Two-time All-American javelin thrower Sean Furey '04 was named Men's Scholar Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
In his five years at Dartmouth, Furey broke the College's javelin records 12 times and maintained an overall GPA of 3.54.
Furey said he works to maintain a equilibrium between academics and athletics but that the award came as a surprise.
"I did not expect to get chosen for this award," Furey said. "I do dedicate huge amounts of time to academics and it sometimes cuts into the amount of time I can spend with athletics, but I never thought I would get recognized for balancing both."
Furey, who finished third in the javelin at the 2005 NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships, won the NCAA East regional and placed 11th at the U.S.A. Outdoor Track and Field Championships this June. He is currently interning for Raytheon Company in Sudbury, Mass. as a mechanical engineer this summer.
He will return to Dartmouth in the fall to complete his master of engineering management degree.
As a student at Methuen High School in Methuen, Mass., Furey was a two-time state champion and national champion in the javelin throw, and also the star quarterback of the football team. By his senior year of high school, Furey was being pursued by both the track and field and the football coaches at Dartmouth.
In college, Furey, who stretched himself too thin playing two collegiate sports and balancing heavier studies, decided to quit football in order to concentrate on the javelin after he tore a ligament in his elbow.
At Dartmouth, Furey was a two-time All-American in the javelin throw, three-time All-Ivy selection and two-time academic All-American in track and field.
Furey also qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials last July -- one of only 26 throwers in the country to be invited to the competition. This year, he was named to the 2005 ESPN Magazine Academic All-America District I men's track and field first team by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
In addition to his athletic achievements, Furey managed to earn a 3.81 GPA in his BE degree in mechanical design engineering from the Thayer School of Engineering.
While Furey intends to enter the engineering business when he leaves Dartmouth after Fall term, he also hopes to keep training for the upcoming track season.
"I plan to balance a track and field career with some type of an engineering job. I am not sure what that will look like yet but I am positive that I want to include both activities in my life," Furey said. "This balancing act might be difficult, but I have been doing it for five years now and I think I can manage it."
Furey said he felt fortunate to be attending a school with so many academic and athletic resources, including world-class coaches and professors.
"Dartmouth has given me opportunities that few people ever get and no other school can offer," Furey said. "As long as I stay connected with this great community I think that I can make anything happen."
