BOSTON, MA (Mar. 1, 2008) – Sophomore Olivia Thibou (Boston, MA) earned All-New England honors in two events as the UMass Lowell women’s track and field team placed 12th at the New England Championship Saturday at the Boston University Track & Tennis Center.

The River Hawks scored 22 points and placed fourth among Division II and III teams. The University of Connecticut won the team title with 155 points. The top eight athletes in each event earned All-New England status.

Thibou was one of seven River Hawks who earned All-New England honors over four events. She highlighted the day by placing fourth overall and tops among Division II-III athletes in the triple jump with a distance of 38 feet, 11.0 inches which virtually locked her place at the NCAA Championship with the fifth-best result in the country.

Thibou also earned All-New England honors in the long jump as she took sixth with a leap of 17’ 9.5’’, just behind senior Gillian Mundry (Methuen, MA), who placed fifth overall (first among II-III athletes) with a distance of 17’ 11.0’’.

Also highlighting the day was UML’s 4X400 meter relay team which placed fourth overall (second) in 3:51.95, and bettered its standing on the NCAA Division II list from 18th to ninth.

Leading the way was sophomore Heather McCarthy (Burlington, MA), who ran a 58.1-second split and freshman Patricia Brice (Chelmsford, MA), who ran a 57.7-second leg. Sophomore Haley Catarius (Marshfield, MA) ran a 56.8-second leg while senior Tristin Johnson (Pittsfield, MA) anchored in 58.7 seconds.

Sophomore Jacqui Barrett (Woburn, MA) earned All-New England honors in the shot put as she took fourth (second) with a throw of 44’ 4.75’’, which currently ranks 18th on the Division II list.

Though she missed out on All-New England honors by less than two seconds, freshman Lyra Clark (Nashua, NH) shattered her own school record in the mile with a time of 5:02.21, pitting her 18th on the Division II list. Clark bested her previous mark of 5:05.90, achieved at the Boston University Terrier Invitational on Jan. 26.

UML enjoys a week hiatus before traveling to Mankato, MN, for the NCAA Championship Mar. 14-15.