senior Julie Smalley has been selected for the Asa S. Bushnell internship program by the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC).

An english/writing and communications major at UMass Dartmouth, Smalley is a resident of Bridgewater and a Brockton High School graduate.

She was selected from an open competitive field of several hundred graduating seniors, graduate students and some with prior experience in athletic administration. Previous interns in the program, named after the ECAC's first commissioner, have moved into very successful athletic-related careers.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for a tremendous student athlete," said UMass Dartmouth Athletic Director Robert Dowd. "We're very proud of Julie's performance on the athletic fields and in the classroom."

The Asa S. Bushnell program provides interns with a perspective on collegiate athletics from the conference level, primarily through daily operations of its public relations department and administration of its championships. From September 1994 through the following May, Smalley will be assigned to work primarily under the direct supervision of one of the ECAC's Assistant Commissioners for Championships and Officiating, External Affairs or Internal Affairs.

A member of the UMass Dartmouth Class of 1994 graduating this semester, Smalley has an impressive resume of athletic and academic achievements.

In the classroom, Smalley was on the Chancellor's List (3.8 grade point average or better) for five semesters and Dean's List for another two. In addition to her classroom work, she served as a writing fellow at the UMass Dartmouth Writing and Reading Center, assisting faculty in evaluating and criticizing student papers. She also served as an administrative assistant in the UMass Dartmouth Athletic Department for a semester, working in conjunction with the Alumni Affairs office in establishing an automated computer data base.

Smalley has also established herself as an outstanding athlete, competing with the women's soccer team for two years prior to a serious knee injury which forced her to miss her senior season. She also played four seasons with the UMass Dartmouth softball team.

As a member of Coach Ray Cabral's women's soccer team, Smalley was a Little East Conference Rookie of the Year in 1990, leading the LEC in scoring. In 1992, Smalley was one of the key players on the Corsairs' team that finished second in the Division III national championship.

In softball, Smalley has an equally impressive record. Coming back from her knee injury this spring, Smalley is captain of Coach Marilyn Ritz's 20-5 Corsair team. In 1992, she earned National Softball Coaches Association All Northeast honors and was named MVP of the 1992 ECAC Division III Softball Championship tournament.

After completing the internship at ECAC headquarters in Centerville, MA, Smalley hopes to pursue a career in coaching and athletic administration at either the high school or collegiate level.