Lisle, IL…The College of New Jersey men’s and women’s outdoor track and field teams opened competition at the 2006 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Thursday. The three-day event will wrap on May 27 on the campus of Benedictine University (Lisle, Illinois).
To follow the event on the web, please go to:
http://www.ben.edu/athletics/ncaataf/index.asp
Senior Brian Donovan (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) finished as the national runner-up in the 10,000 meter run on Thursday night. He took second in 30:28.58 to finish just off the champion’s time, 30:26.99 turned in by Widener University’s Macharia Yuot.
The All-America award for the Lions’ senior is his second as he picked up his first career All-America citation after finishing in sixth place at the 2006 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships in 14:44.45 in the 5,000 meter run. Donovan holds TCNJ’s school record in both the 5,000 (14:10.69) meter and 10,000 (30:00.99) meter runs will compete on Saturday for the Lions in the 5,000 meter run. Donovan posted NCAA automatic qualifying times in both events this spring as he set school records over the course of his final season with the Lions. A 2006 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America candidate, Donovan posted a time of 14:10.69 in the 5,000 meter run this spring, which is the fastest time in 2006 in the event in Division III entering the championships. He was also part of the Lions’ ninth place distance medley relay team at the 2006 NCAA Indoor Championships, which just missed All-America honors. The 2003 and 2004 NJAC Cross Country Runner of the Year, as well as the NJAC Indoor Track and Field Champion in the 3,000 meter run and on the 4 x 800 relay, Donovan is a TCNJ Scholar-Athlete, excelling in elementary education for the Lions.
After one day of competition, the Lion women have qualified the women’s 4 x 100 relay for the finals after posting a qualifying time of 47.40 to finish third in their heat. A year ago, the Lions won the NCAA championship in the event and will get a chance to repeat when they run again on Saturday. On the relay for TCNJ were senior Erika Huggler (Eatontown, NJ/Monmouth Regional), sophomore Jessica Bonelli (Sewell, NJ/Gloucester Catholic), senior Tiffany Clark (East Orange, NJ/East Orange), and senior Brittny Boyd (Hackettstown, NJ/Hackettstown).
In the 4 x 400 relay, the Lions finished in first place in their heat and qualified for the finals on Saturday after posting a time of 3:47.85. The defending NCAA champions in the event, the Lions will get a chance to defend their crown after the hard work turned in by sophomore Carolyn Gray (Barnegat, NJ/Southern Regional), junior Angela Tecco (Wildwood Crest, NJ/Lower Cape May), Clark and Bonelli has the team seeded fourth heading into the finals.
           Boyd also competed in the long jump and posted a performance of 5.23 in her heat to finish in 10th, but did not advance to the finals. TCNJ’s also had Boyd and Bonelli competing in the 200 meter dash, but unfortunately both did not qualify for the finals. Boyd posted a time of 24.92 in her heat to finish fourth, while Bonelli’s time of 25.08 placed her fifth in her heat.
A year ago, TCNJ’s women’s team finished in fourth place with 41 points, just two points behind the 2005 NCAA team champion, Wartburg College (IA), while the men took home 28th place behind the men’s team champion, Lincoln University (PA).
