Minneapolis, MN…The College of New Jersey men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams wrapped competition at the 2006 NCAA Division III Championships on Saturday at St. Olaf College.
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse won their sixth straight NCAA Division III Men’s Indoor Track and Field Championship after racking up 78 team points, while TCNJ finished in 13th place in the team standings with 13 points.
The Lion women finished in 10th place with 17 points, while the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh collected their school’s third straight women’s team title with 44 points.
TCNJ’s senior Jeff Zodda (Mercerville, NJ/Notre Dame) won the 2006 
NCAA Division III Indoor Championship in the 800 meter run to set a Tostrud Center Record in the process after posting a time of 1:52.53 in the finals. Zodda is now a six-time All-American in both indoor and outdoor track and field. Zodda said of his victory, "It feels really good. It's been a long time coming. I'm a senior and I've been in track for four years... I knew I'd have to run really fast to get past the teams here. You always have to work for it. I just did my best."
TCNJ’s senior Brittny Boyd (Hackettstown, NJ/Hackettstown) picked up third place in the 400 meter run and broke TCNJ’s school record in the process after she recorded a time of 56.68 in the finals. In the trials on Friday night, she set the Tostrud Center record, only to have it broken in the finals by Rachel Andserson of Illinois Wesleyan as she won the race in 56.35. Boyd is now an 18-time All-American in track and field at TCNJ after also running on the Lions’ second place 4 x 400 relay.
TCNJ’s women’s 4 x 400 relay team competed in the final event of the 2006 NCAA Division III Championship and were not able to defend their crown as they were beaten by Lincoln University and finished as the NCAA Division III runners-up in the after having won the title in 2005 and taking home third in 2004. Lincoln’s foursome posted a time of 3:51.08 to record the fastest time of the year in Division III, while the Lions posted a time of 3:51.30 behind the efforts of sophomore Jessica Bonelli (Sewell, NJ/Gloucester Catholic), sophomore Carolyn Gray (Barnegat, NJ/Southern Regional), Tecco and Boyd.
In the 800 meter run, junior Angela Tecco (Wildwood Crest, NJ/Lower Cape May) picked up sixth place in a time of 2:14.93 to earn another All-America citation on her career. Tecco is now a six-time All-American at TCNJ.
In the men’s 5,000 meter run, senior Brian Donovan (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) finished in sixth place nationally with his time of 14:44.45 to earn his first career All-America honor.
The Lions also competed in the distance medley relay and posted a time of 10:14.15 to take home ninth place behind the efforts of senior Matt Randal (Dayton, NJ/South Brunswick), freshman Rob McGowan (Monroe Township, NJ/Monroe Township), Zodda, and sophomore Brian Kopnicki (Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood).