'Men's Fitness' Ranks SU the Nation's 15th Fittest Campus

class=""MsoNormal"">SALISBURY, MD---With athletic accomplishments including reigning NCAA Division III championship teams in field hockey and men’s lacrosse, and the nationally known 100-mile Sea Gull Century bicycle ride, fitness is preeminent in the minds of many Salisbury University students.

class=""MsoNormal"">Their exercise and training recently paid dividends beyond just health benefits. Men’s Fitness magazine named SU the nation’s 15th fittest campus in its 2005 “America’s Fattest and Fittest Colleges” poll.

class=""MsoNormal"">“This is a great honor for the University, especially coming just after our high national academic rankings in U.S. News & World Report and other collegiate guidebooks,” said SU President Janet Dudley-Eshbach. “Our students and athletes should be proud of their standings not only in the classroom, but on the field for varsity athletics, club sports and individual fitness.”

class=""MsoNormal"">The poll reflects other recent accolades, including SU’s highest-ever ranking in the NCAA Division III Sports Academy Directors’ Cup race. SU finished 11th out of 430 colleges for the 2004-05 season based on overall athletic performance. The Sea Gulls were the highest ranking member of the Capital Athletic Conference as well as the highest ranking school in Maryland in Division III for the 2004-05 year.

class=""MsoNormal"">Men’s Fitness surveyed some 10,000 students from 660 colleges across the country, asking questions about personal habits, as well as campus exercise facilities. Each college was graded on categories including exercise, lifestyle choices and culture of fitness.

class=""MsoNormal"">“We have a top athletics program and a strong Health, Physical Education and Human Performance Department,” said Dr. Michael Vienna, SU athletics director. “We attract students who make healthy lifestyle choices, and we make the investments necessary for these programs—and our students—to succeed.”

class=""MsoNormal"">SU Dining Services also plays a part in the overall health and nutrition of the University’s students, offering vegetarian selections as well as traditional fare. Through its Bon Coeur Dining Program (French for “good heart”), SU lets students know which foods are heart healthy by offering a special seal for menu selections meeting program requirements. All Bon Coeur foods must provide 35 percent or less of their total calories from fat. For students seeking to take an even more active role in healthy eating, SU also offers free nutrition counseling services.

class=""MsoNormal"">According to Men’s Fitness, the healthy habits students build in college can serve them for the rest of their lives. Trends have shown most students who demonstrate unhealthy habits in college often do not commit to healthier lifestyles after graduation.

class=""MsoNormal"">SU is the only university in Maryland ranked in the magazine’s top 20. Other colleges on the list include Brigham Young University, Boston University and the University of Notre Dame. The full rankings are available online at www.mensfitness.com/college_rankings/53. For more information call 410-543-6030 or visit the SU Web site at www.salisbury.edu. "