LANDOVER, N.J.- Monmouth's men's and women's track & field team will compete for the 2009 Northeast Conference Indoor Track & Field Championship at the Prince George's County Sports Complex.
The MU men's and women's track teams were chosen first in the conference preseason polls back in December. The women's team is the defending champions and has won NEC Indoor Championships three of the last five years, finishing in second place in the other two years. The men's team has brought the championship back to West Long Branch in three out of the last four years and have finished no worse than third for 11 straight years.
“Our women's and men's teams have both done a tremendous job preparing this season for championship time,” said head coach Joe Compagni. “We know that the competition in the NEC is tougher than ever, but we are looking forward to the challenge of earning a great team finish again this year.”
The men's squad returns a great group of veterans who have been strengthened by a talented group of freshmen. Half of the Hawks' 2nd place 4x400 relay team is back, with sprinters Jason Kelsey (Ramsey, N.J./Don Bosco) and Reggie McCleod (Jersey City, N.J./McNair Academy). The sprint group has put up several IC4A qualifying times already this season. Sophomore Tom Ciccoli King of Prussia, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) is the lone returning all-conference thrower, but a number of his teammates are strong finishes in the throws once again for Monmouth.
The women's team will feature a number of All-NEC athletes from ?08 including junior Michele Losey (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway), the reigning NEC Most Outstanding Performer. Losey won the 400m, was the second leg of MU's victorious 4x400 relay team and finished second in the 200m. The women will also look to get solid performances from Second Team All-NEC performers Cailin Lynam (Sparta, N.J./Sparta), who was second in the mile and the 3000m a year ago. Junior Crystal Stein (Stewartstown, Pa./Susquehannock) has placed every year in the 500 and was also the anchor of the winning 4x400 relay team last year at indoor and outdoor NECs. Brittany Gibbs (Matawan, N.J./Old Bridge) and Illiana Blackshear (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) also earned First Team All-NEC honors for their part in the 4x400 relay.
The men's throwing unit will include returning scorers Larry Lundy (Friendsville, Pa./Montrose Area) and Shawn Sabo (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) and feature sophomore Vincent Elardo (Forked River, N.J./Lacey) who earned NEC and ECAC Field Athlete of the Week earlier this season. Ben Hutterer (Saxonburg, Pa./Knoch) is the team's top distance returnee. Alex Bowers (Bayville, N.J./Central Regional), Julio Rodriguez (Bound Brook, N.J.Bound Brook) and Kollan Reevey (Pemberton, N.J./Pemberton) are MU's top veterans in the jumps. With a strong group of freshman jumpers joining them, the Hawks have great depth in this area. Senior Yasser Barr (Lincroft, N.J./Middletown South) will contribute to Monmouth's effort as the team's top 800 runner and a returning member of the distance medley relay team. Junior Chris Taiwo (Budd Lake, N.J./Mt. Olive) has been one of the top performers in the East this year in both the 200 and the triple jump.
Losey, Blackshear, Stein and Gibbs not only will challenge in the relays but individually should excel in the sprints over the weekend. Christine Altland (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan), Lynam and Laura Embrey (West Long Branch, N.J./Shore Regional) are the distance specialists for the Blue & White, while Aracelis Lantigua (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) will look to improve on her eighth place 800m finish from a year ago. Laura Myers (Clifton, N.J./Clifton) and Christine Fatale (Haddonfield, N.J./Haddonfield Memorial) are the top pole vaulters for Monmouth, with Myers scoring each of the last three years. The jumping unit is stacked with talent as MaryKate Walsh (Woodbury, N.J.Woodbury), Jen Tarsan (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) and Gibbs all scored points in '08. Kelly Dantley (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) leads a youthful throwing corps, with the junior earning top-10 marks in both the shot put and the weight throw among conference competitors.
Each squad has a number of newcomers that can score points for the Hawks. On the women's side Ajda Dotday (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) has been an impressive sprinter all winter, while Symmone Fisher (Coram, N.Y./Longwood) and Samantha Heggman (Mineola, N.Y./Mineola) placed at a number of meets in throwing events. Dual sport athlete Lindsey Walsh (Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape) has been outstanding in meets, earning a number of top three finishes in both the high jump and the long jump.
The men's top rookies include a trio of pole vaulters in Brandon Cabral (Farmingdale, N.J./Colts Neck), Jason Timmons (Latrobe, Pa./Latrobe) and Peter Matano (Long Branch, N.J./Long Branch). Sprinting newcomers Geoff Navarro (Mays Landing, N.J./Absegami), Kevin Merrigan (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) and Chris Rutherford (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) have rewritten the MU freshman sprinting marks in their first eight weeks competing for the Blue & White. Vin Improta (Staten Island, N.Y./Staten Island Tech) is one of several newcomers who have excelled this winter for the Hawks in the middle distance events.
The events start at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 21st and continue until 4 PM on Sunday. For event information, visit www.northeastconference.org and click on the Indoor Track & Field Championship Headquarters button on the left side of the page.
