SMITHFIELD, RI (May 3, 2008) – Sophomore Robert Liekweg (Salem, NH) won two events as UMass Lowell crowned five champions and placed second at the Northeast-10 Conference Men’s Track and Field Championship at Bryant University.

Southern Connecticut won the team title with 229 points while UML compiled 144 and Stonehill 128. The host Bulldogs placed fourth with 55 points and was followed by Saint Rose (37), American International (28), Bentley (19), Pace (7) and Assumption (1).

Liekweg captured the 110 meter hurdles in 15.08 seconds as well as the 400 meter hurdles in 53.98 seconds. In a busy day, he also placed sixth in the javelin with a distance of 161 feet, 11.0 inches, and ran legs on UML’s 4X100 and 4X400 meter relay teams.

Liekweg’s effort was among several stellar results for the River Hawks as junior Andrew Grange (Methuen, MA) won the 400 meter dash for the second straight year and improved his standing for the NCAA Championship. Grange posted a time of 47.52 seconds which currently pits him 15th on the Division II list.

Grange was among three UML sprinters in the top eight places as senior Jeff Destino (Gloucester, MA) placed fifth in 50.60 seconds and freshman Brody Griffiths (Woburn, MA) eighth in 51.86.

Liekweg and Grange were also members of UML’s 4X100 meter relay team which took second in 42.44 seconds. Joining them was freshman Sam Bastien (Canton, MA) and senior Terry Young (Mansfield, MA).

Liekweg also ran a 50.9-second leg on UML’s 4X400 meter relay team, which placed second in 3:23.18. Joining him was Destino, who ran a 49.8-second split; Griffiths (50.8) and freshman Matt Blazon (Lowell, MA) who ran a 50.4 leg.

Grange was among two repeat winners for UML this season. Junior Ruben Sanca (Boston, MA) won his second straight title in the 5,000 meters with a time of 14:54.98. Junior Jason DeDonato (Nashua, NH) placed third in 15:03.43.

Also capturing a title was junior Rex Radloff (Dedham, MA), who won the 1,500 meters in 3:57.89.

Along with Liekweg, Young also thrived in a busy day, as he placed second in the long jump (21’ 9.0’’) and the high jump (6’ 2.0’’) and third in the triple jump (44’ 9.5’’).

Senior Rocky LeFort (Nashua, NH) and freshman Cory Murray (Methuen, MA) placed second and third in the shot put, LeFort with a distance of 50’ 9.25’’ and Murray close behind in 50’ 8.75’’.

Senior Joey DeWitt (Ellsworth, ME) placed third in the 800 meters in 1:55.63 and also led UML’s 4X800 meter relay team to second place in 8:10.79. Joining him was senior Jason Gustin (Wilmington, MA), freshman Angus MacDonald (Methuen, MA) and sophomore Tim Guerin (Auburn, MA).

In other events, junior Jack Kilcommons (South Boston, MA) placed fourth in the 10,000 meters (33:13.36); Blazon third in the 400 meter hurdles (56.61) and fourth in the 110 hurdles (15.59); and freshman William Nguidjoi (Lawrence, MA) fifth in both the long jump (20’ 10.0’’) and the triple jump (42’ 4.0’’).

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