LOWELL, Mass. – Eight UMass Lowell distance runners have been named to the America East Cross Country All-Academic Teams.  The announcement was made by the conference today.

"When you take eight out of twenty spots it means you are recruiting the right student-athletes," according to UMass Lowell Head Coach Gary Gardner.  "They've achieved athletically and they are achieving academically as well.  It's a testament to the kind of character we have on these teams.  The credit goes to the athletes and the coaches and to Mike Anderson in the Academic Center who works with a lot of these young people."

Four men and four women were named to the ten person teams.  Seniors Rachel Eatherton (Tewksbury, Mass.), Kathryn Loughnane (North Attleboro, Mass.) and Alli Wood (Chelmsford, Mass.) and junior Allie Morris (Walpole, Mass.) were named to the women's team.  Senior Paul Hogan (Burlington, Mass.), juniors Josh Fontaine (Lebanon, N.H.) and Chris Skelly (Pepperell, Mass.) and sophomore Christopher Alfond (Ashby, Mass.) earned spots on the men's team.

"I think there is a correlation between distance running and academics because it's such a mental grind," said Gardner.  "I think you see a lot of successful distance runners that are successful academically not because they are super smart but because of their personality; they're grinders.  They work really hard and to be successful as a distance runner and in the classroom that's exactly what you need to do."

Eatherton is an Exercise Physiology major with a 3.928 grade point average.  She is a Co-op Scholar at the UMass Lowell Department of Physical Therapy and does research in the Technology-based Rehabilitation Lab.  She was named to the Dean's List and the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll in all of her semesters at the University.  She won the top prize for Outstanding Writing in the Field of Disabilities.  Eatherton has been selected for membership in the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society.  She has volunteered at the Lowell Association for the Blind, St. Paul's Soup Kitchen and with various other groups.

Loughnane, with a 3.36 grade point average, is a Nursing major.  She has been an active member of SAAC and is also a member of the Student Nurses Association.  Loughnane has earned a spot on the College of Health Sciences Dean's List and the America East Honor Roll.  Loughnane finished seventh at the America East Cross Country Championships and earned All-Conference honors.

Morris, with a 3.625 grade point average, is a Biology major with a nutrient minor.  She earned a spot on the Dean's List.  She has spent summer months as a Co-op Scholar working in the Nutrition Department.  She is a member of the Honors College and was on the America East Honor Roll.

Wood, with a 3.905 grade point average, is a Nursing major.  She has been selected to be a member of the ODK Honors Society.  She has earned recognition on the Dean's List in each of her semesters at UMass Lowell and was named to the AE Outdoor Track and Field All-Academic Team.

Alfond has a 3.724 GPA in Mechanical Engineering.  He has made the Dean's List in each of his semesters at UMass Lowell.

Fontaine has a 3.982 GPA in Exercise Physiology.  He has been a regular on the Dean's List.  He works as a tutor two nights a week.  He has volunteered at a physical therapy clinic during the summer.


Hogan with a 3.601 GPA is an honor student and has been a regular on the Dean's List throughout his UMass Lowell career.  He is minoring in Business.  Hogan won the individual cross country title at the America East Championships

Skelly with a 3.891 GPA is also a member of SAAC and is part of the leadership team.  He is the National SAAC Representative for the America East. He's been on the Dean's List every semester at Lowell. He did an internship freshman year involving analyzing stride patterns of people on a treadmill in hopes of designing a robotic prosthetic.

The UMass Lowell cross country teams each finished second at the America East Championships.