Men’s T/F 2018-19 Season Recap

Photo by: Lon Horwedel

Jul 11 | Men's Track & Field

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers men's track and field continued to raise the program standards in 2018-19, collecting numerous Big Ten medals and establishing new records while excelling in the classroom. Overall, the Scarlet Knight triumphs included two All-Americans, three All-Big Ten performers, three Big Ten medals, 16 podium finishes at the conference championships, and 11 NCAA qualifiers.

As a team, Rutgers earned its fifth straight Metropolitan Indoor Championship title and second straight Metropolitan Outdoor Championship title, while finishing as runner-up at the IC4A Indoor Championships.

ALL-AMERICANS
Graduate student Chris Mirabelli recorded a throw of 69.71m (228' 8") in the javelin to finish ninth in the nation at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, becoming a four-time All-American. The Lumberton, New Jersey, native claimed his third Big Ten title in the javelin with a throw of 71.83m, claiming First Team All-Big Ten status for the third time. Mirabelli became the program's first ever four-time All-American in a single event in the outdoor season alone, claiming the recognition in the javelin at four outdoor championships.

At his second straight NCAA Outdoor Championships, sophomore Taj Burgess clocked a time of 46.45 in the 400m semifinals to finish 18th in the nation. The Jersey City, New Jersey, native earned Honorable Mention All-America status for the performance. Last season, Burgess collected Second Team All-American honors in the race as a rookie. Additionally, Burgess claimed a silver medal in the event at the 2018 Big Ten Championships, while adding a podium finish this season.

ACADEMIC SUCCESS
In the classroom, RU produced 19 Academic All-Big Ten selections. To earn recognition to the student-athlete must carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. The Scarlet Knights recognized included Alanzo Aris, Jarrod Brovero, Andrew Comito, Dimitri Demos, Ryan Downey, Greg Harnett, Christopher Jenkins, Jordan Lorenzo, Sean Martinek, Christopher Mirabelli, John Mooers, Dominick Munson, Conor Murphy, Cole Pschunder, Jared Skalski, Steven Steinberg-McElroy, Michael Thomas, Patrick Walsh, and Edward Zaleck.

Martinek and Mirabelli were also named Big Ten Distinguished Scholars for earning a minimum GPA of 3.70 or better during the previous academic year. Mirabelli posted a flawless 4.0 GPA as a graduate student in the Global Sports Business program.

ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR
Associate Head Coach Robert Farrell of Rutgers men's track and field was named the 2019 Mid Atlantic Men's Assistant Coach of the Year, earning the honor for the second time.

Farrell, in his seventh season with the program and third as associate head coach, directly led all jumps, throws and multi-event student-athletes. This season he guided two Scarlet Knights to Big Ten medals, 10 to podium finishes at the conference championships, and seven to NCAA Regionals.

At the conclusion of the year, Farrell was elevated to the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country, leading both the men's and women's programs.

REWRITING THE RECORD BOOKS
The 4x400m relay team broke both Rutgers indoor and outdoor records in 2018-19. At the Big Ten Indoor Championships, the quartet of Pierce, Jenkins, Burgess and Brown clocked a time of 3:08.00 to establish the new mark, finishing fourth in the event. The group then posted a new standard for the outdoor 4x400, posting a time of 3:04.27 at the Florida Relays.

Individually, Brown claimed the 200-meter title with the indoor school-record and meet-record time of 20.75 at the IC4A Championships. Burgess joined in by resetting the school record in the 500m at the Met Championships, posting a time of 1:01.34 which was the fastest in the nation at the time.

Additionally, the triple jump indoor record fell twice at the Boston Terrier Classic. Davis first reset the record with a leap of 15.62m (51' 3"). Tobi Tella then followed with a jump of 15.80 (51' 10") to become RU's record holder just minutes later.

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Eleven Scarlet Knights qualified for the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Preliminary in Jacksonville, Florida. Mirabelli (javelin), redshirt-junior Greg Harnett (javelin), freshman A'nan Bridgett (long jump), sophomore Malachi Davis (triple jump), junior Perry Christie (high jump), senior John Mooers (discus) and redshirt-sophomore Jason Campbell (discus), competed in field events.

Burgess (400m, 4x400m), freshman Christopher Jenkins (4x400m), sophomore Semaj Willis (4x400m), and senior Sterling Pierce (4x400m) hit the track for RU at the University of North Florida.

BIG TEN INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Senior Izaiah Brown highlighted the 2019 Big Ten Indoor Championships, capturing his fourth straight 400m title. Brown claimed his fourth gold in the 400m with a time of 45.82, becoming the first Scarlet Knight to earn four Big Ten titles in the same event. The senior also took first in the race in 2016, 2017, and 2018. He was named First Team All-Big Ten following the meet.

Claiming a medal of his own, Bridgett earned a bronze medal in the long jump, placing third with a mark of 7.27m (23' 10.25"). Bridgett became the second Scarlet Knight to earn a medal in the event. Overall, Rutgers produced seven podium finishes at the conference championships.

BIG TEN OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
At the outdoor conference championships, RU registered nine podium finishes and claimed two medals. Mirabelli led the way with his third gold in the javelin, while Bridgett added a silver medal in the long jump. The two earned First Team and Second Team All-Big Ten recognition, respectively.

METROPOLITAN CHAMPIONS
The Scarlet Knights captured both the indoor and outdoor Metropolitan Championship titles in 2019. The indoor title marked the fifth consecutive first-place finish for RU, recording 22 Top 3 finishes and 10 event titles to cruise to the top spot. The squad then became back-to-back outdoor champions, claiming 14 event titles and 25 Top 3 finishes overall to help register 273.5 points for the win.

RUNNER-UP FOR IC4A TITLE
Rutgers placed second at the 2019 IC4A Indoor Championships at Boston University. The Scarlet Knights recorded five event titles and a total of 11 Top 3 finishes overall. Additionally, fourteen Scarlet Knights were named All-East performers.

Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersAthletics) and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding Rutgers men's track and field and cross country, follow the program on Twitter (@RutgersMensTFXC) and on Instagram (@Rutgers_mensTF). The team is also on Facebook (facebook.com/ RutgersMensTF/).

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