The 2015 Stockton outdoor track & field season began on a sour note as the opening Stockton Invitational was canceled due to snow but ended on a high note as
Chelsea Vaughan and
Jared Lewis became the program's latest All-Americans. In between, the Ospreys won 38 individual events, set four school records and provided numerous team and individual highlights.
Vaughan collected her fourth All-American honor (2 outdoor, 2 indoor) by finishing fifth in the pole vault at the NCAA Championships. She won the event three times during the season, including the NJAC Championships. Lewis capped an outstanding freshman year with his first All-America spot by placing eighth in the triple jump at the NCAA meet. The rookie won that event six times and long jump once, taking both the NJAC Championships, for which he was named Outstanding Male Field Athlete.
Jassina Surles had another strong year, totaling five wins, three in the long jump and two in the 100m hurdles. Surles won both events at the NJAC Championships and also set the school record in the hurdles during the season.
Cassandra Hrusko notched three individual wins, two in the 1500m and one in the 800m, and also was part of one victory in the 4x800 relay.
Alicia Belko produced two victories and a school record in the 3000m steeplechase. Belko also joined Hrusko,
Sara Bridge and
Vanessa Spollen for the triumph in the 4x800 relay. Spollen and Bridge teamed with
Courtney Klecha and
Jami DiFilippo to set the school record in the 4x800. Freshman
Christina Welsh won once each in the 3000m and 10,000m.
Jess Radich captured the NJAC championship in the hammer throw.
Antonino Piro joined Lewis with multiple wins for the Stockton men's team. Piro posted one victory apiece in the 1500m and 300m steeplechase. In addition to Lewis' seven individual wins, he also joined
Chris Parlow,
Aaron Bess and
Larry Floyd for a triumph in the 4x100 relay. The quartet of
Tyler Pinto,
Tyler Gelsleichter,
Dagoberto Arias and
Tim Curtin set a new Stockton record in the 4x800 relay.
Both Stockton squads created team highlights at the NJAC Championships. The women placed third for their best finish since 2010 and the men scored 101.50 points for their highest total since 2006, placing fifth. Two Ospreys won awards as Lewis, the Outstanding Male Field Athlete, was joined by
Kaitlyn Dermen who was chosen NJAC Women's Rookie of the Year. Dermen finished third in the 100m hurdles and pole vault plus fifth in the 400m hurdles and 4x400 relay at the conference meet.
Eleven women's team members earned NJAC all-conference spots with their performances at the NJAC Championships. Surles led the way with NJAC First Team accolades in the 100m hurdles and long jump. First Team honors also went to Vaughan and Radich. Hrusko, Belko,
Bree Hudik and
Katie Jaeckel were NJAC Second Team. Dermen collected two NJAC Honorable Mention kudos with one apiece going to DiFilippo,
Christine Eiserle and
Megan Palmer.
Lewis led a group of nine men's team members who snagged all-conference slots. The rookie was NJAC First Team in the triple jump and long jump plus NJAC Honorable Mention in the 4x100 relay.
Beau Birch was the lone NJAC Second Team honoree for the Ospreys. Floyd, Pinto and Parlow each were NJAC Honorable Mention in two events. Bess,
Robert Dengel,
David Foley and
Ivory Yorker completed the list of NJAC Honorable Mention performers.
Five Ospreys were recognized for their work in the classroom as well as on the track. Hrusko, Jaeckel, Radich, Pinto and Bess were chosen to the Capital One Academic All-District 2 Team. All five had cumulative grade point averages of 3.83 or higher.
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