May 12, 2009
Senior Sarah Brassard (Oxford, MA) was named the recipient of the Laurie Mann Award while Ruben Sanca (Boston, MA) was presented the David Boutin Award and for the Female and Male Student-Athletes of the Year Tuesday night at the UMass Lowell Athletic Awards Banquet at the Costello Athletic Center.
The Laurie Mann and David Boutin Awards are presented to the outstanding UMass Lowell female and male student-athletes who excel in the classroom, playing field, exemplify leadership as well as give back to the community.
The awards are named after Laurie Mann, a member of the UML women’s basketball team from 1993-95, who passed away in 1998 after a long battle with cancer; and David J. Boutin, a member of the baseball team from 1988-90 who also lost his life to cancer.
Sarah Brassard, Track & Field/Cross Country
Perhaps the most improved athlete in the East Region, Sarah Brassard has enjoyed a splendid year in both track and field and cross country. She emerged as one of the top distance runners over the indoor and outdoor seasons, which saw her highlight with All-American honors in the indoor distance medley relay.
Brassard ran the mile in 5:09 to lead UMass Lowell’s DMR team to sixth place at the NCAA Championship with a time of 11:57.90. She was instrumental in helping the DMR team qualify for the NCAAs as it achieved a school record time of 11:46.96, which ranked third in the country during the regular season.
Individually, Brassard had a memorable year, winning the mile at the Northeast-10 Conference indoor championship in a NE-10-record time of 5:11.02; as well as the 3,000 meter steeplechase at the NE-10 outdoor championship in 11:08.14.
Earlier in the outdoor season, she set a school record and provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championship in the steeplechase (10:50.79), in which she currently ranks 13th in the country.
Brassard also thrived in one of UMass Lowell’s best-ever cross country seasons. She earned All-NCAA East Region and All-NE-10 First Team honors as UMass Lowell captured both titles. She was UMass Lowell’s top runner at the NCAA Championship, placing 81st (among 189 runners) in leading the River Hawks to 22nd place.
With her athletic triumphs, the academic awards have also followed. She has been named to the NE-10 and U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Teams three straight years.
“Sarah has been a contributor to our program since she arrived on campus freshman year,” said UML Head Coach Gary Gardner. “But this year as a senior, she turned into a star. Being an All-American and now the Mann Award winner says it all.”
Athletic success, however, is only a fraction of what Brassard has accomplished during her time at UMass Lowell. She excels as an exercise physiology major with a 3.79 grade point average and volunteers her time in many community service initiatives within the University and the City of Lowell.
Brassard was inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honor society, for which she serves as the vice president and social committee co-chair. She also gives her time to events such as UMass Lowell Honors Program, Commencement and Colloquium ceremonies.
Among other many community service efforts, Brassard has also volunteered her time at the Sun Bridge Rehabilitation Center, the Chelmsford Forum Food Drive and the Bay State Marathon (three years).
“I have no idea how Sarah finds time to complete all of her academics, her service to the campus and community and her training for track and field and cross country,” Gardner quipped. “It takes a very special student-athlete to accomplish what she has.”
Brassard is the daughter of Kevin and Debora Brassard of Oxford, MA.
Ruben Sanca, Cross Country/Track & Field
Short of a national championship, there is very little that Ruben Sanca has not accomplished during his four years at UMass Lowell. That was also true a year ago, when he received the David Boutin Award for male student-athlete of the year for the first time.
The 2008-09 cross country and indoor track and field seasons saw Sanca emerge as one of the greatest distance runners in UMass Lowell’s storied history.
He spearheaded UMass Lowell to the Northeat-10 Conference and NCAA East region championships, winning both individual titles and earning the distinctions of NE-10 and NCAA East Region Athlete of the Year.
Perhaps more impressive, he helped lead UMass Lowell to its second New England Championship – which pits 47 Division I, II and III colleges against one another – for the second time in three years. Individually, he placed second to Tim Ritchie of Boston College – by only one second – in a field of 316 runners.
At the NCAA Championship, he placed 45th (37th among scoring runners) in a field of 152 and guided the River Hawks to 13th.
“Training-wise, all you have to do with Ruben is set out the plan. Then he takes over and does the rest,” said UML Head Coach Gary Gardner. “For Ruben, the David Boutin Award is a well deserved honor.”
The indoor season brought many highlights as he qualified for the NCAA Championship in three events – the 5,000 meters, distance medley relay and the mile – all producing results that ranked within the top five places in the country.
A late-season back injury, however, prevented him from competing at the NCAA Championship as well as the 2009 outdoor season.
Along the way, Sanca was named the Athlete of the Year by the NE-10 and U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
As impressive as Sanca’s athletic plaudits are, he is an equally exemplary student with a 3.33 in business administration.
Since his sophomore year, he has earned places on the NE-10 and USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams both in the cross country and track and field seasons.
Despite competing year-round, Sanca has found time to give back to the University as well as his hometown of Roxbury communities. He serves on UMass Lowell’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as well as the University’s Residence Halls Council.
He is also the treasurer of the Student Government Association, establishing and overseeing the budgets for all the University’s clubs and organizations.
Sanca has represented UMass Lowell on the NE-10 Student-Athlete-Advisory Committee and was selected to attend the NCAA National Leadership Conference in 2008.
A former soccer player/distance runner at John D. O’Bryant H.S., Sanca also serves as a volunteer assistant coach with the Greater Roxbury Track Club as well as the Djad’sal Soccer Foundation.
“Ruben is one of the most well rounded student-athletes I have ever had the pleasure to work with,” Gardner added. “I think every person that comes in contact with Ruben has a genuine like and respect for him.”
Sanca is the son of Nerino and the late Maria Sanca of Boston, MA.
