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February 23, 2003 |
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TCNJ
WOMEN AND MEN CAPTURE 2002-03 |
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The College of New Jersey women's and men's
track and field teams both captured conference titles at the 2002-03 NJAC
Indoor Track & Field Championships held at the world famous New York
Armory on February 23. Both teams have now captured six straight NJAC
track & field titles dating back to the conference championship
inception in 1997-98. The Lion women captured the overall team championship with 219 points, 107 points higher than women's runner-up New Jersey City. The Lion men totaled 231.5, 141 points better than men's runner-up Rowan. TCNJ freshman Jeff Schwerdtman was named the Most Outstanding Male Athlete of the championship by capturing two individual events in the span of three days. On Friday evening, he won the 35 lb. Weight Throw with a conference record mark of 16.92 meters. Two days later, Schwerdtman defeated a strong field in the Shot Put with a winning throw of 13.79 meters. Richard Stockton junior Kim Marino was named the Most Outstanding Female Athlete of the meet after setting a new conference record in the pole vault with a clearance at 3.97 meters. Marino's mark is the highest by any NCAA Division III athlete this year. TCNJ freshman Brittny Boyd was named the meet's Outstanding Female Track Athlete. The 2002 NJAC Women's Soccer Rookie of the Year, Boyd won the 200 Meter Dash in a time of 0:25.23 while also contributing to a record-setting Lion relay. Montclair State junior Darryl Louis and TCNJ senior Nick Ricco shared the honor as Co-Outstanding Male Track Athletes. Louis won both the 200 and 400 Meter Dashes with respective winning times of 0:22.49 and 0:49:24. The 2002 NJAC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Year, Ricco broke the conference record in the 1500 Meters with a time of 3:54.54. Richard Stockton sophomore Jessica Caccamo was named the meet's Outstanding Female Field Athlete after winning both the 20 lb. Weight Throw and the Shot Put with respective marks of 13.88 and 12.80 meters. Rowan junior Robert Green earned Outstanding Male Field Athlete honors after wining the pole vault with a successful attempt at 4.60 meters. TCNJ Head Coach Steve Dolan was named both the conference's Women's and Men's Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year by his peers. Already named the 2002 NJAC Women's and Men's Cross Country Coaches of the Year, Dolan has led the Lions to conference championship victories in each of the past six seasons. In all, a total of eight conference records were broken in the meet. Montclair State senior Tierre Hicks broke her own conference mark in the 400 Meter Dash with a new record time of 0:57.02. Hicks' freshman teammate Hashan Johnson set a new conference record in the long jump with a leap of 5.49 meters. Ramapo junior Ronna Killins also improved on her previously held conference record in the 800 Meters with a time of 2:16.20. The TCNJ 4x200 and 4.400 Meter Relay teams each wrapped up the meet by setting new conference records with respective times of 1:42.88 and 3:56.64. On the men's side, TCNJ sophomore Eric Green broke the record in the 55 Meter Dash with a time of 0:06.45. |