EUGENE–Some of the most influential and respected women in the sports business world next week are coming to Eugene–where they will inspire and help honor local women who may be among the most influential and respected leaders in the future of sports.

On Friday, May 11, the University of Oregon’s James H. Warsaw Sports Marketing Center hosts the sixth annual Women in Sports Business Symposium. The free public event begins at 1 p.m. in the Ballroom of the Erb Memorial Union, 1222 E. 13th Ave. Coinciding with the symposium is the annual Community Sports Awards Dinner, where four local girls and women will be honored for excelling in athletics and in life. The theme for this year’s conference is "Sport is Entertainment."

"We now have a national reputation that draws the biggest names in the industry, as well as regional leaders and our alumni," says Rick Burton, director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center. "I believe this is the best free one-day sports marketing conference in America."

Lee Ann Daly, ESPN’s senior vice president for marketing, will give a keynote address on "Maintaining the Integrity of Sport While Increasingly Integrating It into the Entertainment Industry" at 7 p.m. in the EMU Ballroom.

At two panel discussions earlier in the afternoon, visiting sports executives will talk about their careers and the future of sports as entertainment. Panelists include Teri Schindler, vice president of broadcasting, Women’s National Basketball Association; Kris Rone, executive vice president, Los Angeles Dodgers; Jeannie Senft, figure skating judge, International Skating Union; Maryanna Young, president, Fitness Management Group; Clare Hamill, vice president, Women’s Initiative, Nike, Inc.; Renee Baumgartner, UO associate athletic director; and Maureen Fisher, assistant general manager, Action Sports Cable Network. Donna Lopiano of the Women’s Sports Foundation will moderate.

"Learning from the leaders" is a cornerstone for the Warsaw Center, the first endowed sports marketing program in a college of business at a major university. The center offers courses that lead to a sports marketing specialty for undergraduate and graduate students in the Charles H. Lundquist College of Business. The business school’s programs all incorporate traditional classroom work with non-traditional outside-the-classroom experience and visits from industry leaders.

"This symposium, which is run largely by our students, combines the best elements of a University of Oregon business school experience," says Phil Romero, dean of the business college. "Our students can learn and network with sports industry leaders while applying classroom knowledge in areas such as sponsorship, event marketing, accounting and finance."

The symposium shifts from the UO campus to the Oregon Electric Station restaurant, 27 E. 5th Ave., at 5 p.m. for the Community Sports Awards Dinner.

Andrea Mary Sconce, a Fern Ridge Middle School student, will receive the 2001 SportsGirl of the Year award for her involvement in soccer, volleyball, basketball and softball. The award also honors her leadership and volunteer activities, which include acting as student council president at her school and helping to coach a fifth-sixth grade girls basketball team.

Karin Clifton, a senior at South Eugene High School, is the 2001 High School Sports Woman of the Year. She was named an alternate to the U.S. Junior National Rowing team last year and is in contention for the team this year. She is a member of South Eugene’s ski team and served as captain this season. Her other activities include volunteering at YMCA youth summer camps and serving as a peer educator with "Body and Soul," a group that teaches teenagers about eating disorders and body image.

Laura LaMena-Coll is the 2001 Sports Woman of the Year thanks to her continuing excellence in long-distance running. She has been a member of 15 U.S. National Teams and was previously ranked as one of the top 10 road racers in the nation by Runner’s World magazine. Her leadership and volunteer activities include acting as a board member of the Oregon Track Club and helping to organize the "Truffle Shuffle," a road race that benefits at-risk youth.

Peggy Squires, the 2001 Leader in Youth Sports, has given her time and energy to help young athletes locally, statewide, regionally and nationally. Through her work as a coach; a meet official, organizer and director; club member and officer; regional representative, national delegate and state youth chairperson; Squires has helped many young athletes excel in track and field.

Each award winner demonstrates a commitment not only to athletics, but also to social service and other activities outside of sports. Burton says a similar balance enables UO sports marketing students, such as symposium planners Shannon Sweeny and Kathryn Bayha, to make the most of their educational opportunities at the Warsaw Center.

"When you look at all the work the student committees have contributed to organize this nationally recognized event, you get a sense for how special Oregon’s sports marketing program is," says Sweeny, a graduate student. "Students in this program play way above the rim when it comes to combining academics with extracurricular efforts."

For more information about the sixth annual Women in Sports Business Symposium or the Community Sports Award Dinner, contact Shannon Sweeny at (541) 346-3411 or by e-mail, <ssweeny@darkwing.uoregon.edu>.

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