Five years after setting a national high school record, Shaquan Brown is finally headed to an NCAA championships. He is scheduled to run the 400 at this weekend’s Div. III nationals, Friday and Saturday at DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind., for Coach Mike Jackson’s Ramapo College team, of Mahwah, N.J.
Brown is currently fifth on this winter’s Div. III indoor list, at 48.53 (converted to 49.03 for list purposes). The season leader, at 48.14, is Gino Bisceglia, a junior at Cortland and native of Norwood, N.Y.
In 2005, Brown, then a junior at Kennedy H.S., Paterson, N.J., ran the indoor 600 meters in 1:17.9, to set a national high school record that still stands. He went on to the University of Louisville, reportedly to play football, but left Kentucky and returned to his home state. He is now a junior in eligibility at Ramapo.
Nick McDonough’s NYU squad is sending three athletes to nationals – Matt Turlip (Dunellen, N.J.), ranked fourth in the mile (4:09.09); Zach Maher (Carmel, N.Y.), 14:46.02 in the 5k, and Maeve Evans (Swanton, Vt.), 5:00.17 in the women’s mile.
In addition to Bisceglia, eight other athletes from the states of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania are ranked No. 1 in their respective events:
Men – Wenley Louis of Geneseo, 24-10.50 long jump; Nick Guarino, Fredonia, 4:08.10 mile
Women – Kristen Bates, Messiah College, 8.07 55 hurdles; College of NJ, 11:46.16 DMR; Alyssa Pirinelli, St. Lawrence, 48-2.50 shot put; La’Shonda Carter, New Jersey City, 5-8.75 high jump; Anna Heim, Moravian, 13-5.50 pole vault, and Emma Dewart, Ithaca College, 3,508 pentathlon.
TCNJ’s women’s team also boasts Jianna Spadacinni, second-ranked in the 800 (2:10.57); Priscilla Senyah, 7.20 in the dash and 8.13 in the hurdles, and Michelle Wallace, 17:15.51 5k.
Montclair State has Will Brown, ranked #3 in the 55 hurdles (7.52), and Eugene Asimou, #2 in the shot (55-11.75).
Other area competitors include:
MEN
Durell Cull (Oneonta), 55; Dan Dunkleberger (Gwynedd-Mercy), 400; Dennie Waite (TCNJ) and Justin Wager (Cortland), mile; Lee Berube and Tim Chichester (Geneseo), 5k; Kyle Gilroy (TCNJ) and Mahdi Sumter (NJC), 55 hurdles; Casheen Ellis (Cortland), TJ; Justin Turner (Gwynedd-Mercy), HJ; Ryan Pericozzi (Cortland) and Justin Metzger (RPI), PV, and Geneseo’s 2nd-ranked DMR.
WOMEN
Corinne Magee (Farmingdale), 55 dash; Marcia McCord (Ithaca) 400 and LJ; Jen Rawls (Rowan), 5k; Azudeh DuBois (NJC), 55 hurdles, and Pirinelli in the weight throw.
- Jack Pfeifer