Link to Championship Site
Ewing, NJ… The College of New Jersey will wrap up the outdoor track and field season this weekend as the Lions will be well represented at the 2009 NCAA Division III Championships in Marietta, Ohio.
The event will kick off on Thursday, May 21 and conclude Saturday, May 23 on the campus of Marietta College with as the Lions are expected to have runners competing on each day.
The Lions have 13 individuals set to compete with eight of them participating on the women’s side and five more for the men. In all, the NCAA Championships will have 688 competitors. The top eight in each event will also be recognized as All-Americans
Women’s Qualifiers
TCNJ’s Stephanie Herrick (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) boasted the top time in the 800 meters during the outdoor season with a swift time of 2:08.69. Herrick, who was the national runner-up in the same race a year ago, won’t be the only Lion competing in the race as she will be joined by a pair teammates. Junior Jianna Spadaccini (Butler, NJ/Butler) posted the third-best time nationally this spring with a time of 2:09.30, while sophomore Meryl Wimberly (Farmingdale, NJ/Colts Neck) qualified for the race with a time of 2:13.37. This marks the second straight year this trio has qualified in the 800 meters.
Three other Lions qualified in individual events starting with senior Martine McGrath (West Long Branch, NJ/Shore Regional) in the 10,000 meters. McGrath earned a spot by running a time of 36:01.52. Senior Kristen Tricocci (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) used a school-record distance of 5.67 meters to qualify in the long jump, while junior Priscilla Senyah (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) is making her first NCAA appearance in the 100-meter high hurdles. Senyah qualified with a time of 14.72 seconds.
TCNJ has a pair of relay teams poised to race among the nation’s elite as the Lions will run in both the 4x100 and the 4x400. In the 4x100, the team of freshman Tiffany Etheredge (Newark, NJ/Central), junior Miriam Khan (Titusville, NJ/Hopewell Valley), Senyah, and Tricocci earned a spot in the race with a time of 47.99 seconds.
The quartet of Herrick, Spadaccini, Tricocci, and Wimberly boasted a time of 3:51.67. Herrick, Spadaccini, and Wimberly were members of last year’s relay team that placed fourth to garner All-American honors.
Men’s Qualifiers
TCNJ’s 4x400 relay team take to the track on the opening day of the championship event looking to improve on their qualifying mark of 3:14.75. That team consists of sophomore Jule Brooks (Atlantic City, NJ/Atlantic City), senior Pasquale DiGioacchino (Bernardsville, NJ/Bernards), senior Steve Murray (East Windsor, NJ/Hightstown), and junior DeShard Stevens (Jersey City, NJ/James T. Ferris).
Junior Al Wonesh (Columbus, NJ/Northern Burlington) is making his first NCAA appearance as he earned a spot in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles. He posted his qualifying time of 53.09 seconds this past weekend at the ECAC Championships.