Aug. 11, 2010

Seven members of the UMass Lowell women’s and men’s track and field teams were named to the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II Scholar-Athlete Team, released Tuesday.

Ruben Sanca (Boston, Mass.), a graduate student who completed his final year of eligibility in the spring, received the honor for the fifth time in his career while senior Haley Catarius (Marshfield, MA) was cited for a fourth time. Three River Hawks – seniors Jacqui Barrett (Woburn, Mass.) and juniors Lyra Clark (Nashua, N.H.) and Angus MacDonald (Methuen, Mass.) – were cited for the third straight year.

Freshman Kelly Walton (Nahant, Mass.) was named a second time this season while graduate Ben Saviet (Sutton, Mass.) earned the honor for the first time.

The USTFCCCA plaudit was the second of such this year for Catarius, Clark, Walton and MacDonald, each of whom were cited to the USTFCCCA Cross Country Scholar-Athlete Team.

Additionally, UMass Lowell’s women’s team was named among the 2010 USTFCCCA’s Track and Field All-Academic Teams for the third straight year, the result of a 3.15 collective grade point average.

Sanca has maintained a 3.51 in UMass Lowell’s MBA program and earned All-American honors in both the 5,000 meters (fifth, 14:14.36) and the 10,000 meters (fifth, 30:21.26) at the NCAA Championship May 27-29.

He also captured the New England championship in the 5,000 meters (14:23.93) and earned All-New England status in the 1,500 meters (sixth, 3:50.10).

Barrett enjoyed a magnificent senior season which saw her capture the NCAA Championship in the outdoor shot put with a school-record throw of 50 feet, 8.25 inches. The title was one of four majors on the year for Barrett as she won the New England Championship as well as the NE-10 indoor and outdoor titles.

Along with a plethora of athletic honors this season, Barrett and compiled her share of academic plaudits as well. She became UMass Lowell’s first Academic All-American since 1997 when she was named to the ESPN The Magazine College Division Track and Field Academic All-America Team in June.

A psychology major, Barrett graduated with a 3.54 grade point average and was named the co-recipient of UMass Lowell’s Lester H. Cushing Award for Female Athlete of the Year (shared with women’s soccer senior Jamie Gillis) at the 2010 Excellence Awards Night on May 11.

Catarius, an environmental science major who graduated with a 3.46 grade point average, enjoyed another stellar outdoor season which saw her place 10th at the NCAA Championship in the 800 meters in 2:11.63. She also ran a leg on UMass Lowell’s 4X400 meter relay team which captured the New England Championship in 3:47.80.

Catarius highlighted the indoor season by placing eighth and earning All-American honors in the 800 meters (eighth, 2:13.28).

She was the recipient of UMass Lowell’s highest honor, the Laurie Mann Award for excellence in athletics, academics, community service and leadership, at the 2010 Excellence Awards Night.

Clark, who missed the outdoor season due to a stress fracture, enjoyed a solid indoor campaign. She set a school record in the mile (5:00.72) when she placed 13th overall (fourth among Division II runners) at the New England Championship.

Previously, Clark led the women’s distance medley team to NCAA Championship qualification (seeded ninth) at Boston University’s St. Valentine’s Day Classic in February (11:54.79), but the team was forced to withdraw following her injury at the New Englands.

Clark has maintained a sterling grade point average of 3.86 in biology.

A mathematics major with a 3.44 cumulative average, MacDonald earned All-American honors at both the NCAA Cross Country Championship (placing 37th overall, 26th among scoring runners) as well as the indoor mile (4:15.04) and distance medley relay (10:15.51).

The spring saw him earn All-New England honors in both the 5,000 meters (second, 14:41.10) and the 1,500 meters (fifth, 3:49.45). Additionally, he was named the recipient of the NE-10 Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award for both cross country and indoor track and field; and UMass Lowell’s Lester H. Cushing Award for Male Athlete of the Year.

Saviet, who transferred to UMass Lowell in the fall following three seasons at Providence College, highlighted the year at the Princeton Invitational where he placed 20th overall (fourth among Division II-III runners) and met the NCAA provision in the 3,000 steeplechase in 9:20.92.

Saviet currently has a 3.72 grade point average in biology.

Walton, who maintains a 3.42 as a civil engineering major, also enjoyed a stellar year as she was part of UMass Lowell’s indoor distance medley relay team which posted the ninth-fastest time in the country (11.54.79). She also enjoyed a stellar cross country season which saw her earn NE-10 Second Team and NCAA All-East Region honors.