By Mike Stoller

Somerville’s Antoinette Toussaint, a senior track and field standout at UMass Lowell, has been named the sixth seed in the 400 meter hurdles in the NCAA Championships and will also be a member of the River Hawks’ 4 x 400 relay team when the big event is held on May 23-25 at Colorado State Pueblo University’s Neta and Eddier DeRose ThunderBowl for the second consecutive year.

Toussaint has made her mark big time this spring at UMass Lowell. The former Somerville High star (she graduated SHS in 2008) earned All-New England Honors at the New England Championships at Stonehill College. Toussaint placed second in the 400 meter hurdles, crossing in 58.22 seconds in the preliminary round, the fourth fastest result in the country this season, before finishing second overall the next day in a time of 1:00.38.

Toussaint was also recognized as an All-New England in the long jump. She placed seventh overall with a leap of 18 feet, 5 inches.

Earlier in the postseason, Toussaint was named Athlete of the Meet while amassing 34 points to lead the River Hawks to a title win in the Northeast-10 Conference Track and Field Championship at American International College.  She also earned the Athlete of the Meet honor during the indoor NE-10 Conference Championship, which the River Hawks also won.

This spring in the outdoor championship, Toussaint, won the high jump with a leap of 5 feet,3 ¾ inches, and ran a strong 2:12 leg on the the squad’s 4 x 800 relay team which placed first with a time of 9:13.23. Toussaint also finished runner-up in the 400 meter hurdles, crossing at 1:01.53.