Graduate student Derek Holmes (Marshfield, Mass.) earned River Hawk of the Week honors helping lead the UMass Lowell men’s track and field program to their second America East Indoor Track and Field Championship in the last four years.
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Holmes paced the River Hawks crew in the men’s 3,000 meter, crossing in 8:10.07 to take first overall and bring in 10 points towards UMass Lowell’s score. The veteran also secured a third-place finish in the men’s mile after clocking in at 4:09.04.
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A key member of the River Hawks distance squad, Holmes also shattered a 24-year old conference record in the men’s 3,000 meter on Saturday to help snag the title for UMass Lowell. The Massachusetts native shaved nearly a second off the original conference best mark of 8:11.79, set by Matt Smith in 1998.
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The "River Hawk of the Week" is chosen in voting by the UMass Lowell Athletic Communications staff. It honors the top athlete, male or female, based on performance during the previous week of competition.