Vagenas Receives Mann Award, Sanca Boutin Award for UMass Lowell Student-Athletes of the Year
Vagenas, Sanca Recognized for Athletic, Academic and Community Leadership at UMass Lowell Athletic Awards Night

LOWELL, MA (May 13, 2008) – Jayne Vagenas, a native of Harwich, MA, was named the recipient of the Laurie Mann Award while Ruben Sanca, a native of Boston, MA, received the David J. Boutin Award for the Female and Male Student-Athletes of the Year Tuesday night at the UMass Lowell Athletic Awards Night.

The Mann and Boutin Awards are presented to the outstanding UML female and male student-athletes who excel in the classroom, playing field, exemplify leadership as well as give back to the community.

The awards are named after Laurie Mann, a member of the UML women’s basketball team from 1993-95, who passed away in 1998 after a long battle with cancer; and David J. Boutin, a member of the baseball team from 1988-90 who also lost his life to cancer.

Jayne Vagenas, Field Hockey

In what has been a career full of honors, Jayne Vagenas would be a suitable recipient for any of the awards presented at UML’s Athletic Awards Night.

Perhaps the most telling is the field hockey team’s record during her tenure: a sterling 76-14 (.844) which included four Northeast-10 Tournament titles, four appearances in the NCAA Tournament semifinal, two NE-10 regular season championships, and two NCAA Championship match appearances.

The 2008 NE-10 Defensive Player of the Year, Vagenas also earned a second straight spot on the NE-10 First Team last fall, which preceded First Team All-American honors by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA). The sole captain of the 2007 squad, she is a rare, high-scoring defender (10 goals, 10 assists in the last two seasons) who has been an integral part of UML’s set plays.

As much energy as Vagenas has put into her athletic career at UML, she has devoted an equal amount into her coursework and community service. A finance major, Vagenas has maintained a 3.29 grade point average and has earned a plethora of academic awards over the course of her career.

Last fall she was cited to the NE-10 All-Academic Field Hockey First Team for the second straight year and earned a spot on the NFHCA Division II National Academic Squad for the fourth successive year.

A three-year member of UML’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Vagenas has been involved in a variety of community service efforts including raising money for Make-A-Wish, and volunteering at The Wish Project, which gathers and donates clothing and home goods for families in need.

Vagenas has also been involved with UML’s Holiday Family Adoption, in which the SAAC raises money to purchase gifts for area families in need; and has been a volunteer at the extended day program at The Bartlett School.

“Although Jayne's athletic accomplishments, academic achievements and her commitment to service speaks volumes, it is her character that truly reflects the essence of the Laurie Mann Award,” said UML Head Coach Shannon Hlebichuk. “Jayne has always represented the field hockey program and the entire UML community with the utmost integrity. The capstone of Jayne's remarkable career is being the recipient of the Laurie Mann Award.”

A graduate of and former star player at Harwich H.S., Vagenas is the daughter of David and Kathleen Vagenas of Harwich, MA.

Ruben Sanca, Cross Country/Track & Field

A vital part of the criteria for David J. Boutin Award is having the wherewithal to volunteer and to give something back.

Ruben Sanca, a member of the cross country and track and field teams, personifies this award. His feats this year are exceptionally impressive considering he competes year-round.

Sanca has already earned All-American honors twice this year, finishing 22nd at the NCAA Cross Country Championship and eighth in the distance medley relay at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship. One of the top distance runners in country, he finished fourth in a field of nearly 300 Division I, II and III runners at the New England Cross Country Championship in October.

Among his many awards, Sanca has been named to both the Northeast-10 Conference Cross Country First Team as well as the NCAA All-Northeast Region Team all three years. A business administration major with a 3.43 GPA, Sanca has also collected a host of academic honors, including places on the NE-10 and U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic teams.

But what distinguishes Sanca from other student-athletes is his involvement and service to the University and in his hometown of Roxbury.

A finalist for the 2007 David J. Boutin Award, Sanca serves on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council for both UML and the Northeast-10 Conference; and also serves on the UML Student Government, the Residence Halls Council and the University’s Student Leadership Network.

He also finds time to serve as a volunteer assistant coach for the Greater Roxbury Track Club as well as the Djad’sal Soccer Foundation, a local soccer club in Roxbury.

“Ruben is a throw-back to the 1950s,” said UML Head Coach Gary Gardner. “He is everything you hope your own kid would be: a great athlete, great student and a great kid. He has accomplished everything we set out to accomplish this year. He was an All-American in the cross country and indoor seasons. Despite being injured for 10 days in the outdoor season, it has been a perfect year for him.”

A graduate of and former standout at John D. O’Bryant H.S., Sanca is the son of Nerino and Maria Sanca of Boston, MA.