FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 15, 2006

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - Monmouth University Track and Field continues to establish themselves as one of the premier programs in the Northeast week in and week out. The Hawks success continued Saturday as fourteen school records were shattered at the Penn State Relays in State College, Pa. It was a team effort for the Blue and White as Hawks posted fourteen top-three finishes between the men's and women's teams.

Junior Fabrice St. Elme (Rahway, N.J./Rahway) was the fastest Hawk in the 60-meter dash for the second week in a row, posting a time of 6.88, third best in school history. Seniors Andrew Allen (Roselle Park, N.J./Roselle Park) and Matt Dahms (Haddonfield, N.J./Haddonfield) took third and fifth place respectively in the 60-meter hurdles. It is the second straight week that Allen and Dahms have led the Hawks in the hurdles.

The Hawks cleaned up in the relay events, as they shattered five school records in the team events. In the 4x55 meter relay, the Hawks established school record with a time of 26.28 led by Dahms, junior George Nsowu (Ewing, N.J./Ewing), sophomore Casey Robert (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne), and freshman David Martall (Gibbsboro, N.J./Eastern Regional). The 4x1 mile relay of juniors Martin Suarez (Burlington, N.J./Holy Cross) and David Gaines (Freehold, N.J./Colts Neck), sophomore Larry Schau (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville), and freshman Ryan Madrid (Clifton, N.J./Paramus Catholic) established another school record with a third place finish, posting a time of 17:41.44. The 4x200 relay teams both clocked in under the old school record, as Allen and Robert combined with senior David Wiley (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) and sophomore Chris Vuono (Wall, N.J./Christian Brothers) to post the Hawks first win and a school record of 1:28.97. The second group of Hawks finished fourth also under the school record with a time of 1:31.47, that team was made up by St. Elme, Martall, Nsowu, and Dahms.

In the closest race of the day, the 4x400 relay finished in a close second to Penn State and clocked the second best time in school history (3:14.91), the team consisted of Allen, Wiley, Vuono and senior Jeff Elisca (Roselle, N.J./Abraham Clark) made up the 4x400 relay squad. The shuttle hurdle relay of Allen, Dahms, sophomore Jude Rene (Hamilton, N.J./Hamilton North) and freshman Kyle Adriance (Montrose, Pa./Montrose Area) broke the school record with a time of 30.48, finishing in third behind Penn State and Cornell.

In the field, the Hawks post three record-breaking performances led by senior Nick Gilanelli (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) as he placed third in the pole vault with a record-breaking leap of 15' 2" to place third in the event. Sophomore Chris Keller (Matawan, N.J./Matawan) continues his stellar indoor season as he posted two second-place finishes and combined to break two school records. Keller finished second in the weight throw with a toss of 55'2" and combined with sophomore Ed Skowronski (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan), who finished fifth with a toss of 52', to win the weight throw relay and shatter the old school record by over seven feet. Keller also grabbed a second place finish in the shot put with his toss of 52' 2 ?", and combined with junior Kyle Hirschklau (Morristown, N.J./Morristown), who finished fourth with a heave of 49'2", to win the shot put relay and break the old school record by over ten feet.

On the women's side, the Hawks were led by their relay squads as the Blue and White broke four school records in the relays. The 4x1 mile team of senior Katina Alexander (Pleasantville, N.J./Pleasantville), junior Malia Lyles (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee), and freshmen Jessica Jones (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Dallas) and Nayda Pirela (Glenndale, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) placed seventh in a school record-breaking time of 22:06.22. The 4x55 relay team established a school record in their fourth place finish, posting a time of 31.12, the team consisted of junior Deanna Paulson (Sewell, N.J./Washington Twp.), sophomores Latasha Leake (Wrightstown, N.J./North Burlington) and Shannon Alston (Hawthorne, N.J./Midland Park), and freshman Jessica Adamko (Aberdeen, N.J./Matawan Regional). Paulson joined fellow junior Latasha Dickson (Aberdeen, N.J./Matawan Regional), senior Toria Williams (Brown Mills, N.J./Pemberton Twp.), and sophomore Joanne Shia (Jackson, N.J./Jackson) to finish fourth in the 4x200 relay in school-record breaking time of 1:44.16. Paulson and Dickson then joined fellow junior Asha Arneth (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) and freshman Illiana Blackshear (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) to post another school-record breaking time of 4:15.30 and a third place finish in the sprint medley relay.

Blackshear, Dickson, Williams, and Arneth posted a fourth place finish and an ECAC qualifying time of 3:52.58 in the 4x400. It is the sixth straight year the Hawks have qualified in the women's 4x400. The Hawks rounded out the relays with a second place finish and a school record-breaking time of 34.56 in the shuttle hurdle relay. The Hawks' squad was made up of Adamko, Leake, Shia, and senior Tisifenee Taylor (Woodbury, N.J./Woodbury).

In the field, Taylor and Shia combined to break the long jump relay school record with a combined leap of 35' 5 ?". Taylor finished third indidivually (18' 5 ?") and Shia placed seventh (17'). Seniors Tara Ebert (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) and Caitlin Graham (Sidney, N.Y./Sidney) capped off the Hawks record-breaking team performance as they broke the school record in the triple jump relay. The two veterans combined for a leap of 68'7" to best the old record by 11 inches, formerly held by Talitha Vickers and Alessia Cirilli.

The Hawks continue their busy indoor season as they travel to the Great Dane Classic and the University of Maryland Invitational this weekend.