LOWELL, Mass. – UMass Lowell men’s cross country team was named the "River Hawk of the Week" after winning the school’s first America East Championship, Saturday, in competition at Stony Brook, N.Y.
The championship is the first for any UMass Lowell athletic team since joining the America East Conference and beginning the transition to Division I nearly three years ago. Cross Country and Field Hockey are the only UMass Lowell sports in which the teams are currently eligible for a conference title. All other sports will be eligible after the transition to Division I is complete.
"They worked hard, they worked together and they provided evidence to everybody that you can do it and do it in a very short period of time," said Director of Athletics Dana Skinner. "To see the looks on everybody’s faces, competitors and fans, as our men’s cross country athletes were crossing the finish line was pretty special."
In a sport that demands depth for team success, UMass Lowell placed five runners in the top 16 and took the top prize with a total of 42 points, (2, 3, 10, 11, 16 - 29, 39.) The host school, Stony Brook, was second with 74 points. Defending champion Binghamton garnered 78 points, good enough for third place.
The River Hawk team at the America East Cross Country Championships included senior Robert Allen (Cranston, R.I.,) sophomore Paul Hogan (Burlington, Mass.,) senior Zach Ganshirt (Walpole, Mass.,) sophomore John Abraham (Lowell, Mass.,) Dhahran Velasquez (New Britain, Conn.,) junior Connor Doyle (Swansea, Mass.,) freshman Chris Skelly (Pepperell, Mass.,) freshman Josh Fontaine (Lebanon, N.H.,) senior Padraic Donovan (Lowell, Mass.,) and junior Mark Hegarty (Springfield, Mass.)
Gardner, Assistant Coach John Molvar and the staff was honored as the "Coaching Staff of the Year."
"One through eight or nine ran great," said Gardner. "They ran their best races when it mattered most. The top five were phenomenal, they ran with the lead group for the entire race. They were in the lead group at one-thousand meters and they were in the lead group at eight-thousand meters."
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. Because of the unique accomplishment the staff chose to give the honor to the entire team.
