RESULTS (M) | RESULTS (W)

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—In its first of two meets this weekend, the UMass Lowell track and field team attained a program first and clocked several personal records at the 2022 Friar Invitational hosted by Providence on Friday night.
 
For the first time in school history, graduate student Derek Holmes (Marshfield, Mass.) ran a sub-four-minute mile to claim second overall in the event and write himself into the River Hawk record books.  
 
"Derek had an outstanding race. Breaking four minutes is something everyone knows is a major accomplishment," commented Head Coach Gary Gardner. "He was close on two occasions indoors, so it was great to see him get it.
 
His 3:59.57 marked a career highlight for the distance runner and smashed the previous UMass Lowell record set in 1976 by just over seven seconds.
 
"He's an outstanding racer along with an incredibly hard worker, so I'm really happy for him," said Gardner. "That [time] will also earn him a spot at the NCAA meet."
 
Holmes was just one of ten River Hawk runners on the men's squad to pick up personal best marks on Friday night. Joining Holmes in the men's mile, junior Samuel Toolin (North Kingstown, R.I) and freshman Timothy Brigham (Holden, Mass.) set career-best marks in the mile, crossing in 4:18.36 and 4:29.90, respectively.
 
Competing in the 800m, freshman Graham Stedfast (Rowley, Mass.) clocked a 1:53.10 time in the 800 meter to record his fastest collegiate time in the event and place second in the event.
 
Sophomore Joe Young (Dorchester, Mass.) represented the River Hawks in the 3,000m steeplechase. Setting his fastest collegiate time in the distance obstacle race, Young toed the line in 9:20.95 to finish sixth overall.
 
The River Hawks' success continued as the team advanced into the final set of men's distance events. In the 3,000 meter, freshman Jan Wouter Van den Akker (Groningen, Netherlands) turned in a stellar 8:22.24 finish to finish third overall and second behind professional athlete Eric Hamer. Freshman Jonathan D'Ambrosio (Wakefield, Mass.) joined his classmate Van den Akker in the 3,000 meter with an impressive showing of his own. The rookie runner shaved time off his previous fastest mark in the long-distance event to register a new career-best time of 9:06.68.
 
Finishing up the night for the men's squad, graduate student Kyle Cloutier (Lancaster, Mass.) claimed fifth overall in the 5,000 meter off a personal-best time of 14:11.96. Cloutier was followed shortly after by senior Drew Everett (Amesbury, Mass.), who clocked an eighth-place finish off a 14:15.96 PR. Running alongside his fellow River Hawks, graduate student Ryan Gillooly also improved his pace in the 3,000 meter to set a new collegiate-best 14:52.78 mark.
 
 
The women's crew saw similar success on the track in Providence Friday night. Junior Chelsea Lynch (Amesbury, Mass.) led things off for UMass Lowell in the 400-meter hurdles, cruising to a personal-best 1:08.40 time for seventh in the event.
 
Junior Avery Leydon (Woburn, Mass.) kept the momentum moving forward for the River Hawks in the 400-meter sprint. Taking second overall behind professional Brenna Detra, Leydon crossed the finish line in a collegiate-best time of 56.96.
 
Keeping in line with the junior class domination, junior Leah Rudolph (Gloucester, Mass.) bested her previous fastest time with a 2:16.81 mark to finish eighth in the 800 meter. Accompanying Rudolph in the event, sophomore Delani Dorsey (Haverhill, Mass.) sprinted her way to a career-best 2:30.60 performance.
 
Wrapping the middle distance up, junior Mackenzie Doyle (Swansea, Mass.) placed eighth in the women's mile off a career time of 4:57.02.
 
Graduate student Amanda Baptiste (Taunton, Mass.) capped the day for the River Hawks in the 5,000-meter race. With her 18:40.18 time, Baptiste secured tenth overall as well as a new personal best.
 
UMass Lowell continues its weekend on the track on Saturday, March 9 with the Wildcat Invite hosted by New Hampshire.