PITMAN--The College of New Jersey’s junior Steve D’Aiutolo has been selected as the New Jersey Athletic Conference Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Thomas M. Gerrity Most Outstanding Athlete for the 2012 season. His selection highlighted the 60-member NJAC men’s outdoor track & field all-conference team which was announced on May 10. All NJAC 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 2012 NJAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships which were conducted at Richard Stockton College on May 5.
D’Aiutolo claimed the NJAC championship in the triple jump, placing first in a field of 14 competitors with a personal-best and ECAC qualifying leap of 14.40 meters. He also garnered the conference crown in the 400 meters by defeating a field of 26 competitors with a personal-best and ECAC qualifying time of 49.28. D’Aiutolo also finished as the conference runner-up in the long jump, placing second in a field of 14 with a personal-best and ECAC qualifying leap of 6.90 meters. He also competed as a member of TCNJ’s 4x400 meter relay which placed third overall with an ECAC qualifying time of 3:22.66.
Rowan University junior Ali Ejaz was selected as the NJAC Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year. He captured the NJAC title in the 200 meters by placing first in a field of 30 runners with an ECAC qualifying time of 22.04. He also anchored the Profs’ NJAC Champion 4x100 and 4x400 meter relays which produced respective winning ECAC qualifying times of 41.63 and 3:17.29.
Ramapo College junior Dillon Rodgers was named the NJAC Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year after claiming the NJAC championship in the javelin with a conference meet-record throw of 66.15 meters. A two-time NJAC Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week selection, Rodgers also produced Top 7 finishes in the discus (41.37 meters), the hammer throw (37.58 meters), and the shot put (13.01 meters).
Farmingdale State College freshman Ieshawn Johnson became the first Ram student-athlete to claim an NJAC Outdoor Track & Field Special Award by garnering the league’s Rookie of the Year honor. A four-time NJAC Rookie of the Week selection, Johnson claimed the conference championship in the discus by defeating a field of 16 competitors with an ECAC qualifying throw of 48.26 meters. He also placed second in a field of 17 competitors in the shot put with an ECAC qualifying mark of 14.35 meters.
The College of New Jersey’s head coach Phil Jennings was selected as the NJAC Men’s Outdoor Coach of the Year by his peers for the third consecutive season. Jennings guided the Lions to a first place finish in the 2012 NJAC Outdoor Championships, marking TCNJ’s 15th consecutive NJAC men’s outdoor title.
2012 NJAC MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM