River Hawk student-athletes continued to thrive in the classroom in 2024-25, having now recorded 25 straight semesters with a GPA over 3.0. As a whole, the department boasted it's best, non-covid inflated GPA ever for the year at 3.391. The women's soccer (3.628 GPA) and men's ice hockey teams (3.581 GPA) earned the department's Bob Griffin Academic Awards for posting the highest team grade point average over the course of the academic year.
A total of 51 River Hawks earned All-Academic team honors, while Sarah Ross (Agawam, Mass.) of women's track & field earned two of the prestigious America East Elite 18 Awards for having the highest GPA among the participants competing in a conference championship. Additionally, Owen Cole (Dunnville, Ontario) was the Hockey East Academic Champion. Mary-Kate Finn (Nashua, N.H.) of women's cross country and Jade Catlin (Middletown, Md.) of women's lacrosse were America East Scholar-Athletes for their respective sports, as well.
Three graduating River Hawk student-athletes were also honored during an awards celebration as part of the 2025 UMass Lowell Commencement festivities.
Sarah Ross who graduated with a 4.0 as a Plastics Engineering major, was honored with three awards. She received the Trustee's Key, the highest recognition accorded to baccalaureate graduates and is awarded to students who have completed all four years of baccalaureate study at the University with academic records of 4.0. She was also honored with the Chancellor's Medal for Distinguished Academic Achievement, given to the student in each of the undergraduate colleges who has attained the highest cumulative average for baccalaureate study as a Francis College of Engineering student. Lastly, Ross was recognized with the University Scholar-Athlete Award, recognizing the graduating varsity athlete with the highest cumulative average.
For her efforts in the community, field hockey's Cate Kleeman (Gibbsboro, N.J.) was awarded the Chancellor's Medal for Student Service, awarded to members of the graduating senior class who have made outstanding contributions to the university during their undergraduate studies in day or online and continuing education programs.
Rounding out the awards, senior Olamide Bamgbose (Fitchburg, Mass.) of the women's track and field team was given the Chancellor's Medal for Diversity and Inclusion. This award recognizes the accomplishments of undergraduate and graduate students for significant achievements in advancing the university's goals in the areas of diversity, inclusion, and social justice through service, advocacy, community outreach initiatives, and/or research at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
From classroom to the community, these three River Hawks set the standard ??
— UMassLowellAthletics (@RiverHawkNation) May 22, 2025
Congrats to Olamide Bamgbose, Cate Kleeman and Sarah Ross on earning top university honors during this year's Commencement festivities!
STORY: https://t.co/Q9PAb4foUb#UnitedInBlue pic.twitter.com/T6dwfcWCFI
?????? ???? ???????? x5??????????
— UMass Lowell XC/TF (@RiverHawkXCTF) November 2, 2024
The Men’s Cross Country team has officially FIVE-PEATED as @AmericaEast Cross Country Champions!#UnitedInBlue | #AEChamps pic.twitter.com/PiZqBkUSZJ
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
With nine runners in the top 22 finishers, the UMass Lowell men's cross country team won the 2024 America East Men's Cross Country Championship for the fifth consecutive year and sixth time in the last seven years at the 2024 America East Cross Country Championship at Hard'Ack Recreation Area in St. Albans, Vt. The River Hawks' 36 points would end up giving them the victory by a whopping 28 points, as all seven scoring runners finished within the top 16. It was senior Jan Wouter Van Den Akker (Groningen, Netherlands) that led the way for the River Hawks in the 8k race, taking the bronze medal with a time of 24:02.20, just before junior Sean Kennedy-Wonneberger (East Haddam, Conn.) crossed the finish line in fourth place with a 24:09.71 mark. With these finishes, the two earned First Team All-Conference honors.
For the first time in program history, the River Hawks are @AmericaEast Co-Champions!#UnitedInBlue | #AEWLAX pic.twitter.com/OlaT1vE6Sd
— UMass Lowell Women's Lacrosse (@RiverHawkWLax) April 26, 2025
WOMEN'S LACROSSE
The UMass Lowell women’s lacrosse team soared higher than ever before, setting the program record for conference wins on the way to its first-ever America East Regular-Season Championship and second postseason berth.
The team finished the season with an 11-6 record, including a 5-1 record in America East play. After starting the season off 5-1, with the only loss coming to a top-10 opponent, the River Hawks hit their stride right after the calendar turned to March, putting together a six-game win streak, highlighted by five in a row in conference play.
The River Hawks dominated in the America East’s end-of-season awards, as Jade Catlin was named the America East Attacker of the Year and sophomore Alexa Kuhn (Rocky Point, N.Y.) was named the AE Goalkeeper of the Year.
Podium Power ??#UnitedInBlue | #AETF | #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/9lksswvxBP
— UMass Lowell XC/TF (@RiverHawkXCTF) June 12, 2025
MEN'S TRACK & FIELD
Graduate student James Kotowski (Stoneham, Mass.) finished an incredible collegiate tenure with a fifth-place finish in the javelin at the 2025 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships in late July after claiming eighth place at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships back in June on his way to First Team All-American honors.
Kotowski was also named the America East Male Field Performer of the Year for the second year in a row. He won every javelin event he threw in this season, including the conference championship, ahead of the NCAA East First Round, where a seventh-place toss led him to the national championships.
What a season at Wicked Blue! ????#UnitedInBlue | #AEFH pic.twitter.com/v7SpzHiXaI
— UMass Lowell FH (@RiverHawkFH) November 5, 2024
FIELD HOCKEY
The UMass Lowell field hockey team achieved double-digit wins for the third consecutive year thanks to a historic, 9-0 season at Wicked Blue Field. The home slate included a pair of thrilling victories against Power Four opponents. The River Hawks first defeated Wake Forest, 1-0, before closing out the regular season by knocking off No. 20 Rutgers, 2-1, in overtime thanks to a diving goal by junior Madison Leeper (Amherst, N.Y.). The River Hawks also broke into the national rankings for the second consecutive year in 2024.
Two-for-two in tourneys so far??????
— UMass Lowell Hockey (@RiverHawkHockey) January 5, 2025
RECAP??: https://t.co/BzwHJigc6G#UnitedInBlue | #HockeyEast pic.twitter.com/faHYEI5QdM
ICE HOCKEY
The UMass Lowell ice hockey team collected a plethora of accomplishments during the season, including a spot in the national rankings for 20 consecutive weeks and the top 10 for seven total weeks, as well as the most sellouts at the Tsongas Center (6) since Norm Bazin was named the head coach 14 years ago. Multiple individuals shined throughout the year as well, as the River Hawks totaled nine Hockey East weekly awards and one monthly award.
The River Hawks won both in-season tournaments they competed in beginning with the Adirondack Winter Invitational at the historic 1980 Herb Brooks Arena. They won that event with a 2-0 win against St. Lawrence and a 4-4 tie and shootout win over No. 20/19 Clarkson. The River Hawks then became Cactus Cup Champions following a pair of 3-2 victories over Michigan Tech and Omaha. Freshman Lee Parks (Ottawa, Ontario) had a breakout performance on the West Coast, tallying a goal and three assists for four points in the tournament to earn himself Cactus Cup MVP.
The Kennedy Cup Challenge was established in the fall of 2018 and is awarded annually to the team with the most wins in the cumulative season series between the UMass Lowell and UMass Amherst. John Kennedy is a longtime supporter of the UMass Lowell and UMass Amherst athletic programs. Kennedy holds degrees from both schools, Lowell Technological Institute ('70, H '16) and UMass Amherst ('76), with degrees in Mathematics (BS) and Accounting (MS), respectively. Kennedy also received an honorary degree from UMass Lowell in 2016.
The teams played a total of 14 events against each other during the 2018-19 season. The UMass Lowell men's soccer team won (1-0) the inaugural game in the series on Friday, August 24, 2018 against the Minutemen in the season opener at Cushing Field Complex. UMass Lowell won the season series, 8-6 in 14 contests during the 2018-19 season.
With this year's cup going to Amherst, the Minutemen hold just a slight, 4-2 lead in annual series wins since its inception. The UMass Lowell men's basketball and softball teams highlighted this year's challenge, though, as basketball earned a 96-83 road win and softball picked up its fourth consecutive victory against UMass Amherst.
From school visits to games dedicated in honor of special causes, the River Hawks were as engaged in the community as ever. UMass Lowell Athletics continued its Pen Pal Program between student-athletes and local elementary students, serving over 129 children across six different classrooms in five schools. Additionally, the River Hawks once again led the way in the America East Conference's Food Frenzy, collecting over 10,000 items to be donated to the Merrimack Valley Food Bank, UMass Lowell's own Strive Pantry, House of Hope and Catie's Closet. Led by the department's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, UMass Lowell also hosted Spread Respect Games, and the Morgan's Message Ambassadors within the department organized dedication games focused on raising awareness surrounding mental health issues.
Our student-athletes spent another year making an impact on the community, one letter at a time!
— UMassLowellAthletics (@RiverHawkNation) May 15, 2025
STORY: https://t.co/sLXtxXf6Jh#UnitedInBlue pic.twitter.com/jb4bOZ5LHl
Bigger than the game ??
— UMass Lowell Men’s Soccer (@RiverHawkMSOC) October 14, 2024
On Saturday, we dedicated our match to @MorgansMessage to help eliminate the stigma around mental health within the athletic community.#UnitedInBlue | #AEMSOC pic.twitter.com/GFNWtj1YG6
Signed ourselves a new teammate!??
— UMass Lowell Hockey (@RiverHawkHockey) December 17, 2024
What an amazing day it was adding Owen to our squad through @GoTeamIMPACT ????#UnitedInBlue pic.twitter.com/HLbaj0fgv1
We loved getting to work with our partners at @jdcreditunion during Monday's Build-A-Bed event to be able to give back to our community this holiday season!
— UMassLowellAthletics (@RiverHawkNation) November 20, 2024
STORY: https://t.co/nucSmKKdp1#UnitedInBlue | @Bed4EveryChild pic.twitter.com/6REg6xSZJO
We celebrated our student-athletes' 2024-25 successes last night at The Rowdys!
— UMassLowellAthletics (@RiverHawkNation) May 6, 2025
RECAP: https://t.co/PJjrchscKE#UnitedInBlue | #TheRowdys pic.twitter.com/GzVagRK3GO
Congratulations to our graduates!! ?? Go change the world ???? #UnitedInBlue | #AlwaysARiverHawk | #AEGrads pic.twitter.com/88w6WMbLuk
— UMassLowellAthletics (@RiverHawkNation) May 17, 2025
"River Hawk Nation, it's showtime!"
— UMass Lowell WBB (@RiverHawkWBB) April 29, 2025
Coach @JonPlefka brought the energy to his introductory press conference yesterday!#UnitedInBlue | #AEHoops pic.twitter.com/jAmZYwmlXT
New nest for the River Hawks ??
— UMassLowellAthletics (@RiverHawkNation) February 13, 2025
Introducing the new and improved men’s and women’s lacrosse locker rooms! #UnitedInBlue pic.twitter.com/bQEody1Kpl
It's been great to have Director of Athletics @LynnCoutts officially on the job in Lowell!
— UMassLowellAthletics (@RiverHawkNation) August 20, 2024
Take a look at some sights and sounds from her first week, as she gets to know all of River Hawk Nation!#UnitedInBlue pic.twitter.com/U8wJGrlqL6
We love having the chance to interact with our generous donors and corporate partners from around the country that help us provide the best experience possible for our student-athletes. Just some of the many event highlights from the year are featured below, including the Epigram tasting event, River Hawk Open, River Hawk to River Hawk Women's Mentoring Night, United In Blue Fund Appreciation Night and the Sunset Social.
Introducing Rowdy’s House! ??
— UMassLowellAthletics (@RiverHawkNation) August 8, 2025
A brand-new lager brewed in collaboration with Epigram Brew Co. in Tyngsboro. After an incredible launch and taste test event back in June, we can’t wait for you to raise a glass this fall!
RELEASE ??: https://t.co/TA1mxH8JYv#UnitedInBlue pic.twitter.com/NtNLVLHLY2
Another sold-out River Hawk Open in support of women's athletics at UMass Lowell! ?
— UMassLowellAthletics (@RiverHawkNation) June 24, 2025
STORY: https://t.co/w4wfv4Wf9C#UnitedInBlue pic.twitter.com/YMMb7sp2mA
A night filled with learning and opportunities…the River Hawk 2 River Hawk Women’s Networking and Mentoring Night!!
— UMassLowellAthletics (@RiverHawkNation) January 30, 2025
Story ??: https://t.co/dOBPAdzBhZ#UnitedInBlue pic.twitter.com/FHvk9IYeji
It's always great to see so many familiar faces at our annual United In Blue Appreciation Night!
— UMassLowellAthletics (@RiverHawkNation) December 2, 2024
STORY: https://t.co/v0kCBPEkYX#UnitedInBlue pic.twitter.com/rPW6HpLgHa
This year's Sunset Social definitely lived up to it's name! Thank you to our amazing donor community who made it a sold-out event!
— UMassLowellAthletics (@RiverHawkNation) September 23, 2024
STORY: https://t.co/dHa7munMdr#UnitedInBlue pic.twitter.com/n19gLJpuoy
UMass Lowell Athletics announced an unprecedented $4 million philanthropic commitment from John Kennedy '70, '16 (H) in April 2025. The gift will be used to fund the enhancement of athletics facilities and support the needs of River Hawk student-athletes, ensuring that they can continue to compete at the highest level.
"There is no greater champion for UMass Lowell Athletics and our student-athletes than John," said Director of Athletics Lynn Coutts. "This historic gift will be transformational for our department to be able to provide the resources that many future generations of River Hawks need to excel in the changing landscape of college athletics. I am immensely grateful for John, and his unwavering support of what UMass Lowell Athletics is all about and belief in what we can become."
In honor of Kennedy's generosity and lifelong support of UMass Lowell Athletics, the UMass Board of Trustees has voted to rename the Costello Athletic Center as the Kennedy Family Athletic Complex in a special dedication ceremony on October 15, 2025.
