Aug. 27, 2010

View UMass Lowell's D2ADA Academic Achievement Winners

UMass Lowell placed 39 student-athletes on the third annual National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement winners' list, released Friday.

UMass Lowell was one of nine Northeast-10 Conference institutions to be honored as the D2ADA cited 3,028 student-athletes representing 92 colleges.

UMass Lowell's 39 student-athletes increased by 10 from the 2009 D2ADA list.

To be eligible, student-athletes must have a cumulative grade point average over a 3.5, attended four semesters of college-level work, and been a member of an intercollegiate team during his/her last academic year.

UMass Lowell's women's track and field and cross country teams had the most student-athletes named to the list with nine while the women's soccer team had eight athletes cited. The River Hawk men's track and field and cross country team led the men's side with six athletes named.

Nine River Hawks earned the honor for a third straight year: senior Jenna Banks (North Attleboro, MA), junior Lyra Clark (Nashua, NH), senior Sharikka Finley-Moise (Lexington, MA) and senior Heather McCarthy (Burlington, MA) of the women's cross country/track and field teams; seniors Mike Clem (Charlton, MA), Ryan Richards (Holden, MA) and Kelly Soper (Auburn, MA) of the soccer teams; senior Molly Clay (Rockport, MA) of the field hockey team and senior Nichole Rondeau (Dracut, MA) of the volleyball team.

The DII ADA is the first organization of its kind to provide educational and networking opportunities; enhancement of acceptable operating standards and ethics; and establishment of the overall prestige and understanding of the profession of Division II athletics directors.