LEXINGTON, Ky. – Graduate student Jan Wouter van den Akker (Groningen, Netherlands) of the UMass Lowell men's outdoor track and field team competed in the 10,000m at the NCAA East First Round at Kentucky on Wednesday evening, battling adversity to claim 35th place out of 47 finishers with a time of 30:08.96.

"Unfortunately, he stepped on the rail on lap two and hurt his ankle," said Head Coach Gary Gardner. "We could see him limping early in the race. He ran really tough and beat his seed by five places, but we can't help but be disappointed he wasn't able to physically compete at his best."

The distance runner was the lone River Hawk to earn a spot in the event, qualifying with a time of 28:57.87 at the Raleigh Relays in late March. van den Akker closes out a decorated career at UMass Lowell that included a school record in the 10,000m, multiple America East individual championships across cross country and track and field, and a reputation as one of the team's most dependable leaders.