Junior Steven D'Aiutolo (Lakewood, NJ/Monsignor Donovan) broke his own record in the triple jump this past weekend at the NJAC Indoor Track and Field Championships helping the Lions claim their 15^th straight title. He also holds that record during the outdoor season.  Find out what the keys are to a successful jump, what amusement park attraction is in his career sights, and just who sings like and angel on the track team.

Question: You hold the school record in the triple jump for both the indoor and outdoor seasons. What is key to a successful jump? (His record jump of 46' 7-1/4'' broke the program's longest standing record set by Robert Lash back in 1965 and this winter set a new indoor standard of 46' 11-3/4'').
 
Answer: The key to a successful triple jump is holding momentum through all three of the phases, and as the rest of the jumpers hear me say all the time, the main focus is 2^nd phase.  I try to come down the runway and hit the take off board with as much speed as possible, getting every inch of the board and not hitting the foul board.  After that I have to hold each of the three phases as long as possible while still making sure I am landing firmly to avoid my knee buckling.  The second phase is the hardest of the three to hold and the most crucial one.  All of my good jumps have been the ones where I have been able to hold my 2^nd phase as long as possible and still have enough momentum to get up on the 3^rd phase into the pit.

Q: Being an athletic and bright student-athlete, what current reality TV show could you use those skills to win? On the other side of that, what teammate would not fare as well and why?

SD: I don't really watch much reality TV but I believe I could use my skills to win the Amazing Race, although I don't think Erik Moutenot would fare so well. Even though he's a great teammate, he is not great at thinking on his feet.

Q: Track is in season from the end of the first semester to hopefully Memorial Day when the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships is held. How do you balance being a successful athlete and a Dean's List student majoring in mechanical engineering?

SD: Success in the classroom is as important to me as success on the track.  It is very hard to balance school work and track while trying to maintain a normal sleep schedule.  I try and keep myself on schedule when it comes to school work.  Whenever I'm not at practice, class, or spending hours sitting at Eick, I'm usually doing school work.  When I'm working, I try to stay focused as much as possible, but there still are times where I have late nights of work.  One of my favorite places to work on campus is Holman because there is no one ever there and the building is always deserted, so I can go in there get my work done and get to bed without any distraction.  Especially with 6 a.m. practice twice a week, it's very tough to get enough sleep on those nights.  I usually break my schedule for a nap on those days.

Q: You listed your chief ambition is to design roller coasters. About how many roller coasters have you been on and what is the best one you have been on and why? 

SD: I have been on too many roller coasters to be able to count but if I would guess the number is over 100.  Each different roller coaster is unique in its own way and I enjoy every ride.  The roller coasters that give the best adrenaline rush are launch coasters like Kingda Ka (Six Flags) and Storm Runner (Hershey Park).  I would have to say the best overall coaster is El Toro because I really like the old wooden coaster. El Toro is a wooden coaster with the large drops and high speed of a modern roller coaster.  In my opinion it has the best overall ride experience.

Q: You are a judge on the track team's version of American Idol. Who would you vote as the winner in the dancing competition and who has the sweetest voice?

SD: The dancing competition would go to Chris Medina hands down.  Chris is by far the most talented dancer on the whole team.  The singing competition would be much harder to judge but, there is always at least one Adele song on every practice that everyone sings to.  Based on that I would say the best singer is: Scott Lisa.  Scott doesn't sing much but when he does he has the voice of an angel.

Q: Do you have any superstitions or rituals that you go through before you make a jump?

SD: I am a very superstitions person when it comes to sports, and go through an entire elaborate pre meet ritual the night before every meet.  This includes cleaning my track spikes because I believe if you look good, you will perform well. When it comes to meet day I always follow a specific warm up routine.  Before each jump while I'm standing on the runway I always go through the same pre-jump routine starting from the same spot to get myself focused, and if that gets interrupted at all I start all over.  By keeping the same ritual before every single jump it keeps my approach very consistent so I can hit the board and not foul.  The jumping events are very technical and consistency is crucial.

Q: At this point of your career at TCNJ, what has been the most rewarding experience you have had?

SD: I have had many rewarding experiences throughout my career here at TCNJ, and it's hard to pinpoint just one.  One rewarding experience I've had is just setting new personal records (PR) in all of my events.  Every time I PR in an event it's always a rewarding experience because you get to see that all the work you put into training pay off.  There are practices throughout the year when I can barely walk after a workout but it's always worth it when I pop a big jump or run a fast time.  Another reward is all of the respect I receive from my teammates and coaches.  Prior to this season I was elected one of the team captains and which is a reward because it tells me that all of my hard work is not going unnoticed.  One of the biggest rewards is being able to put on the jersey and compete every week for TCNJ.  We have a very historic and successful tradition in track and field, and I consider it an honor to wear the NJ on my jersey and continue the legacy.