University of Massachusets Athletics
DeRosa, Lawrence Named UMass Athletes Of The Week
October 30, 2007 | Women's Cross Country
Oct. 30, 2007
AMHERST, Mass. - Senior Christina Derosa (Sound Beach, N.Y.) and senior Matt Lawrence (Bloomfield, Conn.) have been named the UMass/Dinn Bros. Co-Athletes of the Week after outstanding weekends. DeRosa won the Atlantic 10 Cross Country Championship Meet and was named the leagues Most Outstanding Performer, while Lawrence rushed for a career-high 186 yards and three touchdowns in UMass' win at William & Mary. The two will be honored on Wednesday afternoon at the UMass Sports Luncheon.
On Saturday, DeRosa won the Atlantic 10 Cross Country Championship Meet for the first time in her career at UMass and became just the fourth UMass runner to win the A-10 meet. The last Minutewoman to win the individual title was Kristin Cisowski in 1998. DeRosa won the 5K meet held at the Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia in 18 minutes, 27 seconds which was seven seconds ahead of second place finisher Rachel Papin of La Salle who had won the last three A-10 titles and was trying to become just the fourth female runner in NCAA history to win four individual league titles in a career. With her first-place finish, DeRosa helped the Minutewomen finish sixth overall as a team.
Lawrence scored the final two touchdowns sparking the football team's rally from an 11-point deficit in the third quarter to beat the Tribe 48-34 and extend UMass' regular-season win streak against FCS teams to 17 games. He gain his career-high yardage on 34 carries and recorded his sixth 100-yard game of the season.
The Sports Luncheon is held every Wednesday from Noon to 1 p.m. This week, the luncheon will be held in Room 1009 of the Campus Center and will feature football coach Don Brown and basketball coach Travis Ford as guest speakers. The luncheon features a full salad-to-dessert menu for just $8.00. Reservations can be made by calling 413-545-4290.