Complete Results

UMass Lowell senior Angus MacDonald (Methuen, Mass.) and the River Hawk 4X400 meter relay team earned All-American honors Saturday at the NCAA Division II Track and Field Championship at Colorado State-Pueblo's Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl.

Adams (Colo.) State won the team title with 77 points while Lincoln (Mo.) was the runner-up with 73 points.

MacDonald placed sixth in the 1,500 meters to earn All-America status for the 10^th time in his career and for the first time in the 1,500. MacDonald, who placed 13^th a year ago, ran the course in 4:15.59 as the field was hampered by 40 mile-an-hour winds. Senior Andrew Graham of Adams State won the title in 4:13.98.

Less three hours later, MacDonald ran the 5,000 meters in which he placed 13^th in 16:09.25, struggling with the altitude difference.

“If you look at the results in the 1,500, Angus was the top non-altitude runner to finish,” said head coach Gary Gardner. “The top five kids are altitude-trained runners. We knew the 1,500 was going to be a slow pace, and we figured he'd finish between fourth and sixth. We are very pleased.

“In the 5,000, Angus just didn't have the lungs,” Gardner added. “After the first mile, he knew he was in big trouble. But our main goal this year was the 1,500, and we accomplished that.”

Seeded 10^th, UMass Lowell's 4X400 meter relay team placed fifth in 3:11.46 to earn All-American honors for the sixth time in the last eight NCAA indoor and outdoor championships, including the third straight year.

Senior Craig Bennett (Milton, Mass.), a member of the last three All-America teams, led off with a 49.6-second leg while sophomore Tim Regan (Sandwich, Mass.) followed in 47.4 seconds. Sophomore Keith Lewis (Nashua, N.H.) ran a 47.4 second split while freshman Ryad Bencheikh (Woburn, Mass.) anchored in 46.9 and passed three teams on his leg.

The River Hawks edged out Northeast-10 Conference rival American International College, which took sixth in 3:11.53.

“The 4X400 relay was all about place,” said Gardner. “To place fifth with who we had out here was amazing. This was half the team we had at the NCAA indoors (in which UMass Lowell placed second).”

UMass Lowell qualified for the 4X400 without junior Evan White (Tewksbury, Mass.) and senior Jeff Wundt (Southwick, Mass.), who are nursing injuries.

St. Augustine's (Fla.) won the 4X400 in 3:07.15.

Sophomore Candace Greene (Annapolis, Md.) placed 13^th in the shot put as she threw for a distance of 46 feet, 1.5 inches on her third attempt. In a strong field, senior Kayla Muyskens of Central Missouri won the shot with a toss of 52' 6.5'' while junior Sam Lockhart of Grand Valley State took second with a throw of 52' 1.25''.

“Candace threw OK. I think she just needs more experience,” Gardner said. “Jacqui Barrett (2010 NCAA shot put champion) was the same way. It's a maturity thing and it will come for Candace.”