University of Massachusets Athletics
Groleau, MacLean Share Student-Athlete of the Week Honors
November 03, 2015 | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
AMHERST, Mass. – Massachusetts cross country runners senior Ben Groleau and junior Heather MacLean have been selected as this week’s co-UMass Student-Athletes of the Week following their outstanding performances at the Atlantic 10 Championships last Saturday. The duo will be honored at the weekly UMass Sports Luncheon on Wed., Nov. 4, beginning at noon in the Jim & Ellen Hunt Hospitality Room of the Football Performance Center.
Groleau was the men’s individual runner-up at the A-10 Championship, helping UMass take second in a field of 14 teams. The Framingham Mass., native’s finish, which earned him his third career Atlantic 10 All-Conference nod, is the best individual showing by a Minuteman at the Atlantic 10 meet in program history. Groleau was running in seventh through the 3,427m split before a strong finish vaulted him into second in the field of 126 runners as he completed the 8K course in 24 minutes, 41.2 seconds.
MacLean’s individual second-place finish helped lead the UMass women’s cross country team to fourth place at the Atlantic 10 Championship this past weekend as the Minutewomen matched La Salle’s 111 points for third, but the Explorers were awarded the spot in a tiebreaker. Fourth marks UMass’ highest team finish at the A-10 meet since taking third in 2009, while MacLean’s runner-up performance was the best by a member of the Minutewomen since Christina Derosa claimed the individual title in 2007. MacLean, a native of Peabody, Mass., completed the 5K course in 17 minutes, 20.7 seconds to finish second in the field of 129 competitors en route to her first career A-10 Cross Country All-Conference recognition.
This week's featured speakers at the UMass Sports Luncheon are Head Football Coach Mark Whipple and Associate Athletic Director for Communications and Public Relations Molly O’Mara.
Free parking is available in Lots 10, 11, and 12, located adjacent to the Football Performance Center. A buffet lunch will be served for $14 per person.
Players Mentioned
