Nov. 14, 2007

OTTAWA, ONTARIO - For most athletes being part of an Olympic team and having the opportunity to represent their country is just a childhood dream. However, for Dione Meier, the former standout pitcher for the Nicholls Colonels, that dream became a reality when Softball Canada announced the fifteen (15) players, including Meier, who were selected to represent their country at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China next August.

"I am so excited for Dione, this is truly an honor," said Nicholls head coach Jenny Parsons. "This is not only great for Dione, but it is great for Nicholls State University and for the Southland Conference. It just shows that hard work and dedication can payoff with the highest rewards."

Meier transferred to Nicholls after spending two seasons at Galveston College, where she led the team to a conference title and was named to the National Junior College Athletic Association all-america first team. While at Nicholls, Meier stepped in during her first Division I outing and led the Colonels to a 1-0 victory over Southeastern Conference powerhouse Ole Miss by tossing a no-hitter. Meier continued her dominance on the mound by breaking the single game strikeout record, when she fanned 20 batters against Southeastern Louisiana. She finished her junior year by leading the Colonels pitching staff in ERA (1.99), wins (18), appearances (39), complete games (21), shutouts (9), innings pitched (189.2) and strikeouts (244). In 2004, during her senior campaign, Meier rewrote the Nicholls and Southland Conference record book by fanning 341 batters in just 223 innings, while finishing with an ERA of 1.16. Her single season strike out record is currently the third best in the 24-year history of Southland Conference softball. For her accomplishments on the diamond, Meier was named the 2004 SLC Pitcher of the Year and was also named to the all-region team. Meier graduated Cum Laude (3.587 GPA) with a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences/Sports Science in 2004.

The Canadian team is currently ranked fifth in the World based on their finish at last year's ISF World Championships, but over the past summer, they have shown that they can compete with the teams ahead of them in the world rankings. The red and white played very solid games in 2007, registering wins against Japan (2nd), Australia (3rd) and China (4th), and they expect to be in the thick of the battle for a podium finish in Beijing. Podium finishes in 2007 included a Bronze at the World Cup, Silver at the Pan-American Games, Silver at the China Cup and Gold at the Universiade.

Canada's Head Coach Lori Sippel, who is currently the associate head coach of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers softball team, commented "The final selection decisions were difficult. Dione sparks our depth in the pitching staff. She is extremely talented on the mound and brings a strong work ethic to our program. She is very excited and energetic about working with this team for the next two years in our preparation for the Olympics."

Coach Sippel added "Now our focus is squarely on August 12, 2008 and the start of the Olympic tournament. We are putting together an excellent preparation program and I know that our players are committed to being at their best for the Olympics."

The Olympians listed below will travel to Las Vegas, Nevada in late January to begin centralized training and play several games against NCAA competition. They will then travel to Australia in March where they will continue their training at the site of the 2000 Olympic Games in Blacktown, Australia and will play against the Australian and Japanese national teams. April and May are set aside for specialized training before the team re-groups in early June. The exact schedule from that point on is in the process of being finalized but will include the Canada Cup in Surrey, BC from July 12-20.

The following athletes have been selected by the coaching staff to represent Canada at the 2008 Olympic Games:

Danielle Lawrie - Langley, BC

Jennifer Salling - Port Coquitlam, BC

Robin Mackin - Newmarket, ON

Alison Bradley - Pinkerton, ON

Lauren Bay Regula - Trail, BC

Melanie Matthews - Surrey, BC

Dione Meier - Saskatoon, SK

Caitlin Lever - Amherst, New York

Erin Cumpstone - Saskatoon, SK

Noémie Marin - Acton-Vale, QC

Sheena Lawrick - Calgary, AB

Jennifer Yee - North Delta, BC

Erin McLean - Whitby, ON

Megan Timpf - Port Dover, ON

Kaleigh Rafter - Guelph, ON

###