GLASSBORO, NJ – The Rowan University women’s track and field team competed on the first day of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championships on Saturday. The conference championships are being held at Coach Richard Wackar Stadium.
Vanessa Wright (sr. Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Mem.) captured first place in the 10,000 meter run with a record time of 36:42.37. She broke the previous NJAC Championship mark of 37:11.91 set by The College of New Jersey’s Noel Whitall in 2000. Her time was also an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) qualifying time (40:00.00).
Emily Spieker (sr. Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) and Jess Lomonaco (jr. Blackwood, NJ/Triton Reg.) took second and third in the hammer throw. Spieker’s toss went 155’ 8" (47.45 meters) and broke the school record (143' 9", 43.83 meters). Lomonaco threw 143’ (43.59 meters). Both of their throws were ECAC qualifying marks (43.50 meters).
In the javelin, Melissa Lake (so. Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) finished second with a throw of 137' (41.76 meters) and Sarah Dores (jr. Maple Shade, NJ/Holy Cross) took third place (133’ 2”, 40.59 meters). Both tosses were ECAC qualifiers (36 meters).
Onyi Obelle (fr. Hackensack, NJ/Hackensack) ran 40:59.25 to take sixth in the 10,000 meter run. Laura DuBois (fr. Pittsgrove, NJ/A.P. Schalick) placed ninth (45:15.51) in the 10,000 meter run.
In the pole vault, Kayla Leahey (jr. Keansburg, NJ/Warwick Valley) finished eighth (9’ 2.25”, 2.80 meters) while Jesslynn Wright (fr. Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) tied for ninth place (8’ 8.25”, 2.65 meters).
Stephanie Greco (sr. Monmouth Jct., NJ/South Brunswick) recorded a toss of 125’ 9" (38.34 meters) in the hammer throw for sixth place. In the javelin, Joyce Perry (fr. Pittsgrove, NJ/A.P. Schalick) and Magan Kustera (jr. West Deptford, NJ/West Deptford) finished 15th and 17th, respectively. Perry’s throw went 89’ 4” (27.22 meters) while Kustera’s traveled 83’ 7” (25.48 meters).
After day one, Ramapo College is in first place with 61 points. Rowan University and The College of New Jersey are in second (45) and third (23), respectively. Richard Stockton College (22), Rutgers-Newark (3) and Rutgers-Camden (2) round out the team standings.
At Rowan, the NJAC Championships continue on Sunday, May 5 at 10 a.m.
