SOUTH ORANGE—Ten NJAC student-athletes were honored as institutional Women of the Year at the New Jersey Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (NJAIAW) National Girls and Women in Sport Day Celebration which was held at Seton Hall University on February 7. Over 870 individuals braved a heavy winter snowstorm to pay tribute to achievements by female student-athletes throughout the State of New Jersey.
EBONY JACKSON, KEAN UNIVERSITY
A point guard, Jackson closed out her basketball career as the program’s all-time leader with 639 career assists, ranking her in the top 15 in NCAA Division III career history. A three-time NJAC all-star, Jackson was named a State Farm Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Honorable Mention All-American in 2008-09 after leading the Cougars to their third straight NCAA tournament appearance. The four-year starter finished sixth in school history with 1,250 career points and was inducted into Kean’s charter class of Chi Alpha Sigma.
JENNIFER JIMENEZ, MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY
A three-time All-NJAC softball selection and former NJAC Rookie and Player of the Year, Jimenez hit .296 with four home runs, 22 RBI and 27 runs scored as she helped the Red Hawks to the championship game of the ECAC Division III Metro Tournament in 2009. Ranked seventh in Division III history in home runs with 42, Jimenez finished as MSU's all-time leader in RBI (158) and walks (101) and also ranks among the career Top 10 in slugging percentage (.681), on-base percentage (.479). She drew 25 walks during the 2009 season and had an on-base percentage of .424.
JACQUELINE LeBLANC, NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY
LeBlanc, a Business Administration major, was a three-time volleyball First-Team All-New Jersey Athletic Conference selection in 2005, 2006, and 2008 in addition to being selected as the 2005 NJAC Rookie of the Year. She is one of only 11 women’s student-athletes in NJCU history to earn First-Team All-NJAC three times in a career and one of only two volleyball players.
JAYNE MANIGRASSO, RAMAPO COLLEGE
A sophomore forward in field hockey, Manigrasso earned NJAC First Team All-Conference honors in 2009, her first NJAC post-season career honor. She led the Roadrunners with 41 points as she tallied a team leading 18 goals in 16 games played. She also added five assists while posting two game winning goals and one defensive save. She took 66 shots with 54 being on goal.
LISA SHEPHERD, RICHARD STOCKTON COLLEGE
A four-time All-American in the high jump (three outdoor, one indoor), Shepherd has been the NCAA national runner-up twice in the event. She has swept the high jump indoors and outdoors at the NJAC Championships for the last three years, and she was selected the Outstanding Female Field Athlete at the 2008 NJAC Indoor Championships. Shepherd was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Second Team in 2009.
KRISTA VERZI, ROWAN UNIVERSITY
A four-year soccer midfield starter, Verzi was a team captain in 2008 and 2009. In 73 career games, she compiled 46 points with 17 goals and 16 assists. Verzi had four game-winning goals. She earned NJAC All-Conference first team honors in 2008 and 2009. In 2009, she was named to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Metro All-Star second team. She received NJAC All-Academic Team honorable mention in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
HEATHER THOM, RUTGERS UNVERSITY-CAMDEN
The sweeper on the Rutgers-Camden women’s soccer team, senior Thom finished her collegiate career as the program’s all-time leader with 82 games played, including 64 starts. She appeared in every game throughout her four-year career and earned team MVP honors as a junior. A Dean’s List student, she also was named NJAC Academic Honorable Mention as a junior and capped her senior season with a berth on the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Women’s Soccer Team.
SASHA POTTER, RUTGERS-NEWARK
A three-year women’s soccer starter and two-time Honorable Mention All-New Jersey Athletic Conference defender, Potter carries a 3.67 grade point average in biology. She was honored as Rutgers-Newark’s Female Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2008-09.
HILLARY KLIMOWICZ, THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY
A two-time women’s basketball All-American and NJAC Player of the Year, Klimowicz capped her career in 2008-09 by being selected as the NCAA Division III National Player of the Year after leading her team to the Final Four and a national third place showing – the best finish of any women’s basketball team in the history of the NJAC. In three years at TCNJ, Klimowicz racked up more than 1,400 points and 800 rebounds despite playing just three seasons. She also posted a 3.57 grade point average while earning Academic All-District honors.
KELLY HELFRICH, WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY
The 2009 NJAC Volleyball Player of the Year, Helfrich was a first-team all-conference selection each of her three seasons at William Paterson. She led the league this fall in kills (3.91 kps) and points (5.19 pps) while ranking third in blocks (0.96 bps) and fifth in hitting percentage (.326), and finished her three-year career with 1,055 kills, 854 digs and 299 blocks. A psychology major, Helfrich was named to the 2008-09 NJAC All-Academic Honorable Mention Team as well as the Spring 2008 Dean’s List.