LOWELL, MA (Mar. 3, 2008) – Sophomores Doug Caves (Oxford, MA) and Olivia Thibou (Boston, MA), who led a stellar showing by the UMass Lowell track and field teams at the New England Championship, were each named athletes of the week, the Northeast-10 Conference announced Monday.

Caves was named the men’s track athlete of the week while Thibou was named the women’s field athlete of the week. Joining them was Lyra Clark (Nashua, NH), named the women’s freshman athlete of the week; and Cory Murray (Methuen, MA), who was named the men’s freshman field athlete of the week.

The River Hawks crowned 12 men and seven women with All-New England honors Friday and Saturday at the Boston University Track and Tennis Center.

Caves and Thibou earned dual honors on the weekend. Caves won the title in the 400 meters as he posted a time of 47.58 seconds, which currently stands as the second-fastest time in the country this season.

Caves also ran a leg on UML’s 4X400 meter relay team which placed fourth (second among Division II-III foursomes) with a time of 3:18.44.

Thibou also catapulted her standing in the NCAA Championship with a stellar showing in the triple jump with a distance of 38 feet, 11.0 inches – currently the fifth-best distance in the country this season – which pitted her fourth overall and tops among Division II-III athletes.

Thibou also earned All-New England honors in the long jump as she placed sixth with a distance of 17’ 9.5’’.

Murray earned All-New England honors in the shot put as he placed sixth overall (second) with a throw of 51’ 4.5’’.

Though Clark fell one place short of All-New England status in the mile, she broke her own school record and bettered her seeding in the NCAA Championship. She posted a time of 5:02.21, down from her previous record of 5:05.90, to place ninth overall (fourth) and improve from 15th to ninth on the Division II list.

Three athletes were named to the NE-10 Weekly Honor Roll, led by senior Gillian Mundry (Methuen, MA), junior Rex Radloff (Dedham, MA) and freshman Matt Blazon (Lowell, MA).

Mundry placed fifth overall in the long jump with a distance of 17’ 11.0’’ to earn All-New England status. Ditto for Radloff, who placed second in the 5,000 meters in 14:41.77; and Blazon, who placed sixth in the heptathlon with 4,356 points.

Blazon highlighted the heptathlon by placing third in both the 55 meter hurdles (8.24 seconds) and the 1,000 meters (2:44).

UML enjoys a week hiatus before the NCAA Championship Mar. 14-15.