NEW HAVEN, CT (Feb. 23, 2007) – Lyra Clark (Nashua, NH) was named Freshman Athlete of the Year and was one of five UMass Lowell athletes to win individual titles Saturday afternoon at the Northeast-10 Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Moore Fieldhouse.

The River Hawks compiled 169.50 points and placed second to Southern Connecticut (237 points). Stonehill placed second with 85.50 points and was followed by Bryant (60), Bentley (29), Saint Rose (17) and Assumption (11).

Clark captured the mile and set a NE-10 meet record with a time of 5:11.54 and led three UML middle distance runners to championships. Clark also placed second in the 1,000 meters (3:06.13), just behind senior teammate Amanda Sousa (Peabody, MA), who took first in 3:05.65. Junior Christina DaLomba (Marstons Mills, MA) placed fourth in 3:09.57.

Sophomore Haley Catarius (Marshfield, MA) captured the 800 meters for the second straight year and also set a meet record with a time of 2:17.93, shaving nearly four seconds off from her 2007 time (2:21.14).

Freshman Patricia Brice (Chelmsford, MA) rounded out UML’s middle distance contingent as she captured the 1,000 meters in 1:18.39.

Freshman Lauren Raimondi (East Longmeadow, MA) highlighted UML’s field athletes as she won the high jump, clearing 5 feet, 3.0 inches. She also finished fourth in the 55 meter hurdles (8.71).

Sophomore Jacqui Barrett (Woburn, MA) led a handful of UML athletes to finish as runner-up, placing second in the shot put and provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Championship with a season-best throw of 43’ 6.5’’.

Senior Gillian Mundry (Methuen, MA) and sophomore Olivia Thibou (Boston, MA) also had second-place finishes. Mundry placed second in the long jump (17’ 8.75’’) and third in the triple jump (35’ 4.5’’) while Thibou placed second in the triple jump (37’ 3.0’’) and third in the long jump (17’ 2.75’’).

Thibou also ran a 27.7-second leg on UML’s 4X200 meter relay team, which took second in 1:49.82. Joining her was sophomore Sharikka Finley-Moise (Lexington, MA) who ran a 26.9-second leg while sophomore Prisna Doriscat (Boston, MA) ran her split in 27.4-seconds and freshman Jenna Lapachinski (Turners Falls, MA) in 27.6.

Finley-Moise also took fifth in the 55 meter dash in 7.50 seconds while Mundry was right behind in 7.56.

Senior Tristin Johnson (Pittsfield, MA) and sophomore Heather McCarthy (Burlington, MA) led the River Hawks in the sprints. Johnson placed third in both the 200 meter dash (26.16) and 400 meter dash (1:00.84) while McCarthy took fourth in both races (26.77, 1:00.99).

Sousa also led UML’s distance medley relay team to third place with a time of 13:16.83. Sousa ran the 1,200 meters in 3:58.9 while junior Sarah Merullo (Wakefield, MA) ran the mile in 5:34; junior Sarah Brassard (Oxford, MA) the 800 meters in 2:34.3 and freshman Jennifer Carr (Tewksbury, MA) the 400 meter dash in 1:06.4.

UML enters the New England Championship Friday and Saturday at Boston University.