Ruben Sanca running race
Standout long-distance runner Ruben Sanca is one of UMass Lowell's Hall of Fame Class of 2017.

10/01/2017
Lowell Sun

LOWELL -- With UMass Lowell's four-year transition to Division I concluded, the university will host the Rise Up Celebration of Sport on Thursday, Oct. 12, to kick off Homecoming weekend.

As part of the evening's ceremonies at Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Director of Athletics Dana Skinner has announced that the River Hawks will induct four new members into the UML Athletics Hall of Fame.

The event will also feature live musical performances and videos of some of the more iconic athletic moments in the school's history. Dinner will begin the festivities at 6 p.m.

The Hall of Fame inductees include the 2005 Div. II NCAA Championship field hockey team; forward Jeff Daw (Class of 1996; Carlisle, Ontario) of the men's ice hockey team; as well as Ruben Sanca (Class of 2010; Cape Verde) and Jacqui Barrett (Class of 2010: Woburn) from the cross country/track & field program.

Led by four senior starters in coach Shannon Hlebichuk's first-ever recruiting class, the River Hawks stunned 11-time champion Bloomsburg, 2-1, in double overtime to win the 2005 Division II National Championship, the first of two for the program. The team finished with a 20-3 record and boasted four NE-10 Conference first-team selections, including Player of the Year Joanna DeLuze. They are the first women's team to be inducted into the University's Hall of Fame.

Daw played four seasons for the River Hawks (1992-96), recording 141 points (68 goals, 73 assists). His 157 games played ranks third all-time in school history, while his 68 goals also rank third. His teams won 88 games in four years and made two NCAA D1 tournament appearances. He was a two-year captain.

Sanca was a distance runner from 2005-10 and was a four-time All-American. He holds the school record in the 5,000 meters (indoor and outdoor) and was also part of the record-setting 4x800 relay team. He was an NCAA qualifier four years and also represented Cape Verde in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.

Barrett was a thrower with the River Hawks from 2006-10 and was NCAA National Champion in the shot put (outdoor) with a distance of 50' 8". She was a two-time All-American, as well as a three-time All-New England performer. She was named NCAA East Region Indoor Field Athlete of the Year in 2010.

Individual tickets ($100) and tables ($1,000) for the 'Rise Up' event are available for purchase at (http://goriverhawks.com/riseup) goriverhawks.com/riseup.