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Somerset, NJ — Sacred Heart senior Marsha Locke (Danbury, CT/Danbury) scored in all four throwing events for a raw point total of 32 to help the Pioneers lock up their first ever Northeast Conference Women’s Outdoor Track & Field team title at Robert Morris’ Island Sports Center.
Registering two NCAA regional qualifying marks as part of her javelin and shot put victories, Locke claimed both Most Valuable Performer and Most Outstanding Field Performer honors. SHU head coach Christian Morrison earned the NEC Coach of the Year award. As she did this past indoor season, Monmouth sophomore sprinter Michelle Losey (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) captured Most Outstanding Track Performer accolades, while Mount St. Mary’s freshman Ashlynn DeCruise (Rockville, MD/Richard Montgomery) claimed Most Oustanding Rookie honors. DeCruise’s twin sister, Ashley, held the title at the 2008 NEC Indoor Championships.
The Pioneers led the team scoring with 144.50 points denying runner-up Monmouth a repeat. The second-place Hawks tallied 129.50 team points followed by Saint Francis (PA) (124), and Wagner (97).
Locke began the meet’s final day by besting a javelin field in which the top four finishers surpassed the ECAC qualifying standard. A day after triumphing in the hammer with a NCAA regional mark, Locke registered her second victory and regional qualifying performance of the meet by throwing the javelin 43.83m (143’ 10”). A year after her since-graduated teammate Stephanie Kuhn set the meet record at 50.44m, Robert Morris sophomore Ashley Turici (Zelienople, PA/Seneca Valley), the field’s top seed at 43.66m (143’ 3”) placed second with her throw of 42.94m (140’ 10”). Later in the afternoon, she captured bronze in the discus.
On the meet’s opening day, Locke successfully defended her shot put crown with a mark (14.99m – 49’ 2.25”) that surpassed the qualifying standard for the NCAA East Region Championships.
Losey helped Monmouth move into lead by spearheading a 22-point effort in the 400-meter dash, but the Hawks could not make it stick. Losey completed the quarter-mile with a winning time of 55.02. Long Island’s Denele DeVerteuil (Arima, Trinidad and Tobago/Missouri Baptist Univ.) and Crystal Strachan (Grand Bahama, Bahamas/Grand Bahama Catholic) posted ECAC qualifying times to take second and third, respectively, but the Hawks claimed the ensuing four positions. As she did in indoor, Losey completed the 200-400 double by winning the former with a time of 24.92 to qualify for the ECAC Championships in a second event. Losey ran a crucial leg of the 1600m relay, crossing the tape in a field-best 3:48.64.
With only an indoor season under her belt, DeCruise performed like a veteran as the freshman placed second in the 200 and fourth in the 100. DeCruise was also a member of the Mount's 400m relay team, which bested the field to win the gold in a time of 47.37.
Mount St. Mary’s senior Nina Victorin (Athens, GA/Nyack), a two-time NEC Field Athlete of the Week, captured the discus title, throwing 45.01m (147’ 8”).
Wagner junior Alaina Alfano (Hanover Park, NJ/East Hanover), the reiging NEC Indoor MVP, bested Long Island sophomore Heather Patton (Bowie, MD/CH Flowers) in the triple jump by two centimeters. Alfano recorded a leap of 12.03m (39’ 6.25”). In addition to the gold, Alfano brings back two bronze medals to the rock with third-place finishes in the high jump and the long jump and also placed fifth in the 100-meter hurdles.
Teammate Mishelle McNamara (West Covina ,CA/West Covina) had no problem following Alfano's lead, as the freshman won the pole vault with a mark of 3.45m.
Quinnipiac, the 2007 NEC cross country champion, continued to score victories in the distance events. The Bobcats produced the individual winner in Saturday’s 10K and senior Abbey Gosling (Meredith, NH/Inter-Lakes)) claimed gold in the first distance event on Sunday. Gosling clocked in at 11:25.60 to easily best the steeple chase field. Bobcats’ senior Susan Ashe (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa), who claimed gold in Saturday’s 10K race, completed a gutsy 10000-5000 double when she took second place in the latter. Saint Francis (PA) sophomore Anna Hoffman (Enon Valley, PA/Mohawk) won the 5K 17:36.64.
Quinnipiac junior Chelsea Bollerman (Little Silver, NJ/Red Bank) continued to pile on the distance points with her 1500-meter victory. Bollerman’s time of 4:38.71 edged out Monmouth sophomore Cailin Lynam (Sparta, NJ/ Sparta), the reigining NEC Track Athlete of the Week, and her time of 4:39.69.
Wagner senior Samantha Snukis (St. Clair, PA/Nativity BVM) denied Bollerman the 800-meter crown, edging the Quinnipiac junior by more than a second with her time of 2:15.03.
Mount St. Mary’s freshman Ashlynn DeCruise (Rockville, MD/Richard Montgomery) ran the second leg of the winning 4x100 relay squad that clocked in under the ECAC qualifying standard at 47.37.
In front of a home crowd, Robert Morris senior Jordhanna White (West Lawn, PA/Wilson) took the gold in the 100-hurdle with an ECAC qualifying mark of 14.22. Also making excelling at their final curtain calls on familiar turf, Colonial seniors Corina Campbell (Smithburg, MD/Smithburg) and Brittany DeMudd (Warrensville Heights, OH/St. Peter Chanel) placed third and fourth, respectively, in the same event.
Sacred Heart freshman Angelica Johnson (Little Ferry, NJ/Ridgefield Park) claimed first in the 100-meter 12.30, besting LIU’s Joyce Atagwe (Lanham, MD/Duval) who finished second with a time of 12.34.
The Pioneers scored another victory in the 400-meter hurdles when senior Melissa Kostan (Salem, MA/Salem) posted a time of 1:01.86 to qualify for the ECAC Championships and further SHU’s chance of capturing the league title.
2008 NEC Women’s Individual Champions
100m: Angelica Johnson Sacred Heart Fr. 12.30
200m: Michelle Losey Monmouth So. 24.92
400m: Michelle Losey Monmouth So. 55.02
800m: Samantha Snukis Wagner Sr. 2:15.03
1500m: Chelsea Bollerman Quinnipiac Jr. 4:38.71
5000m: Anna Hoffman Saint Francis (PA) So. 17:36.64
10000m: Susan Ashe Quinnipiac Sr. 37:43.11
100 Hurdles: Jordhanna White Robert Morris Sr. 14.22
400 Hurdles: Melissa Kostan Sacred Heart Sr. 1:01.86
Steeple: Abbey Gosling Quinnipiac Sr. 11:25.60
400m Relay: Mount St. Mary's 47.37
1600m Relay: Monmouth 3:48.64
3200m Relay: Long Island 9:17.87
High Jump: Brittany Dexter Sacred Heart So. 1.70m (5’ 7")
Pole Vault: Mishelle McNamara Wagner Fr. 3.45m (11' 3.75")
Long Jump: Melitta Brown Robert Morris So. 5.75m (18’ 10.50")
Triple Jump: Alaina Alfano Wagner Jr. 12.03m (39' 5.75")
Shot Put: Marsha Locke Sacred Heart Sr. 14.99m (49’ 2.25")
Discus: Nina Victorin Mount St. Mary's Sr. 45.01m (147' 8")
Hammer: Kayla Herron Saint Francis (PA) Sr. 55.01m (180’ 6")
Javelin: Marsha Locke Sacred Heart Sr. 43.83m (143' 10")
2008 NEC Women’s Final Team Standings (21 Events Scored)
1. Sacred Heart 144.50
2. Monmouth 129.50
3. Saint Francis (PA) 124
4. Wagner 97
5. Mount St. Mary's 82
6. Long Island 80.50
7. Robert Morris 77.50
8. Quinnipiac 57
9. Fairleigh Dickinson 13
10. Central Connecticut State 7
10. St. Francis (NY) 7