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July 1, 2009
Ruben Sanca, a senior from Boston, MA (O’Bryant H.S.), was named to the National Track and Field Team of Cape Verde for the 2009 Lusophone Games July 11-19 in Lisbon, Portugal. Sanca, who will leave for Lisbon on July 9, is expected to compete in either the 1,500 or 5,000 meters on July 13 as well as the 10K road race on July 19. The track and field portion of the Games will take place at the University of Lisbon Stadium. “I am definitely very happy to be given the opportunity to go to the Lusophone Games,” Sanca said, who immigrated from the Cape Verdean island of Sal in 1999. “If I am at my best, I think I can medal. The first Games were in 2006, so the competition has gotten better and better.” Cape Verde is among 12 Portuguese-speaking nations in the 2009 Games, which take place every three years. Also on hand are Brazil and Portugal, as well as African nations Guinea Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Sao Tome and Mozambique; Asian nations India, Sri Lanka, Macao and East Timor. Sanca will maintain a daily blog from the Lusophone Games, both viewable at his personal site, rubensanca.blogspot.com and at www.goriverhawks.com. Sparking Interest Sanca created in-roads with the Cape Verde Athletics Federation three years ago when he won the 2007 Sao Silvestre Road Race, the most prestigious road race in Cape Verde. In early June, he received an e-mail from Antonio Ramos, president of athletics (track and field) for the Cape Verdean Athletics Federation, who had been following his progress since the Sao Silvestre race. “First I just want to gain international experience and race against people from other nations,” said Sanca. “This summer and fall I want to build for the indoor and outdoor races of 2010.” Sanca is hopeful a solid showing at the Lusophone Games leads to an appearance in the IAAF World Indoor Championships in March and/or the African Nations Championship next year. He is also hopeful of representing Cape Verde at the 2012 London Olympics. “It is very difficult because athletes from Cape Verde are chosen through a wild card system,” Sanca explained. “But if I can get back into the shape I was during the indoor season, I think I have a good chance.” Sanca returned to training a month ago after missing the 2009 outdoor track and field championship due to a back injury. He is expected to compete for UMass Lowell in the outdoor 2010 season while earning his MBA. Sanca will run in the John Carson Two-Mile in Chelmsford on Saturday. “This will be my first test," he noted. A Splendid Year Cut Short Sanca, who has a personal best time of 3:51.98 in the 1,500 meters and 14:05.46 for the 5,000, sustained a back injury in March that sidelined him for the entire outdoor season. He enjoyed a spectacular cross country season, however, leading UMass Lowell to three titles: The Northeast-10 Conference, NCAA East Region and New England Championship. Sanca won the individual titles at the NE-10 and NCAA East Region meets, and placed second at the New England Championship, which matches all three NCAA divisions against one another. He highlighted the indoor season by qualifying for the NCAA Championship in three events: the 5,000 meters (third), distance medley relay (third) and the mile (third). Along the way, he won New England Championships in both the 3,000 meters (8:16.44) and the distance medley relay (9:55.30), in which he ran the mile in 4:08.10. The NE-10 Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, he sustained the aforementioned injury a week before the NCAA Championship and was forced to withdraw. UMass Lowell’s International Summer Sanca is among a handful of current UMass Lowell student-athletes and alumni to represent their countries in international competition this year. Recently, former distance runner Nate Jenkins (’04) was named to the U.S. marathon team for the IAAF World Track & Field Championships in Berlin (Aug. 15-23) while senior Ali Kanaan (Montreal/Beirut, Lebanon) will represent Lebanon at the FIFA Asia Basketball Championship Aug. 6-16 Additionally, five former ice hockey players played in the World Championship of Hockey in Switzerland, led by Ron Hainsey (2000-01) who helped the U.S. to the semifinal; Dwayne Roloson (’04) a goalie who backstopped Canada to the silver medal; as well as Baptiste Amar (2001-03), Laurent Meunier (2000-02) and Yorick Treille (1998-02), each a member of the French national team. Sanca is the son of Nerino and the late Maria Sanca of Boston. Additional Links:
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