Honors: Cahill, Paige, Curran Tabbed for UMass Lowell Athletic Hall of Fame
Excellence Banquet, Hall of Fame Induction Slated for May 13

LOWELL, MA (Feb. 28, 2008) – Three of the greatest athletes in UMass Lowell’s history – Jon Cahill (’01), Jill (Croft) Paige (’02) and Brandon Curran (’03) – will be inducted into the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame Tuesday, May 13 at the 2008 Excellence Banquet at the Costello Athletic Center.

Cahill, a baseball player from 1998-01; Paige, a track and field standout from 1998-02; and Curran, who starred on the men’s soccer team from 1999-02, competed in one of the most successful eras at UML.

Cahill led the baseball team to four NCAA Tournament bids and its first-ever trip to the Division II College World Series while Paige was arguably the best athlete in New England, regardless of division.

Curran, the first-ever UML soccer player to earn induction, spearheaded the ascent of the men’s soccer program to regional and national prominence earlier this decade, a level which the program has maintained.

The members of UML’s class of 2008 are the first individuals to be inducted since 2004, when five of UML’s national championship teams were inducted over the following three years (the 1987-88 men’s basketball team, 1991 men’s cross country team and the 1978-79, 1980-81, 1981-82 hockey teams).

The honor will be the first of two for Paige this year. Last week, the Northeast-10 Conference announced her among its 2008 class which will be inducted on June 2.

They Called Him ‘Superman’

Referenced as one of the most complete players in UML baseball history, there was very little for Jon Cahill to accomplish by the time his career was complete in May of 2001.

From his sophomore year on, Cahill collected multiple honors, peaking with his senior year in which he was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-America First Team. He was also named the ABCA Northeast Region Player of the Year and Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year.

Though seven years removed from the program, Cahill’s name is scattered all over the baseball record books. Among many other categories, he still tops career leaders in singles (186), doubles (66) and runs scored (194).

But perhaps his most impressive statistic is the fact that he played all 185 games of his career, starting 184.

“Jon was just an all-around good player,” said Jim Stone, who was UML’s head coach for 37 years. “He worked awfully hard. He did so many things well. He could play anywhere. And better than that, he is just a terrific kid from a terrific family.”

During Cahill’s career, UML posted an overall record of 134-51 (.724).

The significance of the game seemed to bring out the best in Cahill. In addition to his senior year plaudits, he was named the most valuable player of both the NE-10 and NCAA Tournament Northeast Regional. 

It was fitting, after 12 years of falling short of making the Division II College World Series, that the River Hawks finally won the NCAA Tournament Northeast Regional in Cahill’s senior year.

In fact, it was his performance in the regional championship games – perhaps one of the greatest individual efforts in UML history – which punched the team’s ticket to Montgomery, AL.

Heading into Sunday’s final and needing two wins over favored Concordia, Cahill collectively batted 5 for 10 with four runs and four RBI as UML defeated the Clippers, 6-2 and 8-0, clinching the River Hawks first ever NCAA Northeast Region title.

More impressive, Cahill also pitched a complete game in the 6-2 win, allowing eight hits, two earned runs and two walks while striking out eight. He batted 4-5 with two runs and one RBI in the 6-2 win; and 1-5 with two runs and a three-run home run in the 8-0 victory.

“I got him a superman t-shirt after that performance,” Stone quipped. “It was a Herculean performance. I had never seen or dreamt that was possible. I can’t remember a more important performance. He was a one-man gang.”

Cahill was voted the 2000-01 co-recipient of the Lester H. Cushing Award for Male Athlete of the Year, an honor he shared with Ron Hainsey, a defenseman with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets.

He is currently in his second year as the field manager of the Traverse City (Mich.) Beach Bums of the independent Frontier League.

‘You look at her physical stature and the things
she accomplished, it’s really mind-boggling.’

Honors came in bunches for Jill (Croft) Paige, who starred with the UMass Lowell women’s track and field team from 1998-2002, and that is still the case. Last week, Paige was selected among six individuals – the first-ever track and field athlete – to be inducted into the Northeast-10 Conference Hall of Fame on June 2.

Paige graduated from UMass Lowell as the most decorated female athlete of her time, earning All-American honors seven times in the indoor and outdoor long jump, indoor high jump and indoor 60 meter dash.

She twice placed second at the NCAA Championship in the outdoor long jump: in 2000, with a leap of 19’ 9’’ and in 2001 with a distance of 19’ 5.25’’.

Perhaps equally as impressive, Paige also captured All-New England honors – which encompasses all three NCAA divisions – 13 times, which included three New England championships in the outdoor long jump, 100 and 200 meter dashes.

When UML entered the NE-10 with the year 2000-01, she went on to capture individual championships in seven indoor and outdoor events over two years. She was named the NE-10 Female Athlete of the Year for the indoor and outdoor seasons in 2002.

“Jill was coachable. She was aggressive in the idea that she wanted to be better,” said former UML coach George Davis, who retired in 2002 after 33 years. “She enjoyed that aspect of competition and she was a wonderful competitor, a very good leader teammate and a wonderful person.”

Paige went on to establish seven school records in the indoor and outdoor long jump, indoor and outdoor 4X200 relay and outdoor high jump, 4X100 relay and 100 and 200 meter dashes.

Though nearly six years graduated, six of her school records remain in tact: indoor long jump (19’ 8.’’), 4X200 relay (1:41.51), outdoor 100 meter dash (11.83), 200 meter dash (24.15), outdoor long jump (19’ 11.0’’) and high jump (5’ 10’’).

More impressive, she still holds the New England record – again, all NCAA divisions – in the outdoor 100 meter dash (11.84), set in 2001.

“So many of the other college coaches who looked at her in high school just couldn’t believe her accomplishments in college,” Davis added.

Among her many titles, Paige was named UML’s Lester H. Cushing Award recipient three times, from her sophomore year forward.

Evidenced by her performances in the New England Championships and NCAAs, Paige made a routine of peaking in the biggest meets and gave arguably one of the best single-day efforts in UML history.

At the 2001 New England Outdoor Championship, she captured both the 100 and 200 meter dashes and led the 4X100 to third place to compile 26 points and lead the River Hawks to second place behind the University of Connecticut, their best-ever showing.

“Jill just had this innate ability to get ready for the big meets,” Davis noted. “And you look at her physical stature and the things she accomplished, it’s really mind-boggling. She was about 5-foot 2, about 110-112 pounds, jumping 5-10 in the high jump and 19-plus in the long jump.

“She was a person who would sacrifice for the team, like run an extra relay, just to score some additional points,” Davis added. “But she loved that part of it. She had no hesitation of going in and doing the work she needed to do.”

Paige currently lives in Tewksbury, MA, and is the mother of two daughters. Her husband, Mike (’02), was a five-time All-American and former standout soccer player at UML.

‘He considered it a privilege to represent UMass Lowell,
and it was my sincere privilege to have coached him’

One of Head Coach Ted Priestly’s first recruits, Brandon Curran came to UML from Tyngsboro H.S. in 1999, when the team was fresh off a 5-14-1 campaign and in search of its first winning season since 1982.

By the time Curran was a senior, the River Hawks had enjoyed their winningest four-year period in history (47-25-5), and were defeating heavyweights such as Southern Connecticut, Franklin Pierce and Southern New Hampshire.

Perhaps the only honor which eluded Curran was the chance to play in the NCAA Tournament. But it is fair to say his impact lifted the River Hawks to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2003 and 2004, in which they advanced to the quarterfinal round, as well as NE-10 Tournament titles both years.

“Brandon’s impact on UMass Lowell Soccer has been immeasurable,” said Priestly. “He is an example of exactly the type of player that has made UMass Lowell Soccer successful: he played every game as though it was his last, he always kept score, he sacrificed individual goals for the betterment of the team, and as a result, the team benefited.”

Opposing coaches also thought highly of Curran. As a senior defender, he was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division II All-America Second Team as well as the NSCAA New England Region First Team.

Those honors followed consecutive appearances, in 2001 and 2002, on the NE-10 all-star teams.

“Brandon exhibited class on the soccer field, in the classroom and in the campus community,” Priestly said. “As special as he was as a player, he is an even better person.”

Curran enjoyed perhaps his best year as a senior, and led the River Hawks to a 13-5-2 record and an improbable run in the NE-10 Tournament. Seeded No. 5, the River Hawks defeated No. 4 Saint Anselm (1-0) and No. 1 Southern Connecticut (1-0) before falling 1-0 at No. 2 Southern New Hampshire on a controversial penalty kick in overtime.

The following spring, Curran was voted the 2002-03 recipient of the Lester H. Cushing Award for Male Athlete of the Year.

“Brandon considered it a privilege to represent UMass Lowell, and it was my sincere privilege to have coached him.

Curran currently lives in Charleston, SC, with his wife, Amy and newborn son, Leighton James. He is in his third year with the Charleston Battery of the United Soccer Leagues (USL) First Division, which followed three seasons with the Phantoms of New Hampshire of the USL Second Division.