(2008) Honors came in bunches for Jill (Croft) Paige, who starred with the UMass Lowell women[apos]s track and field team from 1998-2002, and that is still the case. On June 2, 2008, Paige was among six individuals - the first-ever track and field athlete - who were inducted into the Northeast-10 Conference Hall of Fame.
Paige graduated from UMass Lowell as the most decorated female athlete of her time, earning All-American honors seven times in the indoor and outdoor long jump, indoor high jump and indoor 60 meter dash.
She twice placed second at the NCAA Championship in the outdoor long jump: in 2000, with a leap of 19[apos] 9[apos][apos] and in 2001 with a distance of 19[apos] 5.25[apos][apos].
Perhaps equally as impressive, Paige also captured All-New England honors - which encompasses all three NCAA divisions - 13 times, which included three New England championships in the outdoor long jump, 100 and 200 meter dashes.
When UML entered the NE-10 with the year 2000-01, she went on to capture individual championships in seven indoor and outdoor events over two years. She was named the NE-10 Female Athlete of the Year for the indoor and outdoor seasons in 2002.
[quote]Jill was coachable. She was aggressive in the idea that she wanted to be better,[quote] said former UML coach George Davis, who retired in 2002 after 33 years. [quote]She enjoyed that aspect of competition and she was a wonderful competitor, a very good leader, teammate and a wonderful person.[quote]
Paige went on to establish seven school records in the indoor and outdoor long jump, indoor and outdoor 4X200 relay and outdoor high jump, 4X100 relay and 100 and 200 meter dashes.
Though nearly six years graduated, six of her school records remain in tact: indoor long jump (19[apos] 8.[apos][apos]), 4X200 relay (1:41.51), outdoor 100 meter dash (11.83), 200 meter dash (24.15), outdoor long jump (19[apos] 11.0[apos][apos]) and high jump (5[apos] 10[apos][apos]).
More impressive, she still holds the New England record - again, all NCAA divisions - in the outdoor 100 meter dash (11.84), set in 2001.
[quote]So many of the other college coaches who looked at her in high school just couldn[apos]t believe her accomplishments in college,[quote] Davis added.
Among her many titles, Paige was named UML[apos]s Lester H. Cushing Award recipient three times, from her sophomore year forward.
Evidenced by her performances in the New England Championships and NCAAs, Paige made a routine of peaking in the biggest meets and gave one of the best single-day efforts in UML history.
At the 2001 New England Outdoor Championship, she captured both the 100 and 200 meter dashes and long jump; led the 4X100 to third place; and took fourth in the high jump to compile 41 points and lead the River Hawks to second place behind the University of Connecticut, their best-ever showing.
[quote]Jill just had this innate ability to get ready for the big meets,[quote] Davis noted. [quote]And you look at her physical stature and the things she accomplished, it[apos]s really mind-boggling. She was about 5-foot 2, about 110-112 pounds, jumping 5-10 in the high jump and 19-plus in the long jump.
[quote]She was a person who would sacrifice for the team, like run an extra relay, just to score some additional points,[quote] Davis added. [quote]But she loved that part of it. She had no hesitation of going in and doing the work she needed to do.[quote]
Paige currently lives in Tewksbury, MA, and is the mother of two daughters. Her husband, Mike ([apos]02), was a five-time All-American and former standout soccer player at UML.
