EMMITSBURG, Md. - The Monmouth University men's track & field team pulled out all the stops in winning the 2010 NEC Outdoor T&F Championships this afternoon on Mount St. Mary's' campus in Emmitsburg, Md. The Hawks made history winning the program's eighth championship while posting the second best team score in NEC history (214.50 points), having 28 different athletes score points for the squad and notching team points in all but two events this weekend. Beyond the team title, the Hawks also picked up three individual honors including Most Valuable Performer and Most Outstanding Field Performer Vincent Elardo (Forked River, N.J./Lacey) and NEC Coach of the Year MU Head Coach Joe Compagni.
"The team was tremendous all weekend long," said Coach Compagni. "The conference has so many great athletes but we responded well to the challenges in every event area."
In a weekend that featured so many standout performances, none were better than Elardo who took home MVP and Most Outstanding Field performer - his second Field honor this season after winning the award in indoors - by winning three of four throwing events. Elardo not only made MU history but also NEC history in his efforts as no one has ever won all three throwing events in a championship indoor or outdoor.
After winning both shot and hammer throw yesterday, Elardo took home his third gold of the weekend in discus with a winning toss of 157' 11" and earning All-NEC First-Team honors. Teammate Shawn Sabo (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) took home the silver and earned Second-Team honors with his throw of 154' 10" while fellow thrower Larry Lundy (Friendsville, Pa./Montrose) finished fifth (141' 8"). In the final throwing event, javelin, the Hawks took five of the top-ten finishes including the top-three spots. Seniors Marion Easley (Somerville, N.J./Somerville) and Victor Rizzotto (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional) and freshman Vincent DuVernois (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) went one-two-three in the event with Easley (215' 7") earning First-Team honors while Rizzotto (207' 1") won his second-straight Second-Team award in javelin in two seasons.
Leading the sprints crew, the duo of sophomore Geoff Navarro (Mays Landing, N.J./Absegami) and senior Chris Taiwo (Budd Lake, N.J./Mt. Olive) took home several top finishes for MU. In the 100 meter run, Navarro and Taiwo went three-four as the underclassman finished in 10.73 while the veteran crossed the tape in 10.78. Taiwo then finished the 200 in third place (21.71) while Navarro ended the race in sixth (22.02). Taiwo also added a fifth place finish in triple jump (46' 5.5") to his busy weekend. Junior Kevin Merrigan (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) finished eighth in the 400 with a time of 48.97. Freshmen Ford Palmer (Smithville, N.J./Absegami) and Pat Egan (Whitman, Mass./Whitman-Hanson Regionals) finished in third (1:54.12) and seventh (1:56.10) in the 800 to lead the middle distance crew.
Junior Ben Hutterer (Saxonburg, Pa./Knoch) took home All-NEC Second-Team honors in the 5000 meter run as he finished second overall in a time of 15:18.32. The hurdle combo of former Most Outstanding Track Performer/Rookie of the Year Chris Rutherford (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) and graduate Terrell Gissendanner (Rochester, N.Y./Edison Tech) each took home a hurdle title. Gissendanner won the 110 meter high hurdles (14.40), with Rutherford taking fourth (14.74), while Rutherford took home the 400 meter hurdle title in 51.94 while Gissendanner took fourth in 54.09.
The 4x100 relay team of junior Zachory Krupka (Allentown, Pa./Allentown), Navarro, junior Jason Kelsey (Ramsey, N.J./Don Bosco) and Taiwo took home Second-Team honors as the sprint crew crossed the line in 41.00 to earn second place overall. Finishing sixth overall, the 4x400 relay team finished in 3:19.00.
The pole vault squad had a solid outing as three Hawks finished in the top-five. The sophomore trio of Peter Matano (Long Branch, N.J./Long Branch), Jason Timmons (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) and Brandon Cabral (Farmingdale, N.J./Colts Neck) finished in third (15' 1") fourth (14' 9") and fifth (14' 9"), respectively.
In 21 event scored, Monmouth won the team title by more than 70 points as they defeated 2009 NEC Indoor T&F Champions Long Island who finished second (137.50 points) and CCSU who finished third (79 points).
Elardo became the fourth Hawk in MU history to win the Most Outstanding Award while Coach Compagni became the new NEC record holder for Coach of the Year awards as he was honored on both the men's and women's sides for his 21st and 22nd career awards.
With the championship season just getting underway, the Hawks will return to the tracks this Friday and Saturday, May 7-8, for the NYC Qualifying Challenge held in New York, N.Y. The time for the event is still TBD.
Men's All-NEC Honors
First Team
Vincent Elardo Hammer Throw
Vincent Elardo Shot Put
Vincent Elardo Discus
Marion Easley Javelin
Chris Rutherford 400 Meter Hurdles
Terrell Gissendanner 110 Meter High Hurdles
Second Team
Larry Lundy Hammer Throw
Larry Lundy Shot Put
Terrell Gissendanner Long Jump
Shawn Sabo Discus
Victor Rizzotto Javelin
Ben Hutterer 5000 Meter Run
Zachory Krupka 4x100 Meter Relay
Geoff Navarro 4x100 Meter Relay
Jason Kelsey 4x100 Meter Relay
Chris Taiwo 4x100 Meter Relay
Final Team Standings (21 events scored)
1. Monmouth, 214.50
2. Long Island, 137.50
3. Central Connecticut State, 79
4. Mount St. Mary's 78.50
5. Sacred Heart, 74
6. Robert Morris, 59.50
7. St. Francis (NY), 57
8. Saint Francis (PA), 47
9. Bryant, 24
9. Fairleigh Dickinson, 24
9. Wagner, 24
