WALTHAM, Mass. – Senior
Lucas Dia of
Montclair, New Jersey, from the men’s cross country team and sophomore
Tanvi Raju of
Hyderabad, India, and the women’s soccer team have been named the Brandeis University Athletes of the Week for the week ending September 1. The Brandeis Athlete of the Week program is presented by The Chateau Restaurant and Jake N Joes Bar and Grill.
Dia opened the 2024 cross country campaign with a career-best performance at the Wheaton-Babson Invitational in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, on Saturday, August 31
st. The senior captain covered the five-kilometer course in 16:15.6. It was not only his best 5K time in cross country, it was also his faster than his personal-best on a flat track. Dia finished the race in 10
th place, sixth among Division III athletes, with four of the top 10 coming from DI Holy Cross. The Judges finished in third place in the team standings, behind only the two Division I programs at the meet, Holy Cross and Stonehill.
Brandeis returns to action on September 21
st with the UMass Dartmouth Invitational. They will run again at the course in North Attleboro when they host the University Athletic Association Championships on November 2.
Raju was an offensive force for the women’s soccer team in their 2024 season opener, a 7-0 win at Fitchburg State. She notched her first collegiate multi-goal game, scoring twice and adding an assist for good measure. After providing an assist on the game-winning goal in the 16
th minute, she scored 27
th and 69
th minutes to help the Judges blow out the Falcons.
Raju’s five points were the most in the University Athletic Association over the first weekend of play, and her 11 shots taken lead the league. The Judges return to action on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. for their home opener against non-conference rivals Babson College.
This is the ninth year that the Brandeis Athlete of the Week program has been presented by The Chateau Restaurant Group. The Athlete of the Year Program highlights a top Brandeis student-athlete who has had an outstanding athletic achievement from the week prior. Each selected student-athlete will be featured on the Brandeis athletics homepage and inside the Chateau Waltham and Jake N Joes
Owned and operated by the Nocera Family, the Chateau Restaurant of Waltham opened in 1933 and set the standard for providing the tradition of Italian family dining, friendly service and quality food at reasonable prices for its customers. Located on 195 School Street, with 900 seats, the Chateau is always ready to accommodate large parties.
The Nocera Family consists of 6 brothers who have always had a passion for playing sports. In 2010, The Nocera Family launched a new concept, Jake n JOES Sports Grille. Jake n JOES Waltham opened in 2014 and is the best place to watch a game and enjoy quality food.
"Brandeis student-athletes are fantastic role models in our community,” says Chateau President Joe Nocera, “They exemplify the ideals of excellence and commitment both on and off the playing field. The Chateau Waltham and Jake n JOES Waltham are proud to partner with Brandeis Athletics to continue to enhance a positive focus within the Waltham Community."
Dia is a 2021 graduate of Montclair High School. For more information on Brandeis men’s cross country, visit their web page at
https:/brandeisjudges.com/sports/mens-cross-country
Raju is a 2022 graduate of Indus International School. For more information on Brandeis women’s soccer visit their web page at
https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/womens-soccer.
For more information on Brandeis athletics, visit our web page at
www.brandeisjudges.com or follow us on social media on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook @BrandeisJudges.
