Essex County College Boasts 10 Former Student-Athletes Heading to London Olympics

Current Essex County College (N.J.) student-athlete Moussa Dembele and nine other Essex track team alums will be on center stage this year at the XXX Summer Olympics in London. Three of the former Lady Wolverines who have won a total of six medals in previous Olympics are among this year’s ECC Olympians.

At the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, 11 former ECC student-athletics competed, the most of any two-year college in the nation.

Four nations – Jamaica, Grenada, Bahamas and Senegal - will be represented by ECC in the high profile track events.  Moussa will compete for Senegal in the 110 meter high hurdles.

Melaine Walker, ECC Class of 2004, will look to defend the gold medal she won four years ago in Beijing in the 400 meter hurdles. Fellow Jamaican teammate Kerron Stewart, Class of 2005, will run in the 100 meters and 4x100 meter relay. Four years ago she captured Silver in the 100 meters and Bronze in the 200 meters. Novlene Williams-Mills, also running for Jamaica, won Bronze at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. A member of the ECC Class of 2000, she will compete in the 400 meters and 4x400 meter relay.

Second time Olympians Korine Hinds (3000 meter steeplechase) and Kenia Sinclair (800 meters) are also running for Jamaica as is first time competitor Riker Hylton (Class of 2010) in the men’s 4x400 meter relay. Korine graduated from ECC in 1998 and Kenia in 2001.

Grenada’s ECC representation will be from Kanika Beckles in the 400 meters and Joel Readhead in the 200 meters. Kanika is a 2011 alumna of ECC and Joel graduated in 2007. Demetrius Pinder (Class of 2009) will represent the Bahamas in the 400 meters and 4.400 meter relay.

Moussa turned in his fastest time in the 110 meter hurdles this past spring for ECC in the National Junior College Athletic Association Outdoor championship. He has been an ECC staple in multiple sprint events the past two seasons running for the Green & Gold.

“It’s certainly extremely gratifying to see so many of our student-athletes compete at the Olympics,” said veteran Coach Michael Smart. “Our success at these international games shows a clear commitment the College has to our track program.”