Oct. 14, 2009

Angus MacDonald, a junior from Methuen, MA (Central Catholic H.S.), was named the Lowell Five Savings Bank Athlete of the Week Tuesday after leading the UMass Lowell men’s cross country team to the New England Championship Saturday at Franklin Park.

The New England title was UMass Lowell’s second straight and third in the last four years. The River Hawks, who scored 93 points (8, 9, 16, 29, 31 – 35), defeated the likes of UMass Amherst (116), Providence (171), New Hampshire (181) and Stonehill (235).

MacDonald led UMass Lowell by placing eighth in the field of 320 (47 teams) with a time of 24:55 for the five-mile course. Only 31 seconds separated the five scoring runners for the River Hawks.

The result catapulted UMass Lowell to No. 1 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II East Region Poll and No. 8 in the USTFCCCA Division II Poll, released today.

A select group of runners will compete in the U.S.A. Track & Field New England 5K Sunday at Franklin Park.

A mathematics management major, MacDonald is the son of Angus and Janice MacDonald of Methuen, MA.

The Lowell Five, with 14 locations throughout the Merrimack Valley, is a proud sponsor of UMass Lowell Athletics.

The UMass Lowell Athlete of the Week is selected by the four members of University’s Athletic Media Relations office.