EASTON, MA (Apr. 5, 2008) – Sophomore Jacqui Barrett (Woburn, MA) won the shot put and improved her seeding among NCAA Division II throwers to lead the UMass Lowell women’s track and field team to second place at the Stonehill College Skyhawk Invitational Saturday.

UML compiled 114.5 points and place second only to Boston College, which scored 125.5 points. Tufts University scored 95.5 points to place third and was followed by Wheaton (88) and the host Skyhawks (81).

Barrett was among four UML individuals and a relay team to win titles on the day. For the third straight week, she achieved her personal-best throw with a distance of 44 feet, 10.5 inches.

Barrett’s throw currently ranks sixth on the Division II list, up one place from last week’s throw of 44’ 0.5’’ at the Trinity College Bantam Invitational, which provisionally qualifies her for the NCAA Championship.

Barrett was one of five River Hawks in the top nine places as senior Katie Banfield (Billerica, MA) placed third with a throw of 38’ 4.25’’, and freshman Bethany Staiti (Barre, MA) fifth with a distance of 37’ 10.75’’.

Senior Katie Brodeur (Lowell, MA) took sixth with a toss of 34’ 11.75’’ while freshman Kate Johnston (Mansfield, MA) placed ninth with a distance of 33’ 3.75’’.

Barrett (109’ 2.0’’) and Brodeur (106’ 0.0’’) also placed fourth and seventh, respectively, in the discus while Banfield took fourth in the javelin (105’ 0.0’’) and sophomore Taryn Murphy (New Boston, NH) seventh (94’ 10.0’’). Murphy also placed in a tie for fifth in the high jump, clearing 4’ 11.0’’.

UML shined in the hurdles behind freshmen Lauren Raimondi (East Longmeadow, MA) and Jenna Lapachinski (Turners Falls, MA). Raimondi captured the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 15.36 seconds while Lapachinski won the 400 hurdles in 1:06.52.

Senior Gillian Mundry (Methuen, MA) won the triple jump with a distance of 34’ 11.25’’ and also placed second overall in the long jump with a leap of 17’ 0.0’’, just behind Boston College’s Melissa Hadfield (17’ 9.5’’).

Also capturing a title was UML’s 4X100 meter relay team, which posted a time of 49.62 seconds. Senior Tristin Johnson (Pittsfield, MA) led the way and was joined by sophomores Heather McCarthy (Burlington, MA), Katrina Lutkus (Lowell, MA) and Sharikka Finley-Moise (Lexington, MA).

Finley-Moise (12.81) and McCarthy (12.85) also did well in 100 meter dash, placing fifth and seventh, respectively.

Junior Christina DaLomba (Marstons Mills, MA) placed third in the 800 meters to lead UML’s middle distance runners. Junior Sarah Brassard (Oxford, MA) placed sixth in the 3,000 meter steeplechase in 12:08.39 while senior Amanda Sousa (Peabody, MA) took seventh in the 1,500 meters in 5:00.04.

UML hosts the George Davis Invitational next Saturday while a select group of athletes venture to Walnut, CA, for the Mount San Antonio College Relays.