NEW YORK, N.Y. – Both the MU men and women posted strong marks in all event areas and never looked back en route to sweeping the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championships on Friday night at The Armory in the program's first season in the conference. Head Coach Joe Compagni was named MAAC Track and Field Coach of the Year on both the men's and women's side. The men scored 169 total points and the women scored over 215 points, both winning by wide margins.

“This was a total team effort and the result of a ton of hard work by a lot of people,” said Compagni. “From the support we get from everyone on campus within and outside of athletics, to our whole coaching staff and every member of our team, this is a pair of great victories for Monmouth University.”

Errol Jeffrey (Brooklyn, N.Y./Transit Tech/Bronx C.C.) won both the weight throw and the shot put to lead the MU throwers. His weight throw mark was 65'6”, while his shot put toss was 59'5¾”.  Tim Wilson (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville) claimed third in the weight throw at 59' 5 ½“. Taylor Bernstein (Pine Brook, N.J./Montville Township) and Wulf Sutcliffe (Mt. Gretna, Pa./Cedar Crest) also scored in the weight. The top three in the shot put were all Hawks, as Tevin Kirby-Stewart (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) and Bernstein came in behind Jeffrey in second and third, both with throws of more than 55 feet.

Elsewhere in the men's field events, Joey Marini (Lincoln Park, N.J./Boonton) nabbed third place in both the triple jump at 48' 1¾” and in the high jump at 6' 10¼“. Liam Vogt (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) came through with a third place mark in the long jump, just a half inch back of second at 23 feet, four inches. Marini and George Alexandris (Fair Lawn, N.J./Fair Lawn) picked up points in the long jump also. Bobby Fisher (Delran, N.J./Delran) also earned MU four points in the pole vault, with Tyler Poland (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) just behind him. The high jump after Marini had four more Hawks picking up points-Erik Anderson (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham Wading River), Daniel Jefferson (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest), Ed Kramer (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) and Jake Bartlett (Middletown, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy).

The women also excelled in the field events, as the weight throw totaled MU 18 points between three competitors. Tilah Young (Barnegat, N.J./Barnegat) won the event with a mark of 59' 9 ½“, a MAAC record. Rachel Aliotta (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire) and Taylor Johnson (Woolwich, N.J./Kingsway Regional) also earned points. The shot put was much of the same, with Aliotta winning it with a shot of 46' 10 ¼“. Young claimed third, with Johnson in fifth and Faith Blamon (Cinnaminson, N.J./Cinnaminson) earning a point in eighth.

Two more Hawks set conference records in the field events. Mariah Toussaint (Tulsa, Okla./Brooke Point/Midland) set the MAAC long jump record by over three inches, leaping 20' 3 ½” to win the event. Lauren McDonald (Roseland, N.J./West Essex Regional) matched that by setting the MAAC pole vault record, vaulting 12 feet, 5 ½ inches to win by more than a foot and break a record that had stood since 2008. Toussaint also claimed second place in the high jump at five feet, three inches.  Michaela Read (Manasquan, N.J./Manasquan/Bucknell) and Victoria Miskel (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) scored in the long jump for MU, while Casey Sturts (Dorothy, N.J./Buena Regional) and Brittany Papa (Augusta, N.J./High Point Regional) picked up points in the pole vault. Read and Sturts also racked up points in the high jump.

The men's track events netted Monmouth a significant amount of points, with Eric Kahana (Freehold, N.J./Freehold) leading it off by winning the 60 meter dash in 6.94 seconds. Ahmier Dupree (Lakewood, N.J./Lakewood/Montclair State) also scored in the 60, finishing second in 6.98. Kahana also snagged a fifth place spot in the 200 in 22.27. Ben Boyd (Port Murray, N.J./West Morris Central), Geordan Ferguson (Lakehurst, N.J./Manchester Township), John Malespina (Park Ridge, N.J./Park Ridge), and Luis Reyes (Hoboken, N.J./William L. Dickinson/Saint Peter's) all scored in the 400 meter dash, with Boyd placing second in 49.14. Freshman Dylan Capwell (Hopatcong, N.J./Hopatcong) continued his strong running in the 800, winning the event in 1:50.52. Alex Leight (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) also scored in the 800 for MU. Graham Huggins-Filozof (Freewood Acres, N.J./Freehold Township) was the lone Hawk to score in the mile.

Khari Bowen (Monroe, N.J./Monroe Township) placed seventh to score in the 5000 meter run, finishing in 15:07.32. In the relays, Monmouth's men placed third, as the group of Malespina, Reyes, Ferguson and Kevin Sullivan (Metuchen, N.J./Metuchen/Middlesex C.C.) raced the 4x400 in 3:21.77. Leight, Capwell, Andrew Langille (Scarborough, Ontario, Canada/R.S. McLaughlin C.V.I.) and Ron Brown Jr. (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Liberty) scored in the men's distance medley relay.

The women fared equally as well in the track events, led off by Toussaint and Lachelle Wallace (Herndon, Va./South Lakes) placing one-two in the 60 meter dash. Toussaint set a MAAC record in the 200 at 24.30 seconds, followed by Laura Williams (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick Township) in second place at 24.61. Williams and Tionna Garner (Trenton, N.J./Trenton Catholic Academy) finished two-three in the 400, while McKenna Coakley (Port Reading, N.J./Woodbridge) and Kate Frye (Point Pleasant, N.J./Point Pleasant Boro) also earned points.

Three of the top four finishers in the 800 were Hawks, including the top two. Zoya Naumov (Bellaterra, Spain/FMTE/Ramon Fuste Bellaterra) and Jenna Cupp (Newark Valley, N.Y./Newark Valley) topped the event, and Kendal Hand (Howell, N.J./Howell) wasn't far back in fourth. Naumov crossed in 2:12.38. MU's 4x400 team won the event, as the group of Garner, Williams, Antoinette Isekenegbe (Vineland, N.J./Vineland) and Andrea Olsen (Estell Manor, N.J./Buena Regional) won in 3:49.47. Lucia Montefusco (Levittown, N.Y./MacArthur) and Kristen Rodgers-Erickson (High Bridge, N.J./Voorhees) scored points for MU in the 3000 meter run, Danielle Branco (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) joined Rodgers-Erickson in scoring in the 5000. The women's DMR team consisting of Naumov, Hand, Coakley and Molly McKeon (Royersford, Pa./Pope John Paul II) picked up four points.

The teams return to action next Wednesday night at home for Moonlight at the MAC at 5:00 p.m.