LOWELL, MA (Mar. 15, 2008) – Sophomore Olivia Thibou (Boston, MA) placed eighth and earned All-American honors in the triple jump to lead UMass Lowell at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championship Saturday at Minnesota State-Mankato’s Myers Field House.

Thibou joined UML’s men and women’s distance medley relay teams as All-Americans. The UML men placed sixth Friday with a time of 10:07.65 while the women placed eight in 12:01.85. The top eight finishers in each event earned All-America status.

Thibou leaped to a distance of 38 feet, 2.0 inches. Omonike Kotey of Cal State-Los Angeles won the event with 40’ 1.25’’.

“We think this was her best jump of the season,” said UML Head Coach Gary Gardner. “She has had farther jumps, but as far as the pressure of competition, this being her first trip to the NCAAs, she definitely jumper great.

“Olivia’s first jump of the finals was her best,” Gardner added. “We were hoping she could equal what she did at the New England Championship (38’ 11.0’’), and she nearly did.”

Sophomore Doug Caves (Oxford, MA), who placed eighth in the 400 meter dash preliminary on Friday (48.96), fell one place short of All-American honors by placing ninth in 49.48 seconds. Leford Green of Johnson C. Smith won the 400 with a time of 47.79.

The UML women’s 4X400 team also met with bad luck as it placed 10th, the result of a dropped baton, in 4:00.26. Leading off was sophomore Haley Catarius (Marshfield, MA) and freshman Patricia Brice (Chelmsford, MA), along with sophomore Heather McCarthy (Burlington, MA) and senior Tristin Johnson (Pittsfield, MA).

Southern Illinois-Edwardsville won the 4X400 with a time of 3:44.56.

UMass Lowell opens the outdoor season next Saturday at the Coastal Carolina Shamrock Invitational.