Rowan continued their outdoor track season this past weekend with four events at the Ursinus Springfest in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and at the Embry-Riddle Running Elements Classic in Daytona Beach, Florida, where the team tied for 20th place out of 50. 

At the Embry-Riddle events, sophomore Nyla Jones ran a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) best time in the 100-meter hurdles with a 14.38 attempt. Jones also hit a personal best in the 200 meters with a time of 24.67 seconds. 

Sophomore Jezena Aponte was able to claim the No. 3 spot in the NJAC, along with her personal best in the 1500-meter, with a time of 4:44.40. 

“Running with girls that pulled me along throughout the race made it more competitive,” Aponte said. “It really changed my mindset.”  

The team as a whole is looking to prove how hard they work.

“As a team, we want to prove we work hard every day,” Aponte said. “We’re out here every day. No matter the weather, and we’re going after another NTRAC title.” 

In the 4×400 relay, sophomores Lisa O’Sullivan, Amari Pinkett, Paige Franklin, and Jones clocked in a No. 2 best NJAC time at 3:57.91. 

“It says a lot as far as what their potential could be when all is said and done,” head coach Shedrick Elliott III said. “I think they all have very high ceilings, and as long as they remain consistent, I think the sky’s going to be the limit for them.” 

After hitting a new personal record last week in the discus at the Danny Curran Invitational, junior Alaijha Wilson hit a new best with a 37.68-meter attempt. 

The Profs will be at their own grounds this upcoming weekend, as the next meet, the Oscar Moore Invitational, will be at Rowan on April 11 at Wackar Stadium and Rowan’s West Campus.

“I think that things become easier being that they can literally just go out, really for the whole team and do with a little bit more ease,” Elliott III said. “Whatever their respective coaches have been asking to do.”