View the Capital One Track & Field Academic All-America Teams

Senior Angus MacDonald (Methuen, Mass.) and sophomore Scott Boiko (Chelmsford, Mass.) were named to the Capital One 2012 Division II Academic All-America Track & Field/Cross Country Teams, released today by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

MacDonald was named to the Academic All-America First Team while Boiko was cited to the Third Team.
The two standout runners are the second and third UMass Lowell athletes to earn Academic All-America status this year, joining senior Elyssa Boris (Gardner, Mass.) who was named to the Capital One Division II Softball Academic All-America Second Team May 23.

Additionally, MacDonald and Boiko are the second and third track and field athletes to earn the distinction in three years. Jacqui Barrett, the 2010 NAA shot put champion, earned the honor in 2010.

The Capital One Academic All-District Teams are selected by members of CoSIDA. To be eligible, student-athletes (sophomores and above) must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 and be a significant contributor on his/her team. Both MacDonald and Boiko were cited to the Capital One District 1 Academic Team on May 31.

MacDonald maintained a 3.47 in mathematics as an undergraduate and a 3.78 in the Curriculum and Instruction master's program. A biology major, Boiko has maintained a 3.48 average.

“Angus and Scott are two guys that trained year-round and competed over two thirds of the academic year,” said head coach Gary Gardner. “They are student-athletes in the purest sense, and they are excellent representatives of not just the track and field programs, but the University.”

The honor is the latest of many plaudits for MacDonald, who was recently named the recipient of the Northeast-10 Conference Scholar Athlete Sport Excellence Award for indoor track and field. He was also cited to the NE-10 Indoor Track and Field All-Academic Team for the third straight year.

Both MacDonald and Boiko enjoyed stellar seasons, indoor and outdoor. The most decorated athlete in UMass Lowell's track and field/cross country history, MacDonald capped his career by earning All-American honors for the 10^th time when he placed sixth in the 1,500 meters at the NCAA Championship in 4:15.59.

He also qualified for the NCAAs in the 5,000 meters (placing 13^th) and won the NE-10 championship in the 1,500 meters in a Conference-record 3:47.29.

MacDonald enjoyed arguably his best indoor season, earning All-American honors in both the distance medley relay, in which the River Hawks placed fifth at the NCAA Championship in 9:50.08 (he ran the mile in 4:08); and the open mile, in which he placed sixth in 4:12.62. Earlier, he shattered the school record in the indoor mile with a time of 4:04.98 at the Boston University Valentine Invitational.

Boiko was also a member of the DMR team as he ran the 800 meters in 1:57.8. Together, Boiko and MacDonald led the River Hawk men to ninth place in the team standings at the NCAA indoor championship – their best finish ever.

Both MacDonald and Boiko also led the River Hawks to the DMR title at the New England Championship with a school-record time of 9:50.08, resulting in a fifth-place finish in the team standings among 31 Division I, II and III colleges.

The two also ran splits on UMass Lowell's 4X800 meter relay team that placed second (7:45.47) and earned All-Conference honors at the NE-10 outdoor championship.

MacDonald is the son of Angus and Janice MacDonald of Methuen, Mass. Boiko is the son of Gary and Lisa Boiko of Chelmsford, Mass.