March 10, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Senior cross country and track and field athlete Page Bridges has been awarded one of 58 NCAA postgraduate scholarships.

Bridges, a Chemistry major, has been accepted into the M.D./Ph.D program at UNC Chapel Hill, a seven-year program that combines medical school and medical research.

"I am so honored to have received this scholarship and am grateful to the NCAA and the Furman Athletic Department for this award," commented Bridges. "Being part of the Furman track and cross country teams has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my four years at Furman."

As a member of the track team, Bridges holds the Furman record for the 3,000 meter steeplechase, which she claimed in 2007 with a career-best time of 11:10.32. Bridges has also been a member of the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll since she was a freshman.

To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must have an overall grade-point average of 3.200 (on a 4.000 scale) or its equivalent, and must have performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team in the sport in which the student-athlete was nominated. The student-athlete must have behaved, both on and off the field, in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, the institution and intercollegiate athletics. The student-athlete also must intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a full-time or part-time graduate student.

The NCAA awarded 58 postgraduate scholarships of $7,500 each to 29 male student-athletes and 29 female student-athletes who participated in fall sports, which included men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball and men's water polo.