Feb. 28, 2010

Results
Video Highlights

Seniors Haley Catarius (Marshfield, MA) and Jacqui Barrett (Woburn, MA) each finished runners-up and led six members of the UMass Lowell women's track and field team to All-New England honors Saturday at the New England Championships at Boston University's Track & Tennis Center.

UMass Lowell placed ninth among 34 Division I, II and III teams with 28 points, which ranked second among Division II and III teams. The University of Connecticut won the title with 202 points while MIT was the top Division II-III school in seventh place (31 points).

Catarius, earning All-New England honors for the ninth time of her career, placed second in the 500 meters and set a school record for the second straight meet with a time of 1:14.04, edging last week's result of 1:15.16 at the Northeast-10 Conference Championship. Catarius finished behind only Ana Groff of Connecticut, who won the event in 1:13.58.

Barrett achieved a personal-best in the shot put for the sixth time this season, throwing 48 feet, 11.50 inches to place second and earn All-New England honors for the fifth time in her career. Barrett placed second only to Connecticut's Tynisha McMillan, who won with a toss of 49' 7.25''.

Sophomore Ashley Zielinski (Manchester, NH) was the sole River Hawk female athlete to earn All-New England honors in two events as she placed fifth overall (first among Division II and III athletes) in the 55 meter hurdles in 8.22 seconds.

Zielinski also took seventh overall (first) in the 200 meter dash in 25.69 seconds.

Freshman Shannon Cunningham (Foxboro, MA) and sophomore Nicole Giaquinto (Winthrop, MA) each earned All-New England status in the 400 meter dash. Cunningham placed fourth (third) in 56.74 seconds while Giaquinto was right behind in eighth (fifth) in 58.06.

Junior Lyra Clark (Nashua, NH) placed 13th in the mile (fourth), just short of All-New England, but good enough for the school record. Clark posted a time of 5:00.72, edging her own mark of 5:02.21, set in 2008.

UMass Lowell enjoys a week's hiatus before the NCAA Championship, slated for Mar. 12-13 in Albuquerque, NM.