Plante Captures National Championship in the
10,000 Meters
Plante Becomes UML’s First National
Champion Since 1988 Caves,
Grange Crash Finals in 400 Meter Dash
UMass Lowell Sports Information
CHARLOTTE, NC (May 24, 2007) – Senior Nicole Plante (North
Adams, MA) won the NCAA Division II championship in the 10,000
meters to highlight a banner day for UMass Lowell at the 2007 NCAA
Division Track and Field Championship Thursday night at Johnson C.
Smith University’s Irwin Belk Complex.
Plante becomes UML’s first-ever outdoor track and field
national champion and joins former standout Jane Servi as the only
female athletes in school history to achieve an individual national
title. Servi captured the indoor high jump championship in
1988.
It was good news all around for UML as freshman Doug Caves
(Oxford, MA) and sophomore Andrew Grange (Methuen, MA), seeded 16th
and 10th in the 400 meter dash, qualified for the final as they
placed sixth and seventh, respectively, in the preliminary.
Plante covered the course in 35 minutes, 23.49 seconds and built a
31.26-second lead on the remainder of the field. Stacey Kandas of
Grand Valley State placed second (35:54.17) while Allison Kreutzer
of Clayton State took third (36.07.28).
“This is pretty much what you coach for,” said UML
Head Coach Gary Gardner. “A national championship does not
come often. I may go through the rest of my career and never coach
another national champion.”
Plante, who was seeded No. 1 with the fastest time in the country
(34:07.03) this season, was even with Kandas with five laps to go,
but kicked over the last mile and never looked back.
“I could hear (Kandas’s coach) saying to her,
‘You can still win this, you can still win this.’ But I
just thought no way am I letting her win,” Plante said.
“With about a mile to go, I lost her, and that turned out to
be my fastest mile. I didn’t know how far in front I was. I
just kept running as if she was right behind me, faster every
lap.”
“Nicole was poised and composed the entire way,”
Gardner added. “She ran her last mile in 5:23. Her fastest
five laps were her last five, and she ran each lap faster and
harder than the last. She could have relaxed over her last lap, but
I think she just wanted to get it over with.”
With the result. Plante also earned the title of All-American for
the eighth time in her career – and fourth time this season
– and becomes UML’s most decorated female athlete. She
surpassed former sprinter/jumper Jill Croft (1998-02) who earned
All-American honors seven times in her career.
“Nicole was an above average runner coming out of high
school,” Gardner noted. “This is the first time in her
career she has come into the race of this caliber as a favorite,
and a heavy favorite. That’s not an easy position to be
in.”
Plante could earn All-American honors a ninth time when she
competes in the 5,000 meters preliminary Friday (8:30 p.m.) and
championship Saturday (7:43 p.m.). She enters the race seeded No. 2
with a time of 16:32.56, just behind Mandi Zemba of Grand Valley
State (15:38.54).
Plante’s milestone overshadowed a spectacular effort by
Caves and sophomore Grange, who both shattered the school record.
Caves, who set the school record for the second time this season,
posted a time of 46.82 seconds, edging Grange, who was right behind
in 46.87.
“Doug and Andrew ran incredible,” Gardner said.
“This really sets up the other kids for Friday. They are
chomping at the bit to get on the track.”
As eight runners advance to Saturday’s final (6:31 p.m.),
Caves and Grange are virtually guaranteed All-American honors.
Caves and Grange will also lead UML’s 4X400 meter relay
team, along with seniors Clint Cooper (Raynham, MA) and Erick Colon
(Methuen, MA) into Friday’s preliminary, slated for 6:15 p.m.
The 4X400 final is slated for Saturday at 8:35 p.m.
Also in action Friday will be senior Toni-Marie Henry
(Springfield, MA), seeded No. 10 in the triple jump, slated for
6:15.
