July 11, 2008
LOWELL, MA - Sophomore Haley Catarius (Marshfield, MA) led four members of the UMass Lowell women's track and field team named to the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Teams, announced Friday.
Catarius joined fellow sophomores Jacqui Barrett (Woburn, MA), a shotputter, and Heather McCarthy (Burlington, MA), a sprinter, as well as freshman distance runner Lyra Clark (Nashua, NH).
UML's four athletes were the most of any NE-10 school to be named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic teams. To qualify, student-athletes must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or above and have met the NCAA Division II indoor or outdoor automatic or provisional qualifying standard in their respective event.
The academic honor is the latest for Catarius, who was also named to the Northeast-10 Conference All-Academic Team on May 21.
She enjoyed a spectacular year, highlighted by capturing All-American honors twice: placing sixth (seeded ninth) in the 800 meters at the NCAA outdoor championship in 2:12.07; and eighth in the distance medley relay in 12:01.85, in which she ran the 800 meters in 2:14.90.
Additionally, Catarius earned All-New England status in two events: the outdoor 800 meters (2:11.80, fifth) and the 4X800 meter relay (a school-record 9:24.82, fifth). She was also the NE-10 Champion in the outdoor 400 meter dash (57.93).
An exercise physiology major, Catarius has maintained a 3.24 average.
Clark also earned All-American honors this season and, in addition to the cross country season, enjoyed three trips to the NCAA Championship. She joined Catarius on the UML's All-American indoor distance medley relay team, running the mile in 5:02.40.
The NE-10 Freshman Cross Country Athlete of the Year, Clark also placed 15th in the outdoor 1,500 meters in 4:40.24.
Clark has maintained a 3.94 in biological science.
Barrett, a liberal arts major, sports a 3.44 grade point average and highlighted the year with her first appearance at the NCAA Championship where she placed 12th (seeded 13th) in the shot put with a distance of 44 feet, 4.0 inches.
During the year, Barrett also captured the NE-10 championship in the outdoor shot put (a career-best 46' 0.75'') and earned All-New England honors twice, placing fourth in the indoor shot put (44' 4.75'') and fourth in the spring (44' 8.0'').
Majoring in psychology with a 3.57, McCarthy was a member of UML's indoor 4X400 meter relay team which placed 10th (seeded 15th) at the NCAA Championship with a time of 4:00.26. Additionally, she helped UML's 4X400 team to All-New England honors with a time of 3:51.95 at the indoor championship.
