NJAC ATHLETES EARN TOP HONORS
AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

The New Jersey Athletic Conference was well-represented in the winner's circle at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at Macalester College this past weekend:

William Paterson University senior sprinter Rob Hargrove (Vineland, NJ) won the national championship Saturday in the 200-meter dash, crossing the finish line in a season-best 21.05 seconds. An All-American in 2001, he bested his closest competitor by 0.16 seconds, while finishing 0.19 seconds away from tying the national Division III record.

For Montclair State University, freshman Nacole Moore (Bridgeton, NJ/Bridgeton) captured the shot put national championship to help the women's team to a seventh-place finish. The women's team totaled 24 points while the Red Hawk men's squad finished in 17th. Moore, the MSU Freshman Athlete of the Year and Outstanding Female Field Athlete at the NJAC Championship earlier this month, becomes the first Montclair State female athlete to ever win an individual outdoor national championship. Moore, who entered the meet with the top throw in the nation this year, recorded a winning toss of 48-feet, nine inches, setting a new stadium record. Moore was also named an All-American for her effort. Junior Tierra Hicks (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) was named a two-time All-American after finishing 2nd in the 400 meter hurdles and third in the 400 meters. Hicks, selected the Gerrity Award for Most Outstanding Female Student-Athlete at the NJAC Championships, had earlier set the track record in the 400 hurdles on Friday with a time of 61.23. However in the finals, Hicks, who was named the USTFCA Atlantic Region Athlete of the Year, ran a 60.32 but fell to Jessica Jansen of Buena Vista College (IA), who ran a 60.11. The performances by the duo helped MSU to its best finish since 1983 when it also placed seventh.  On the men's side, Montclair had seven All-Americans. Sophomore Enrique Llanos (Camden, NJ/Camden), an NCAA Indoor champion, placed second in the 110 hurdles to earn his All-American status. Llanos ran a time of 14.50. Freshman Ernest Tymes (Philadelphia, PA/Penn Wood), who was named the Outstanding Male Field Athlete at the NJAC Championships, placed third in the triple jump with a leap of 49-feet, 1.75 inches. Senior Nick Gregorio (New Providence, NJ/New Providence) and junior Darryl Louis (Trenton, NJ/Trenton) each place eighth in the shot put and 400 meters to earn All-American honors. Gregorio, in his final meet for the Red Hawks, recorded a throw of 51-feet, 3.75 inches while Louis posted a time of 48.27.

The Rowan University men¹s 4x100 meter relay finished third at the championships with a time of 41.06 for All-American honors. The relay consisted of Ed Fortune (so. John Adams/Queens, NY), Greg Arnett (sr. Woodrow Wilson/Camden, NJ), Matt Davis (jr. Millville/Millville, NJ) and Tyree Jackson (so. Camden/Camden, NJ). It was the second straight year the Profs took third place in the 4x100. Fortune and Jackson were on last year¹s relay that finished in 40.98.

The College of New Jersey had a strong showing at the championship as the women's team finished in 20^th place with 14 points, while the Lion men took eighth place with 20 points after taking 53^rd place a year ago.

Senior Erica DiStefano (Trenton, NJ/Notre Dame) wrapped up her stellar athletic career finishing as the national runner-up in the 100 meter hurdles to collect her ninth All-America citation of her career. She posted a time of 14.45 in the finals.  The national runner-up in the high jump at the 2001 outdoor NCAA championships, DiStefano picked up another All-America citation. At this year’s championships, she finished in third place in the high jump after her performance of 5’5 ¾”.

Sophomore Chad Williams (Tabernacle, NJ/Shawnee) finished in fifth place in the decathlon with his score of 6,475 points, a TCNJ school record effort. TCNJ's junior Nick Ricco (Califon, NJ/Voorhees) competed in the men's 5,000 meter run and finished in ninth place after posting a time of 14:57.04.

In the men's 200 meter run, TCNJ's freshman Eric Green (East Orange, NJ/Clifford Scott) finished in fourth place to earn All-America honors after posting a time of 21.34. In the trials, he finished in second place in his heat to advance to Saturday's finals after posting a school record time of 21.34 in the trials.  Green was also part of the Lions' men's 4 x 100 relay that also earned All-America honors after taking sixth place in 41.61 behind the efforts of freshman Karim Cockrell (Roselle, NJ/Abraham Clark), Green, freshman Matt Miller (Ocean City, NJ/Ocean City), and junior Bob Dumas (Sicklerville, NJ/St. Augustine). In the trials of the event, the Lion foursome posted a time of 41.11.

Sophomore Beth Vesey (Ramsey, NJ/Ramsey) took 16^th place in the 5,000 meter run with her time of 18:13.93 but did not earn All-America status.  She also took 12^th place in the 10,000 meter run with her time of 36:51.73 but did not earn All-America status.  Senior Janet Andrews (Bergenfield, NJ/Bergenfield) also competed in the high jump for the Lions, and placed 11^th after her leap of 5’ 3 ¾”. At the 2001 NCAA’s, Andrews posted a fourth place finish to collect All-America status.

TCNJ's junior Mike Polulak (Southington, CT/Southington) finished as the national runner-up taking second place in the javelin throw. Now a three-time All-American, Polulak posted a throw of 64.39 meters to finish second after a seventh place finish in 2000 and an 8^th place showing last year.  Returning All-Americans senior Dave Burns (River Edge, NJ/River Dell Regional) and sophomore Kevin Semanick (Lansdale, PA/LaSalle College) both competed in the 400 meter hurdles. Burns posted a time of 53.59 in the trials heat, while Semanick posted a time of 53.70. Burns finished in seventh, while Semanick finished in eight in the trials heat, but neither advanced to the finals.  Freshman Marquis Allen (Mays Landing, NJ/Oakcrest) competed in the long jump competition and had an opening round leap of 6.5 meters to place seventh in his heat, but did not advance to the finals.

Among the additional recognition received for TCNJ's track teams, Steve Dolan was recognized as he Atlantic Region men's coach of the year, while Nick Ricco was selected as the Atlantic Regional Male Athlete of the Year.

New Jersey City University sophomore sprinter Diana Lawson (Union, NJ/Queen of Peace) earned First-Team All-America honors in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes in taking third place nationally in each event. Lawson's two third-place finishes give the Gothic Knights 12.0 points at the NCAA Championships, and allow NJCU to finish the 2002 season tied for 21sst in Division III. Lawson raced to a third-place finish in the 100-meter national final in 11.84 seconds, easily surpassing her own school-record time of 11.98 established in the 100 preliminaries on Friday evening. The 11.98 had tied her for the second best semifinal mark. The 11.84 finals time also was better than the previous Macalester Stadium record time of 12.06 seconds. An hour later after competing in the 100 final, Lawson sprinted to third-place in the 200-meter national final in 24.08 seconds.

TCNJ CAPTURES 2002  MEN'S AND WOMEN'S
CONFERENCE TITLES

William Paterson senior Robert Hargrove was named the recipient of the Gerrity Award as the outstanding male athlete of the meet, while junior Tierra Hicks of Montclair State University was honored as the Gerrity Award for the outstanding female athlete.

MEN'S TEAM STANDINGS
 

Place	School	Points
1st	TCNJ	277
2nd	Rowan	82
3rd	Montclair State	74
4th	William Paterson	55
5th	Richard Stockton	33
6th	Kean University	27
7th	Ramapo College	26
8th	Rutgers-Camden	18

WOMEN'S TEAM STANDINGS
 

Place	School	Points
1st	TCNJ	172
2nd	Rutgers-Camden	98
3rd	Richard Stockton	68.5
4th	Montclair State	63
5th	William Paterson	50
6th	NJCU	46
7th	Rowan	32.5
8th	Kean University	30
9th	Ramapo College	21

Thomas M. Gerrity Award For Most Outstanding Male Athlete:
Robert Hargrove, William Paterson University (SR, Vineland, NJ/Vineland)

Outstanding Male Field Athlete:
Ernest Tymes, Montclair State University (FR, Philadelphia, PA/Penn Wood)

Outstanding Male Track Athlete:
Matthew Collins, Rutgers University-Camden (JR, Gibbstown, NJ/Bishop Eustace)

Men's Coach of the Year: Steve Dolan, TCNJ

Thomas M. Gerrity Award for Most Outstanding Female Student-Athlete:
Tierra Hicks, Montclair State University (JR, Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough)

Outstanding Female Field Athlete:
Nacole Moore, Montclair State University (FR, Bridgeton, NJ/Bridgeton)

Outstanding Female Track Athlete:
Diana Lawson, New Jersey City University (SO, Union, NJ/Queen of Peace)

Women's Coach of the Year: Jon Jenkins, Rutgers University-Camden