Harper Successfully Defends DIII Men's Cross Country National Title
November 12, 2012
November 10, 2012
DELHI, N.Y. – Thanks to four top 20 individual finishes, including two in the top five, Harper College (Ill.) won its second consecutive NJCAA Division III Cross Country national title Saturday on the campus of SUNY Delhi.
Troy Cunningham (right photo) led the Harper effort by winning the individual championship. He was the first to cross the finish line in the 8k event with a time of 27:53. Cunningham is the first Harper harrier to ever claim the DIII individual cross country crown. Colin Weber finished fourth overall with an 8k time of 28:25. Josh Campos came in 18th (29:27), Nick Modlin finished 19th (29:37) and Jhoan Lino was 27th overall (29:54).
Harper finished with 59 total team points to outpace Gloucester County College (N.J.) and host SUNY Delhi (N.Y.). This year’s national championship featured 16 full teams and 125 student-athletes.
Harper sophomore Pablo Ramirez (Conant) won his second individual event of the NJCAA Divisoin III championships in Alfred, N.Y., to help the Hawks resoundingly defend their men’s track and field national title.
Ramirez, who won the 10,000-meter run Thursday, easily won the 5,000 in 15:04.42, almost one-half minute faster than the runner-up. Harper also got point-scoring results in the 5,000 from sophomores Ryan Wojdyla (Palatine, fourth in 16:10) and Steve Heer (Rolling Meadows, sixth in 16:26).
Harper had more champions: Troy Cunningham in the 800 (1:54.18) and Robert Douglas in the 110 hurdles (15.01). Chris Spudic (Prospect) placed third in the 1,500 (4:04.91).
The Hawks men amassed 132 points, well ahead of second-place Alfred State (93).
In women’s action, Harper’s top finishes came from Jazmin Calep, who was second in the 100 dash and fourth in the 200.
Harper wins DIII Men's XC National Championship
November 8, 2011
Harper wins DIII Men's XC National Championship
November 6, 2011
Photos by Matt Patenaude of Holyoke Community College
Westfield, Mass. -- Led by two top five individual finishes, the Harper College (Ill.) won the 2011 NJCAA Division III Men's Cross Country Championship Saturday on the campus of Holyoke Community College in Westfield, Mass.
Pablo Ramirez finished fourth overall with an 8k time of 26:02.53 and Cisco Soto finished seventh at 26:57.58 to give the Hawks the upper hand in the final team standings. Harper finished with just 60 total team points, which was well in front of SUNY Delhi (N.Y.) - 97, Mohawk Valley Community College (N.Y.) - 113, Broome Community College (N.Y.) - 184, and Gloucester County College (N.J.) - 200.
Harper also benefited from a 14th place finish by Ryan Wojdyla (27:12.45) and a 21st place finish by Steven Heer (27:34.66).
Robert Allen of CC of Rhode Island was the first to cross the finish line (25:23.46) followed by Chris Burnett of Delhi (25.37.52) who finished in third place a year ago. Cesar Gatete of CC of Alleghany County took home third place honors (26:00.48). Last year's champion Ozzie Huerta of Gloucester County College (N.J.) came in fifth (26:05.36).
The team championship is the first for Harper in men's cross country and snaps SUNY Delhi's streak of seven consecutive Division III men's national championships.
Harper College (IL) claimed both the men's and women's titles at the 2011 NJCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at Alfred State College. The Harper women won by nearly 40 points while the men won by 23. The Harper women scored 132 points followed by Kingsborough CC's 92.5. Mohawk Valley CC finished 3rd (90), Alfred State was 4th (83.5), and Howard CC was 5th (78).
The Harper men scored 152 points finishing ahead of SUNY Delhi's 129 points. Mohawk Valley CC was 3rd (74), Alfred State 4th (61), and Gloucester 5th (58).
After winning the national championship in four events (1,500 m, 5,000 m, 10,000 m, and 3,000 steeplechase) Savannah Boucher of Mohawk Valley CC was named the most outstanding track athlete. Heptathlon champion De'Larissa Morris of Harper was named the most outstanding field athlete. Morris was also 3rd in the long jump and 3rd in the high jump. Three-time national champion Ozzie Huerta from Gloucester took the men's track athlete award. Huerta set new meet records in the 5,000 (15:10.92) and the 3,000 steeplechase (9:28.34) along with winning the 10,000. Decathlon champion Jarrett Austin of Harper was awarded the men's field award. Austin was also 3rd in the high jump and 8th in the javelin. On top of Huerta's two meet records, Christina Lees of Gloucester set a new meet record in the pole vault with a winning height of 3.18 m. The Kingsborough CC 4 x 400 relay team of Bosede Daramola, Shameka Morgan, Charlene Jackson, and Deandra Nelson set a new meet record of 4:03.43.
Renee Zellner of Harper was named both the men's and women's coach of the meet. She was also named the men's coach of the year. Dave Loobie of Kingsborough CC was the women's coach of the year. Joe Kalnas of Gloucester and Errick Henlon were named assistant coaches of the year.
The nationals return to Pioneer Stadium and the Alfred State College campus again in 2012.
PJ Starnes wins Wrestling National Championship at 157 lb Weight Class.
May 16, 2011
The 157 lb weight class was won by Harper's PJ Starnes (left) after a 4-2 decision over Jeremy Bommarito (right) of North Idaho.
DELHI, N.Y. – Thanks to four top 20 individual finishes, including two in the top five, Harper College (Ill.) won its second consecutive NJCAA Division III Cross Country national title Saturday on the campus of SUNY Delhi.
Photos by Matt Patenaude of Holyoke Community College
Harper College (IL) claimed both the men's and women's titles at the 2011 NJCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at Alfred State College. The Harper women won by nearly 40 points while the men won by 23.