University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Athlete, Coaches And Team Honored By NECAC
 |  Claudia Clement and the UMass women's water polo team were selected the NECAC Division I Women's Team of the Year. |
Aug. 1, 2000
AMHERST, Mass. -- The New England College Athletic Conference (NECAC) has honored three UMass individuals and the women's water polo team for their performances during the 1999-00 school year. The women's water polo team was selected the Division I Women's Team of the Year. Men's water polo and swimming coach Russ Yarworth was selected as the Division I Coach of the Year for a Men's Sport, while women's lacrosse coach Phil Barnes was selected as the Co-Division I Coach of the Year for a Women's Sport. Gymnast Jeff LaVallee (Stafford Springs, Conn.) was selected as the Division I Athlete of the Year for a Men's Sport.
The women's water polo team finished fifth at the 2000 Collegiate National Championship, the highest finish in program history and the best finish by any Eastern team. Seeded 12th in the 16-team tournament, the Minutewomen upset #5 San Jose State, #8 Princeton and #6 San Diego State during the tournament. UMass finished the year with a 31-8 record, tying the school single-season record for victories.
Yarworth completed his 20th season as director of the UMass aquatics program this past winter. He led the men's water polo team to a third place finish at the 1999 NCAA Championship and #8 ranking in the final national poll. He was named Eastern Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career. Yarworth has now guided the team to six NCAA Tournament appearances and a 282-102 record in his 13 years as head coach. Yarworth also guided the UMass men's swimming and diving team to a third place showing at the Atlantic 10 Tournament and garnered conference Coach of the Year accolades. A graduate of UMass, he has now posted a record of 183-52 over his 20-year career as men's swimming and diving coach at his alma mater.
Barnes led the UMass women's lacrosse team to a 10-7 record and its first Atlantic 10 Tournament title. UMass won eight of its final 10 games and posted a 3-2 overtime victory over Temple to claim the A-10 Tournament title. Defense was the key to the team's success, as UMass finished with the top-rated defense in the nation, allowing just 6.76 goals per game. Barnes is a graduate of Assumption College.
LaVallee capped off an outstanding four year career with the UMass gymnastic team by being named the 2000 winner of the Nissen-Emery Award, given annually to the nation's top senior male gymnast. He earned All America honors five times during his career, including this year when he placed fourth on the parallel bars at the NCAA Championship. He completed his UMass career as the school's all-time record holder in the all-around, pommel horse, vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar.
Selections were made by subcommittees from each division with the criteria including athletic achievement and academic accomplishment. The NECAC, which currently has 83 member schools, has been honoring New England Athletes of the Year since 1985. This is the second year it has selected Coaches of the Year and Teams of the Year.