Mario Mayen Named to All-NJAC Conference First Team in the 400m
Pitman, N.J. - Junior Mario Mayen (Center Moriches, N.Y./Center Moriches) of the St. Joseph's men's outdoor track and field team has been named to the All-New Jersey Athletic Conference First Team by virtue of his first place performance in the 400m. His time was 48.45, which was a new school record time, and increased his ECAC rank to 6th and currently ranks 31st nationally. Mayen also made the team in 2014 in the 400m and 4x400m relay.
Montclair State University sophomore Rasheed Amilcar (Hillside N.J./Hillside) and Ramapo College freshman Jeremy Hernandez (Clifton, N.J./Clifton) have been selected as the New Jersey Athletic Conference Men's Outdoor Track & Field Thomas M. Gerrity Co-Most Outstanding Athletes for the 2015 season. Their selections highlighted the 60-member N.J.AC men's outdoor track & field all-conference team which was announced on May 8. All N.J.AC special awards were determined by a vote of the league's nine head coaches. The league's all-conference honors were based on performances at the 2015 N.J.AC Outdoor Track & Field Championships which were conducted at Ramapo College on May 2-3.
Amilcar claimed the N.J.AC championship in the 200 meters with a winning time of 21.82. He also was the league runner-up in the 400 meters with a mark of 48.70. A Week 4 N.J.AC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week selection, he also was a member of the Red Hawks' N.J.AC Champion 4x100 and 4x400 meter relays which produced respective winning times of 41.99 and 3:14.20. Amilcar ran the anchor league of MSU's champion 4x400 meter relay which produced the eighth best NCAA Division III time recorded in the event this season.
Hernandez claimed the N.J.AC championship in the 800 meters with a school-record and an ECAC qualifying time of 1:51.02. A two-time N.J.AC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week selection, he also garnered the conference crown in the 1,500 meters with a conference-record and an ECAC qualifying time of 3:53.71. The championship performance by Hernandez in the 800 currently ranks as the sixth best time in NCAA Division III this season, while he continues to hold the nation's 18th best time in the 1,500 meters (3:51.86).
Rutgers University-Newark senior Dennis Willis Jr. (East Brunswick, N.J./East Brunswick) was selected as the N.J.AC Outstanding Men's Track Athlete. Willis was the N.J.AC runner-up in the 100 meter dash with a school-record and an ECAC qualifying time of 10.87. He also was the conference runner-up in the 200 meters with a personal-best time of 21.95. Willis Jr. also was a member of the Scarlet Raiders' N.J.AC runner-up 4x400 meter relay which produced a time of 3:21.21.
Stockton University freshman Jared Lewis (Westville, N.J./Deptford) was selected as the N.J.AC Outstanding Men's Field Athlete. He claimed the N.J.AC championship in the triple jump with an ECAC qualifying mark of 14.45 meters. He also garnered the league title in the long jump with a personal-best and an ECAC qualifying leap of 6.85 meters. A six-time N.J.AC Outdoor Rookie of the Week selection, he also competed as a member of the Ospreys' 4x100 meter relay which placed third with an ECAC qualifying time of 42.68. Lewis currently holds the fifth best mark in the triple jump recorded in NCAA Division III this season (14.79 meters).
Rowan University freshman Dave BeN.J.amin (Freehold, N.J./Freehold) was selected as the N.J.AC Men's Outdoor Rookie of the Year. He claimed he conference crown in the 110 meter hurdles with an ECAC qualifying time of 14.79. He also was the conference runner-up in the high jump with an ECAC qualifying leap of 1.98 meters. BeN.J.amin's performance in the preliminaries of the N.J.AC 110 hurdles currently stands as the 11th best time recorded in the event in NCAA Division III this season (14.62).
Rowan first-year head coach Dustin Dimit was selected as the N.J.AC Men's Outdoor Coach of the Year by his peers. Dimit guided the Profs to a first place finish in the 2015 N.J.AC Outdoor Championships, marking Rowan's first N.J.AC men's outdoor title since 1997.
