BYU Students to Participate in Leadership Conference

PROVO -- Two BYU student-athletes will be part of a 353-member delegation that has been chosen to participate in the fourth annual NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference. Swimmer Dewey Lucero and tennis player Jodi Richardson were selected from a total of 885 nominations from NCAA member institutions that participate in the CHAMPS/Life Skills Program. The conference is scheduled for May 28 through June 1, 2000, at Disney's Wide World of Sports and Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Lucero, a sophomore from Corning, Calif., swam the butterfly and the individual medley for the Cougars this year. He was a finalist in the 200-yard butterfly at the inaugral Mountain West Conference Swimming and Diving Championships.

Richardson, a junior from Canberra, Australia, led the women's tennis team to a second-place finish at this year's Mountain West Conference Tournament with three singles victories. She was named to the All-Conference team for both singles and doubles.

The NCAA Leadership Foundation Conference provides the nation's top student-athletes the opportunity to participate in challenging and thought-provoking activities that focus on campus and community leadership. The conference teaches communications skills, decision-making, problem-solving, critical thinking and collaborative skills.

Topics for past conferences have included developing leadership skills, changing perception, developing political skills and utilizing the student-athlete committee. The student-athletes chosen for this year's conference will represent all NCAA divisions, 22 different sports and more than 20 countries.