SOMERSET, N.J. - Members of Monmouth University men's and women's track and field team were awarded with all-conference distinctions, the league announced Thursday afternoon. In total, 24 Hawks were honored, including nine Northeast Conference First Team performers.
The gold medalists from the 2011 NEC Indoor Championships earn first team honors, while the second team consists of silver medalists. Also, for the first time ever, an All-Rookie Team was named which consists of the top freshman/rookie finisher in each event.
The men's team, who was ranked fifth in the February 15th edition of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Mid-Atlantic Poll, is led by two-time NEC Most Valuable Field Performer senior Vincent Elardo (Forked River, N.J./Lacey) who claimed first-team in both shot put and weight throw with marks of 57' 5" and 59' 5.75".
Junior Geoff Navarro (Mays Landing, N.J./Absegami) was tabbed to the All-NEC Second Team with his performances in the 60 meter and the 200 meter dash, posting times of 6.93 and 22.23, respectively.
Four newcomers were listed on the All-Rookie squad from the men's team including Robbie Robinson (Skillman, N.J./Montgomery) who crossed the finish line 23.55 in the 200 meter dash while distance runner Dylan Hankinson (Millstone Township, N.J./Notre Dame) completed the 3000 meter run in 9:07.27 to claim rookie honors. Seth Robbins (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) took 12th overall in the 5000 meter run finishing in 15:48.12 and Jalen Walker (Burlington, N.J. (BCIT/Burlington Township) took sixth in the 60 meter hurdles finishing in 8.47.
Christina Nelson (Little Silver, N.J. (Red Bank [Maryland]) lead the women's squad, earning three league honors. The graduate student finished first in the mile run with a time of 5:06.73 to earn All-NEC First Team. Nelson along with sophomore Amanda Eller (Delmont, N.J./Millville), freshman Mercedes Yanora (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Holy Redeemer Wilkes-Barre), sophomore Emily MacEwen (South Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) set the new conference record with their first place finish in the distance medley, finishing three seconds faster than the standard set in 2005, with a time of 12:09.43. Nelson was named to the second team in the 800 meter, completing the race in 2:20.47.
Sophomore Rachel Watkins (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) cleared 5' 7" in the high jump to earn first team honors while junior Symmone Fisher (Coram, N.Y./Longwood) threw 59' .75" in the weight throw to claim the top prize.
Watkins finished second in the 400 meter dash crossing the finish line in 57.38 to earn second-team, while the 4x400 meter relay team of freshman Laura Williams (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick Township), juniors Colleen Rutecki (Springfield, Pa./Springfield), Ajda Dotday (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) and Watkins finished in 3:54.69 to claim second overall.
Three freshmen were named to the NEC All-Rookie team. Williams ran a 57.54 in the 400 meter dash, finishing third overall while throwers Rachel Aliotta (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire) and Tilah Young (Barnegat, N.J./Barnegat) earned spots on the squad in the shot put and weight throw with marks of 45' 4.5" and 46' 1.15", respectively.
Monmouth returns to action tomorrow, Friday, February 25th at the New Balance Collegiate Challenge at the Armory in New York.
