Simard, Finnegan, Earn America East Weekly Honors

LOWELL, Mass. – Sophomore Will Simard (Francestown, N.H.) and freshman Sean Finnegan (Hopkinton, Mass.) of the UMass Lowell cross country team each earned America East Conference weekly honors after strong performances at the Paul Short Invitational.

Simard was named America East Male Performer of the Week, as well as River Hawk of the Week. Meanwhile, Finnegan nabbed the America East Male Rookie of the Week award for the second time this season.

Although the Paul Short Invitational was cut short due to extreme heat, both Simard and Finnegan ran well in their respective 8k events. In the men's College Gold 8k, Simard finished in 52nd place, clocking in at 25:00.6. He led both the River Hawks and America East runners in the event.

Finnegan ran in the Open Men's 8k, finishing in 31st place with a time of 25:40.4. He finished just behind fellow River Hawk Christopher Guerin (Shrewsbury, Mass.), who placed 28th. It's the second consecutive rookie of the week honor for Finnegan, who won the award on September 21 as well.

As a team in the College Gold 8k, UMass Lowell finished in 12th place overall, again pacing the America East. The River Hawks faced off against tough competition, including Penn State, Pittsburgh and 2025 NCAA DII champions Wingate.

Up next, the River Hawks compete in the New England Cross Country Championships at the Hopkinton State Fairgrounds. The meet is slated for Friday, October 9.

Simard, Finnegan, Earn America East Weekly Honors

Players Mentioned

Sean Finnegan

Will Simard

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