Somerville High grad and UMass Lowell junior Antoinette Toussaint.

By Mike Stoller

Somerville High grad and UMass Lowell junior Antoinette Toussaint earned All-American status by finishing in seventh place in the pentathlon at the Division 2 NCAA Track and Field Championships Saturday in Birmingham, Ala.

The feat achieved by Toussaint, who graduated SHS in 2008, is remarkably impressive considering it involves competing in five events in one day. Her score of 3604 put her just two points behind sixth place and enough to be recognized as All-American. Toussaint finished the 60-meter hurdles in a time of 9.07 seconds. She leaped 5 feet, 4 ¼ inches in the high jump and 17 ft. 11 inches in the long jump.  She tossed the shot put 26 feet and 1 inch. And she ran the 800 meters in 2 minutes and 17 seconds.

Toussaint’s time in the 800 meters was the fastest of all the runners in Division 2.

Toussaint was also a Massachusetts State Champion and All Scholastic in 2008 with a score of 3,164.

“Antoinette has earned this recognition through hard work and talent,” Somerville High head track coach Charlie O’Rourke said. “Despite working a job while attending UMass Lowell, she has successfully competed at the highest level on the NCAA stage.

“The administration, coaches, and track family at Somerville High School could not be prouder of Antoinette and her accomplishments both on the track and off,” the coach added. “She is a role model for every athlete at Somerville High School that shows hard work and dedication will pay off.”

Somerville High senior Andre Rolim, meanwhile, recently won the 600 meters at the MIAA All-State Championships for the third straight year. Rolim finished the race in fifth place, crossing a 1:21.10.

Rolim set the state record last winter in the 600 meters with a time of 1:19.94.