May 24, 2006
LOWELL, MA – Junior Nicole Plante (North Adams, MA), the most celebrated women's distance runner in UMass Lowell history, was named the Northeast Region Female Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Tuesday.
Plante was one of four UML athletes to earn the distinction. Junior Toni-Marie Henry (Springfield, MA) was named the Northeast Region Female Field Athlete of the Year while senior Patrick Morasse (Lowell, MA) was named the Northeast Region Male Athlete of the Year.
Head Coach Gary Gardner (North Attleboro, MA), in his fourth season at UML, was named the Northeast Region Women's Coach of the Year, marking the third USTFCCCA honor received this season alone.
In the fall, Gardner was named the USTFCCCA Northeast Region Women's Coach of the Year after leading the UML women to their first-ever Northeast-10 Conference and NCAA Northeast Region titles.
He also received the honor following the indoor track and field season in which he guided UML to the NE-10 women's title and a fourth-place showing the New England Championship, which encompasses all NCAA divisions.
Highlighting both the indoor and outdoor seasons, Gardner led 20 men and women to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
The UML foursome will be honored Wednesday night at the NCAA Championship Banquet in Emporia, KS. Plante, Morasse and Henry are among seven UML athletes competing at the NCAA Championship Thursday through Saturday.
The honor marked a trifecta of sorts for Plante, who was named the Northeast Region Athlete of the Year following the cross country and indoor seasons.
Last fall, Plante placed 26th, earning All-America status, and led UML to 17th place at the NCAA Cross Country Championship. In the weeks prior, she was named both the NE-10 and NCAA Northeast Region Runner of the Year and led the River Hawks to their first-ever Conference and Northeast Region titles.
Plante highlighted the 2005-06 indoor season by placing ninth in the 5,000 meters (16:52.00). She also set school records in both the 3,000 meters (10:06.74) and the 5,000 (16:52.00).
Plante, who will run the 10,000 and 5,000 meters at the NCAA Championship this week, has enjoyed a spectacular outdoor season. She has achieved school records in all four distance events and currently ranks third in the country in the 10,000 (34:35.75) and fifth in the 5,000 (16:38.07).
Morasse received the honor for the third time over the last two years. He was named the Northeast Region Athlete of the Year following the 2004 cross country season, in which he placed first at the NCAA Regional; and the 2004-05 indoor season when qualified for the NCAA Championship in three events (mile, 800 meters and distance medley relay), emerging with All-American honors in the mile.
In his senior year alone, Morasse earned All-American status in the indoor DMR and All-New England honors in both the indoor DMR and the 4X800. He highlighted the cross country season by winning the Northeast-10 Championship and placing second at the NCAA Northeast Region Championship, marking his fourth time on the NCAA Northeast Region All-Star Team.
Morasse enters the NCAA Championship this weekend in search of his fourth and fifth All-America titles. He is currently seeded third in the 1,500 meters (3:45.75) and 11th in the 800 (1:51.49).
Henry is making her fifth appearance at the NCAAs and first-ever in the triple jump. She shattered her own school record four times this season, culminating with a distance of 40 feet, 10.25 inches achieved at the ECAC/IC4A Championship May 14, which ranks as the fourth-best leap in the country this season.
The honor is one of several this season for Henry, who was named the Athlete of the Meet at the NE-10 Championship (she won both the 100 meter dash and triple jump). During the indoor season, Henry helped the UML 4X400 meter relay team place 10th at the NCAA Championship with a time of 3:51.44.
