LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell Athletics Department celebrated its student-athletes and their 2024-25 successes at The Rowdys award show on May 5 at the university's Moloney Performing Arts Center.
This year, 15 individuals were honored, along with four teams. Highlighting the list of winners were men's basketball fifth year Max Brooks (Waldorf, Md.) and women's lacrosse senior Jade Catlin (Middletown, Md.), who received the Lester H. Cushing Awards for the top male and female athletes, respectively. Additionally, senior Brandon Fish (Londonderry, N.H.) of the baseball team and senior Jillian Loebs (Acton, Mass.) of the field hockey team took home the David J. Boutin and Laurie A. Mann Awards, respectively, which are presented to the top student-athletes who encompass academic and athletic excellence, as well as leadership and service.
Brooks left his mark all over the men's basketball record book, posting a career-best 85 blocks to lead the America East, while also ranking third in the nation. Meanwhile, he led the nation with a 70.1% field goal percentage, highlighted by his 12-for-12 outing against Dartmouth, another NCAA season-best. The All-Conference First Team and All-Defensive Team selection not only captured the program's all-time block record this season, but also established new program bests for games played and field goal percentage, as well as rebounds at the Division I level.
Catlin has proved to not only be one of the best players in the America East, but one of the best players in program history. Starting in all 17 games for the River Hawks, Catlin led the team with 57 points, 51 goals and 19 caused turnovers, while ranking second on the team with 52 draw controls and third on the squad with 24 ground balls. Earlier this season, she set the program record for both career goals and career points, while her 51 goals are the most in a single season in team history.
Fish has been a leader on and off the field. The team captain boasts a team-best .342 batting average, while posting a slugging percentage of .513. He also leads the team in hits, doubles and RBI. Described as having "incredibly high character" and as the "definition of selflessness" by his coaches, he's been involved with several organizations and programs, including Team Impact, Vs. Cancer, SAAC and the Pen Pal Program. He was also able to represent the River Hawks at the NCAA Leadership Conference in Charlotte, N.C. in 2024. Fish is heavily involved within the Manning School of Business, as a marketing intern in the dean's office and chief financial officer for the UML International Business Association. He has also gained experience for his future career through the Manning Business and Entrepreneurs Scholars in Training Program (BEST).
Loebs has also epitomized the term student-athlete during her tenure. After appearing in five games for the River Hawks as a junior, the senior played in all 18 games this season, recording a goal and three assists. After netting her first point against Stonehill, the midfielder found the back of the net for the first time in her career in a 5-1 win over Dartmouth. Off the turf, she served as the president of the UMass Lowell chapter of Morgan's Message and has also been involved with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She has engaged with the community through Read Across America and the Pen Pal Program and for her efforts in the classroom, the business administration major earned NFHCA National Academic Team honors.
In 2022, River Hawk Nation lost the most patient, kind and selfless soul. The Keith Vinci Award was created to honor those qualities and keep his legacy alive. Men's lacrosse graduate student Garrett Murphy (Billerica, Mass.) and field hockey senior Cate Kleeman (Gibbsboro, N.J.) were selected by the Sports Performance Department to receive the honor this year.
Rookie of the Year honors were handed out at the event, as well, going to freshmen Danny Burke (Eden Prairie, Minn.) from men's lacrosse, and both Awa Dembele (Harlem, N.Y.) and Madison Clark (Baltimore, Md.) from women's lacrosse, who all just wrapped up remarkable first seasons for the River Hawks.
Other winners included senior Sarah Ross (Agawam, Mass.), who was tabbed the department's Comeback Athlete Award winner. Junior Sean Kennedy-Wonneberger (East Haddam, Conn.) and sophomore Jillina Goldie (Owen Sound, Ontario) each earned a Breakout Athlete nod, while graduate student Aurise Tattrie (Watertown, Mass.) and senior Ephraim Acquah (Hagerstown, Md.) were named the Unsung Hero Award winners.
For the second consecutive year, one member of the UMass Lowell faculty was honored for going above and beyond the call of duty, as Andrew Rodger of the Manning School of Business received the Faculty Award.
Four teams were also honored at the annual awards show. Ice hockey and women's soccer took home the Bob Griffin Academic Awards for having the highest team GPAs, while men's cross country took home the Male Moment of the Year Award for winning its fifth straight conference title and women's lacrosse won the Female Moment of the Year Award following its first ever America East regular-season title.
