By Melissa Wallace '11

Ewing, NJ ... The College of New Jersey men's and women's track and field teams had four individual competitors earn All-American honors at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships held at DePauw University from March 12-13. Seniors Priscilla Senyah (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville) and Michelle Wallace (Emerson, NJ/Emerson), Jianna Spadaccini (Butler, NJ/Butler) and junior Kyle Gilroy (Oak Ridge, NJ/West Milford Twp) each placed within the top eight competitors of their respective events to earn All-American citations.

Senyah placed third in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.15. Wallace ran a time of 17:09.09 in the 5000 meters to take seventh place. She also earned All-American honors as a member of the distance medley relay, which placed fourth with a time of 11:56.92. Teammates Katie Nestor (Allendale, NJ/Northern Highlands), Brielle Doremus (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex), and Meryl Wimberly (Farmingdale, NJ/Colts Neck) were also part of the medley relay. Spadaccini took third place in the 800-meter race, posting a time of 2:10.45 and breaking her own school record. Gilroy took seventh in the 55-meter hurdles finishing in 7.67 to capture All-American honors.

Here are some thoughts each athlete had regarding their experience at the NCAA Championships and their garnering of All-American honors in individual events:

Senior Michelle Wallace :

Q: One of your goals entering your senior year was to earn All-American honors. How does it feel and who did you call first?

MW: “I am very excited that I accomplished my goal that I set for myself at the beginning of the year. It took a lot of hard work and lots of early morning runs but it was all worth it. Realizing how far I had come under fantastic coaching was truly a great feeling; I never expected to make it this far when I was a freshman. I was also very proud of my teammates. Everyone did so well and really stepped up to the challenge of the competition. The first number I dialed was my home phone number to talk to my parents. They were able to watch the race online so they already knew how I did and were very excited. They have been very supportive of my running and I wanted to call them first to talk to them about the race.”

Senior Priscilla Senyah:

Q: During outdoor track in 2009, you earned All-American as part of the 4x100 relay team. How does earning those honors feel differently as an individual? 

PS: “I would say the biggest difference is that you have no one else to depend on to win. You are responsible for your own success and it truly feels amazing to be able to earn an individual All-American honor because you get the feeling and satisfaction of knowing that all your hard work and dedication paid off. It's a greater feeling to know that you can achieve such an honor on your own. It has made me believe in myself so much more and I feel really blessed and proud.”

Junior Kyle Gilroy:

Q: You ran in the NCAA championships two years ago. What did you learn from that experience and how did it help you accomplish All-American honors this year?

KG: “Running at the NCAA's two years ago was very helpful. It allowed me to see exactly how hard I had to work to get the level of competition. It also taught me to maintain composure when racing nationally ranked athletes. My freshmen year I was inexperienced and naturally nervous, which doesn't help when doing an event that requires focus and precision. Unfortunately I tore my hamstring in the beginning of my sophomore year. It put me out for the entire indoor and outdoor seasons. I think some good came from getting hurt because it made me want it that much more. I learned a lot about my body with respect to its natural limits. I know how to take care of myself and try very hard to maintain a proper diet. I think outdoor track and field will be very exciting. We have an amazing group of kids with a tremendous amount of determination and focus. Our goal is be top in the country and I believe it takes experiences like these to get to that level.”

Senior Jianna Spadaccini:

Q: Entering the championship race in the 800 meters, what was your strategy and what were your final thoughts as you lined up for the race?
JS: “My strategy entering the championship race was to run my own race. I also wanted to make sure that I was in striking distance of the top girls throughout the race. My final thoughts as I lined up for the race were to have fun. I just wanted to see who I could beat, and how fast I could run. I didn't want to have any regrets when I stepped off the track!”