Aug. 25, 2011
The UMass Lowell Athletic Hall of Fame will welcome five new members to its prestigious ranks on Friday, Sept. 30 as part of its Dream of Perfect Games Celebration of Sport at the Inn & Conference Center in downtown Lowell.
The class of 2011 features athletes whose accomplishments helped raise the bar for future River Hawks with both outstanding individual and team success. The inductees include former football player Tom Bradley ('98, Tewksbury, Mass.), a standout wide receiver and punt returner from 1989-93, and baseball's Ryan Kearney ('98, Salem, N.H.), a top-notch pitcher who led the River Hawks to three NCAA Tournaments from 1994-98.
They will be joined by Becky Regula ('02, Hudson, N.H.), softball's speedy outfielder from 1999-02 who helped set the school record wins as a freshman; Patrick Morasse ('06, Lowell, Mass.), a five-time All-American runner from 2002-06; and two-sport standout Julie Handy Drinkwater ('06, Yorba Linda, Calif.), a star for both the volleyball and track and field programs from 2002-06.
Members of the class of 2011 will be honored in the Dream of Perfect Games ceremony beginning at 6:30 p.m.Tickets cost $50 per person and can be purchased at the Athletic Business Office in the Costello Athletic Center; or by calling 978-934-2345. More information on the Athletic Hall of Fame is available at www.goriverhawks.com.
Tom Bradley (Football, 1989-93)
A star wide receiver and feared punt returner, Tom Bradley led the River Hawks to a 31-7-1 record from 1989-93. Upon his graduation, Bradley held or had tied 11 school records, all of which still stand today.
UMass Lowell football was revered during Bradley's tenure, having lost just three games his first three seasons and culminating in a 10-1 record in 1991 and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Bradley finished his career with 2,627 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns. Among his many records, he set new highs for passes caught in a season (59) and career (163), longest reception (83 yards) and most yards on punt returns in a season (221).
"Thomas was perhaps the most electrifying game-breaker ever to embrace the gridiron at UMass Lowell," said Dennis Scannell, who served as head coach from 1986-92. "He could singlehandedly turn a contest around whenever he touched a football.
"I was very excited when Thomas and many other all-scholastic players decided to enroll at UMass Lowell," Scannell added. "His class was the beginning of a very special era for the football program."
A recipient of numerous individual honors, Bradley was a two-time New England Football Conference All-Star and a Football Gazette All-American Honorable Mention in 1991.
When the River Hawks moved to the Freedom Football Conference during his senior year, Bradley proceeded to lead the league in receptions per game (6.6), total receptions (59), receiving yards (893) and receiving touchdowns (5). He was honored as a FFC First Team All-Star.
"Thomas's entire family, especially his grandmother, led an entourage of the most loyal and enthusiastic fans who attended every game," Scannell added. "It is most rewarding that he has spent his entire adult life as a role model for youth involved with athletics in his hometown of Tewksbury."
Bradley completed his degree in history in 1998 and is currently a captain with the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department. He and his wife Alison live in Tewksbury, Mass. with their four children: Lindsay (21), Rachel (12), Thomas (9) and Timmy (5).
Ryan Kearney (Baseball, 1994-98)
The winningest pitcher in UMass Lowell baseball history, Ryan Kearney carried a 26-9 career record for River Hawk squads that won three New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championships and earned three trips to the NCAA Tournament.
With Kearney anchoring the staff from 1994-98, UMass Lowell enjoyed a pair of 30-win seasons and an overall record of 115-45 (.719). The right-hander set school records for most wins (26), career strikeouts (205) and fewest walks per 9-innings (1.96).
"Ryan was one of the very best we ever had," said Jim Stone, who coached baseball from 1966-2003. "And he played a position (shortstop) on top of that. He was an excellent athlete. We pitched him as a freshman and he just got better and better."
Kearney's finest season came as a junior when he ran a record of 8-1 with a 1.62 earned run average and 51 strikeouts. He was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Northeast Region First Team, the NECC First Team and was the starting pitcher in the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) All-Star Game.
For his career, Kearney carried an ERA of 2.94 and walked just 60 batters in 275.2 innings of work. He still ranks fifth all-time in career strikeouts.
"Pitching and playing a position is not an easy thing," Stone added. "He played every day, and that was from his freshman year on."
After graduating from UMass Lowell with a degree in liberal arts, Kearney pitched in the Cleveland Indians minor league system for three years. He is currently a lieutenant with the Londonderry Police Department and a member of the Southern New Hampshire S.W.A.T. Team.
Kearney earned his master's degree in Justice Studies in August from Southern New Hampshire University. He and his wife Catherine have three children (Nathan 6), Elisabeth (3) and Cory (nine months) live in Londonderry, N.H.
Becky Regula (Softball, 1999-02)
One of the finest hitters in UMass Lowell history, outfielder Becky Regula terrorized opposing pitchers with a barrage of extra base hits from 1999-02. Her standout performances in the batter's box powered the River Hawks to a four-year record of 108-81-1.
The softball program prospered with three winning seasons, including two trips to the ECAC Tournament, a Northeast-10 Tournament appearance and an ECAC Tournament Championship in 2000. As a freshman, Regula was a part of a 30-17 club that broke the school record for wins.
Named to the New England Collegiate Conference/Northeast-10 Conference First Team all four years, Regula was routinely recognized for her accomplishments. The New England Intercollegiate Softball Coaches Association (NEISCA) named her to its First Team for four straight seasons and she was twice crowned an ECAC Division II New England all-star.
"Becky was the best centerfielder we ever had, and she was probably one of the top two or three athletes we ever had," said Harry Sauter, who was UMass Lowell's softball coach from 1996-2009. "She was as fast as the wind. She is probably one of the only kids we had who never got thrown out at third base. Her speed was one of the reasons she could turn a double into a triple very easily."
Over the course of 179 games, Regula finished with a .368 batting average, 103 runs batted in and 137 runs scored. She remains the program's record holder for at bats (609), base hits (224), triples (21) and extra base hits (64). As a sophomore, she led all of Division II players with 12 triples, still a UMass Lowell single season record.
"Becky was a great softball player," Sauter added. "We're very happy and proud for her."
Regula graduated with a degree in criminal justice in 2002 and is currently the vice president of production at Title Acquisition I. She is engaged to marry Chris Giles of Seminole, Fla., in St. Petersburg on Feb. 11.
Regula resides in Clearwater, Fla.
Patrick Morasse (Cross Country/Track & Field, 2002-06)
A five-time All-American, Patrick Morasse was a dominant middle and long distance runner from 2002-06 who captured numerous records during the course of his career.
As a member of the cross country team, Morasse helped push the River Hawks to three consecutive NCAA Northeast Region Championships from 2002-04. That success followed the squad to the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons where the River Hawks secured the top finish among all Division II-III schools in four New England Championship events from 2003-05, including a pair of best-ever second-place indoor finishes in 2003 and 2005.
"Pat Morasse was one of the best, if not the best, middle distance runners in school history," said head coach Gary Gardner. "His school records still stand and no one has come really close to his 1500 meter record (3:45.75) even with a host of All Americans following him.
"The biggest attribute Pat brought to the table was his incredible toughness in races," Gardner added. "There is no other athlete that I have ever coached that I would want to have race for me with a Championship on the line. In nearly every big meet situation he achieved at the highest level."
While running for the cross country team, Morasse earned four consecutive NCAA All-Northeast Region Team selections and was named the 2004 NCAA Northeast Region Athlete of the Year.
Morasse outdid himself in indoor track, earning three All-American honors for performances in the mile and distance medley relay. He also picked up three New England Championships for a pair of DMRs and a 4x800 meter relay. In 2006, Morasse was honored as the USTFCCCA Division II East Region Indoor Athlete of the Year.
When the seasons moved outdoors Morasse picked up two more All-American honors, a New England Championship and three NE-10 Championships. In 2005 he was named the NE-10 Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year.
As a senior, he gave one of the greatest individual efforts in school history at the NCAA Championship. Having qualified in both the 1,500 and 800 meters, Morasse placed third in the 1,500 (4:02.39) and one hour later, fourth in the 800 (1:55.90) to earn All-American honors in both events.
"Pat lost the two events by a combined 1.5 seconds," Gardner added. "That is an achievement no one has equaled at an NCAA Championship since."
In total, Morasse set five school records during his tenure and still holds four: the indoor 4x800 meter relay (7:36.32), the indoor 1,000 meters (2:24.99), the outdoor 4x800 meter relay (7:41.84) and the outdoor 1,500 meters (3:45.75). "His time 1,500 meters is equal to a 4:02 mile," noted Gardner.
Morasse completed his degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2006 and obtained his masters in mathematics from the University in 2008. He is currently a mathematics teacher at his alma mater Lowell H.S.
Morasse and his wife, Sarah (Merullo), a former distance runner at the University, live in Chelmsford, Mass.
Julie Handy Drinkwater (Volleyball/Track & Field, 2002-06)
A record setting volleyball player and All-American hurdler, the versatile Julie Handy Drinkwater left her mark on both sports from 2002-06 and secured her place in River Hawk lore. In 2006, she was honored as the Laurie Mann Award winner as UMass Lowell's Female Student-Athlete of the Year.
Drinkwater piloted the volleyball program to four consecutive NCAA Tournament berths and an overall record of 79-42. As a freshman, she was integral in helping the River Hawks to a 25-11 mark, second place finish in the Northeast-10 and a spot in the NE-10 Tournament championship game.
"When I think of Julie Handy I think of a great player, a great worker and someone totally humble on all things," said head coach Karen McNulty. "She was just one of the best all around people we've ever had play here. Her teammates really liked her. She played all the way around. She had a great support system."
On the court, Drinkwater set records for both kills in a season (573) and digs in a career (1,656). One of the most complete players in program history, she finished her career with 1,609 kills, 1,656 digs, 223 blocks and 238 service aces. Due to her great success, she was a three-time NE-10 All-Conference First Team member and AVCA All-Northeast Region selection from 2003-05.
"There wasn't a question in anyone's mind that she was the best player on the team at that time, and maybe the best player in the Conference," McNulty said. "Everyone knew she was a great player. Teams built their defense around her. They strategized to take her out of the system. She had a lot of pressure on her senior year. There was a lot expected of her."
On the track, Drinkwater excelled in the hurdles and still holds all of the top-five results in the 400 meter hurdles. UMass Lowell won three NE-10 Championships in both Indoor and Outdoor track with her in spikes and finished as high as second at the New England Outdoor Championship in both 2004 and 2005.
During her reign, she claimed nine individual NE-10 Championships from 2004-06, qualified for the NCAA's four times and won three New England Championships. Handy was named an All-American in 2006 for a 1:01.08 time in the 400 meter hurdles.
"Julie is one of our rare two-sport athletes that achieved so much in both sports," said Gardner. "It took her a year or two to grow into a collegiate track athlete. But once she did, there was no stopping her in the 400 meter hurdles. Her junior and senior year were very special, topped off with a huge school record at the Penn Relays (1:00.34).
"In the stadium that morning, I remember her almost winning her section and placing in the top 10 overall," Gardner recalled. "I still tell that story to the hurdlers that we bring to the Penn Relays to get them excited about the meet."
Drinkwater completed her degree in Health Education in 2006 and currently works at Lowell General Hospital as a registered nurse. She lives in Lowell with her husband John, a former sprinter at UMass Lowell.
