Sept. 17, 2002

EASTON, Pa. - Nik Caner-Medley of Deering High School in Portland, Maine has been selected the National High School Boys Basketball Athlete of the Year for 2002, the NHSCA announced earlier this month. Caner-Medley joins a class of four incoming freshmen basketball players at Maryland this fall, hoping to make early contributions with the defending national champion Terrapins.

"Athletes like Nik Caner-Medley are among the success stories produced in high school athletics today," NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro said. "He has worked extremely hard to develop his skills and has become one of the best basketball players not only in the state of Maine, but the entire nation, and we are proud to be honoring him."

A 6-foot-7 small forward, Caner-Medley was named his state's Mr. Basketball as well as its Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging 34.6 points and 15.4 rebounds per game this season. He led Deering High to a pair of Western Class A state titles and earned an invitational to the Capital Classic all-star game in Washington, D.C. After starring at the adidas ABCD Camp last summer, Caner-Medley earned plenty of scholarship offers, selecting reigning NCAA champion Maryland over Missouri, UConn, Kansas, and Virginia. Sports Illustrated magazine also recognized Caner-Medley's distinguished career with a mention in its "Faces in the Crowd" section this year.

The NHSCA selects Coaches and Senior Athletes of the Year in 20 boys and girls sports, and sponsors 11 national championship events in the sports of wrestling, golf, and soccer. The 13th annual National High School Seniors Wrestling Championships attracted 775 entries from 47 states to Cleveland, Ohio In April. The NHSCA also sponsors the National Open High School Golf Championships for Men and Women and the National Open High Soccer Championships, held in Orlando, Fla. in June, and the National Open High School Wrestling Championships July 1-3 at Norfolk, Va. For a complete list of this year's events, visit the NHSCA's web site at www.nhsca.com.

The National High School Coaches Association is a not-for-profit 501c3 service organization founded in 1988 to provide support and leadership programs for the nation's 500,000 high school coaches.