DRACUT, Mass. – UMass Lowell hosted its fourth annual River Hawk Open, a golf event held in support of women's athletics, on June 18 at Four Oaks Country Club in Dracut. 
 
Since being established on the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX in 2022, the tournament has grown substantially, selling out the field of golfers for the second consecutive year in 2025.

"It was amazing to see this turnout, " said Director of Athletics Lynn Coutts. "The support for women's athletics at UMass Lowell is incredible. All the donations that we receive and the friendships that we build are so crucial to our growth. Every dollar is used towards women's athletics from nutrition to locker rooms to travel. A lot of the things that we do to enhance the experience are made from events like this."
 
The 2025 River Hawk Open drew more than 150 attendees, including 132 golfers and 60 alums, with all proceeds going to the female student-athlete support fund.
 
"We had 70 golfers in year one, and of course you have to start somewhere, but in year four, to be completely sold out for the second year in a row, really speaks volumes to the support that women's athletics has here at UMass Lowell," commented Shannon LeBlanc '98, head field hockey coach and the event's planning committee co-chair. "This is so important because it's a tribute to the work of Clare Chamberlain and Denise Legault, who were the two women that founded women's athletics here in 1975. For me, it's in honor of them paving the way for this event to eventually happen and building upon what they started, and it's super exciting to have this sold out in our 50th year of being the University of Lowell or UMass Lowell."

The event featured an 18-hole tournament with a shotgun start, followed by a lunch program that included raffles and video highlights from all the River Hawk women's teams. The speaking program was highlighted by remarks from UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen, in addition to comments from Coutts, LeBlanc and Senior Associate AD for Student-Athlete Excellence Alison Quandt Westgate.
 
"I've done this tournament every year except for one," explained former field hockey student-athlete Bianca Jones '15. "The first year it was a lot smaller, but now it's just an array of people connected to the UMass Lowell community, so it's awesome to see how big it's grown and how much everyone looks forward to it every year. It's a great way that all of us can get together from all the different sports teams. We have men here and we have women here who are all involved in UMass Lowell in some kind of way, shape or form."

The River Hawk Open was created in 2022 to honor and celebrate the successes of UMass Lowell women's athletics programs, and provide an opportunity for both women and men to connect with their peers on the golf course. A special thanks goes out to the tournament sponsors, who helped make the day possible, including Durkin, Jeanne D'Arc Credit Union, Tomo360, Chancellor Emerita Jacquie Moloney, Vice Chancellor Anne Maglia, Pepsi, A Good Pear and Tidal Construction.
 
Registration is already open for next year's River Hawk Open, which will be held on Thursday, June 18, 2026. Click here to sign up now to lock in your spot before it sells out once again.
 
"My sisters and I come to play in this event every year," added former women's basketball student-athlete and current Athletic Advisory Board member Chris Azzarito '84, '03. "We look forward to it, and look forward to seeing everybody, and raising money for the university and women. Events like this are extremely important. When I played, we really didn't get any recognition and there were certainly no events to help fund the teams. So I'm glad we've come a long way and I just want to continue to improve visibility for women in sports, and this is one of the greatest ways to do it for the university."

If you would like to donate to the female student-athlete support fund, please click here.