Complete Results
New York, NY… The College of New Jersey won its 12th consecutive New Jersey Athletic Conference Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships at the New Balance 168th Street Armory, as the Lions with 240 points.
TCNJ has won every indoor championship for both the men and women since the conference began conducting the meet in 1998.
TCNJ's 240 points gave the Lions a 110-point margin over second-place Ramapo (130). TCNJ won half of the events, claiming titles in the long jump, 55-meter hurdles, distance medley relay, mile run, 400-meter dash, 800-meter run, 3,000-meter run, 4x400, and 4x800-meter relays. Richard Stockton, which had winners in the weight throw, pole vault, high jump, and 5,000-meter run, was third with 95.50 points, followed by Rowan (77), New Jersey City (49), Montclair State (41), Kean (22.50), Rutgers-Camden (7) and Rutgers-Newark (6).
Lion coach Phil Jennings was recognized by his peers as he was named the 2009 NJAC Women's Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year.
Senior Kristen Tricocci (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) won the long jump for the second straight year sailing a winning distance of 5.45 meters, which is a NCAA provisional mark. Tricocci also finished second in the high jump clearing a height of 1.58 meters.
Senior Stephanie Herrick (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) had a strong meet repeating as the NJAC Champion in the mile with a swift time of 5:06.32, while adding a second-place effort in the 800 meters. In the 800, she posted a time of 2:21.48 trailing only teammate Katie Nestor (Allendale, NJ/Northern Highlands), who won the race in 2:20.60.
Junior Priscilla Senyah (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) won the 55-meter hurdles with a top time of 8.56 seconds and was third in the 55-meter dash with a clocking of 7.41 seconds.
TCNJ dominated the 3,000 meters claiming the top three spots led by senior Megan Donovan (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) as she was the first to cross the finish line in 10:23.50. Donovan was followed by senior Martine McGrath (West Long Branch, NJ/Shore Regional) in second place (10:41.25) and junior Michelle Wallace (Emerson, NJ/Emerson) in third (10:41.99).
The Lions had a similar finish in the 400 meters placing three runners in the top four spots. Junior Jianna Spadaccini (Butler, NJ/Butler) took first in 58.82 seconds with sophomore Meryl Wimberly (Farmingdale, NJ/Colts Neck) in second (59.57) followed by classmate Alexandra Tomaselli (Hillsdale, NJ/Pascack Valley) in fourth (1:00.16).
The relays were a strong suit for TCNJ throughout the meet as the Lions won three of them starting with the distance medley relay. The quartet of Wallace, Rochelle Prevard (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Twp.), Annie Amitrani (Red Bank, NJ/Middletown South), and McGrath posted a top time of 12:55.36.
The winning 4x400 relay team, which combined for time of 3:59.94, consisted of Tomaselli, Wimberly, Prevard and Spadacinni and running on the victorious 4x800 were freshman Cassandra Valdes (Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood), junior Lauren Keller (Whippany, NJ/Whippany Park), freshman Danielle Aran (Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan), and Nestor. Those four runners finished with a time of 10:02.57.
Freshman Claire Johnson (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) added to the strong effort turned in by the Lions throughout the meet as she finished second in the mile with a time of 5:08.81.
In the throwing events, TCNJ had a number of place winners with Sarah Wehrhan (Dodge City, KS/The Peddie School) finishing second in the weight throw with a toss of 13.26 meters and teammate Ashley Krauss (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) right behind her in third place at 13.11 meters.
Sophomore Cristina D'Amato (Madison, NJ/Madison) finished third in the shot put with a distance of 11.89 meters.
