May 21, 2008
LOWELL, MA - Seniors Joey DeWitt (Ellsworth, ME) and Amanda Sousa (Peabody, MA) were honored for the third consecutive year and led six UMass Lowell athletes named to the Northeast-10 Conference Track and Field All-Academic Teams, announced Wednesday.
Joining DeWitt and Sousa was junior Ruben Sanca (Boston, MA) and senior Gillian Mundry (Methuen, MA), making their second appearances on the team; as well as sophomores Haley Catarius (Marshfield, MA) and Sharikka Finley-Moise (Lexington, MA), who made their first appearances.
UML's six athletes named to the academic teams were the most of any NE-10 school.
DeWitt and Sousa each enjoyed senior years, both in cross country and track and field. DeWitt highlighted the outdoor season by earning All-New England honors for the seventh time in his career as he placed sixth in the 1,500 meters at the New England Championship with a time of 3:54.33.
Earlier in the spring season, DeWitt posted a time of 3:52.67 in the 1,500 but narrowly missed out on making the field for the NCAA Championship.
A criminal justice major with a 3.43 grade point average, DeWitt also made his third appearance on both the NE-10 Cross Country and U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) all-academic cross country teams for the third time.
Sousa also completed a trifecta of sorts with this latest honor, her third of the year after earning NE-10 and USTFCCCA academic honors in the cross country season.
Sousa highlighted the track seasons by earning All-New England honors in the outdoor 4X800 meter relay, leading it to fifth place at the New England Championship in 9:24.82, a school record.
An exercise physiology major, Sousa has maintained a 3.44.
A two-time All-American this year alone, the NE-10 academic award is the latest in a plaudit-filled year for Sanca. A distance/middle distance runner, Sanca led UML's distance medley relay team to sixth at the NCAA indoor championship (10:07.65).
Sanca also earned All-New England honors in the indoor mile (4:11.14) as well as the outdoor 5,000 meters (14:51.13). He also made his mark at the NE-10 meets, capturing the outdoor 5,000 meters (14:54.98).
Sanca was recently named the recipient of UML's David J. Boutin Award for the male student-athlete of the year for excellence in athletics, academics, community service and leadership.
He has maintained a 3.43 in business administration.
Mundry enjoyed an impressive senior year, capturing All-New England status in both the indoor long jump (fifth, 17 feet, 11 inches) and the outdoor (third, 17' 10.25''). She also captured the NE-10 championship in the outdoor long jump with a leap of 17' 9.75''.
Mundry has maintained a 3.36 GPA as a nursing major.
Catarius is hoping her best is yet to come as she is currently at the NCAA Championship and seeded ninth in the 800 meters (2:11.80), thus far highlighting a special year. Catarius is enjoying her third appearance at the NCAA Championship, having earned All-American honors in 2007 and 2008 in the distance medley relay.
Along the way, Catarius earned All-New England status in two events, the 800 meters (2:11.80, fifth) and the aforementioned record-setting 4X800 meter relay. She was also the NE-10 Champion in the 400 meter dash (57.93).
An exercise physiology major, Catarius has maintained a 3.24 average.
Finley-Moise emerged with several stellar results this season, peaking with the outdoor 4X100 meter relay in which she helped lead UML to a time of 47.69 seconds at the New England Championship (third place). Finley-Moise was also a member of UML's 4X100 team which placed second at the NE-10 Championship in 48.28 seconds.
A psychology major, Finley-Moise has maintained sterling a grade point average of 3.88.
