PITMAN, NJ -- The New Jersey Athletic Conference highlighted Denirah Jones with top rookie honors and head coach Shedrick Elliott III and his staff with coaching staff of the year accolades in the NJAC All-Conference selections.

All-conference honors are determined by finish at the recent NJAC Indoor Track & Field Championship and major awards were voted on by the league's nine head coaches. First place finishers at the NJAC Championships earn first-team selections, with second place getting second team, and third place named honorable mention.

Jones took home the long jump title and a first-team selection in that event. The rookie also placed fifth in the 60 meter hurdles as Rowan captured its first team title since the 2016-17 season.

Elliott III and his staff John Oberg, Eric DuBois, Jassina Surles, Joseph Kalnas, and Milton Goode caputed the top coaching honors for the first time. The Profs, who totaled 201 points in winning the NJAC title in dramatic fashion, captured five individual golds and two relay winners for a total of seven first-place finishes en route to the crown.

Joining Jones with first-team honors is Gabriella Pagano, who claimed firsts in four events (Mile, 3000 meters, 5000 meters) including the distance medley relay squad along with Ava Rizzo, Domanique Armstead, and Lisa O'Sullivan.

O'Sullivan joined Ava Reilly, Amari Pinkett, and Paige Franklin in the top 4x400 relay.

Nyla Jones captured gold in the 60 meters and took second in the 200 meters.

A pair of second-team honors went to Shannon Stakelbeck in the 3000 and 5000 meters respectively and Ally Wernik in the Mile.

Reilly, Pinkett, Franklin and Nyla Jones also earned second-team honors in the 4x200 relay.

Honorable mention accolades went to Lexi Bey in both the shot and weight throw, Keira Gibbons in the 60 meters, and Pinkett in the 400 meters.

The team will take part in the two-day AARTFC Championships beginning on Friday at The New York City Armory.
 
Here is a quick rundown of the team's honors:
Armstead - 1st (DMR)
Bey - HM (Shot), HM (Weight Throw)
Franklin - 1st (4x400 relay), 2nd (4x200 relay)
Gibbons - HM (60 meters)
D. Jones - 1st (Long Jump)
N. Jones - 1st (60 meters), 2nd (200 meters), 2nd (4x200 relay)
O'Sullivan - 1st (DMR), 1st (4x400 relay)
Pagano - 1st (Mile), 1st (3000 metes), 1st (5000 meters), 1st (DMR)
Pinkett - 1st (4x400 relay), 2nd (4x200 relay), HM (400 meters)
Reilly- 1st (4x400 relay), 2nd (4x200 relay)
Rizzo - 1st (DMR)
Stakelbeck - 2nd (3000 meters), 2nd (5000 meters)
Wernik - 2nd (Mile)
 

 

Event	First Team	Second Team	Honorable Mention
60m Hurdles	Nyla Jones Rowan	Sarah Scepkowski TCNJ	Keira Gibbons Rowan
60m Dash	Lucia Garcia-Beltran TCNJ	McKay Alby Montclair State	Maile O'Neill Montclair State
200m Dash	Lucia Garcia-Beltran TCNJ	Nyla Jones Rowan	Kelsey Thomas TCNJ
400m Run	Kelsey Thomas TCNJ	Rukiyat Daranijo TCNJ	Amari Pinkett Rowan
800m Run	Dale Leonard Ramapo	Kelly O'Grady TCNJ	Kayla Kass Stockton
Mile Run	Gabriella Pagano Rowan	Allyson Wernik Rowan	Madelyn Valasek Stockton
3000m Run	Gabriella Pagano Rowan	Shannon Stakelbeck Rowan	Abigail Churchill Montclair State
5000m Run	Gabriella Pagano Rowan	Shannon Stakelbeck Rowan	Madelyn Valasek Stockton
4x200 Relay	TCNJ Lucia Garcia-Beltran, Kelsey Thomas, Petra Doherty, Rukiyat Daranijo	Rowan Nyla Jones, Paige Franklin, Ava Reilly, Amari Pinkett	Montclair State Maile O'Neill, Kaelyn Rodriguez, Aisha Garcia, McKay Alby
4x400 Relay	Rowan Ava Reilly, Amari Pinkett, Paige Franklin, Lisa O'Sullivan	TCNJ Samantha Magin, Breanna Casais, Casey Noonan, Brenna Omert	Stockton Emma Conroy, Emma Petrolia, Marlie DiPalma, Kayla Kass
Distance Medley	Rowan Ava Rizzo, Domanique Armstead, Lisa O'Sullivan, Gabriella Pagano	Ramapo Dale Leonard, Kamalah Williams, Rea Pagatpatan, Zoe Gregory	Stockton Madison Pratt, Emma Conroy, Jessica Bruther, Sophia Cornell
Weight Throw	Fejiro Akiri Rutgers-Newark	Allison Lavin TCNJ	Alexia Bey Rowan
Shot Put	Allison Lavin TCNJ	Chloe Brijbag Montclair State	Alexia Bey Rowan
Long Jump	Denirah Jones Rowan	Tonna Ogina NJCU	Lia Malave TCNJ
Triple Jump	Tonna Ogina NJCU	Emma Petrolia Stockton	Lia Malave TCNJ
High Jump	Tonna Ogina NJCU	Sarah Scepkowski TCNJ	Micel Martinez Montclair State
Pole Vault	Eva Morrison Stockton	Megan Morris Stockton	Sydney Rick Stockton
Pentathlon	Elaina Styer Stockton	Sarah Scepkowski TCNJ	Marlie DiPalma Stockton