WEEK of: APRIL 27-MAY 3, 2009
Freshman DESERIA SANDERS (Lakewood, NJ/Long Branch) is the NJCU Women's Athlete of the Week for the first time in her career and she was also named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Rookie of the Week after winning the 200-meter dash and taking second in the long jump while competing in four events on May 2 at the 2009 NJAC Championship meet in Glassboro, NJ.
Sanders was also voted the first-ever NJAC Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Rookie of the Year by the head coaches of the nine schools competing at the conference meet. Sanders helped NJCU place sixth overall in the team standings.
The NJAC Rookie of the Week honor is the first of her outdoor career. She previously was the NJAC Indoor Rookie of the Week on March 2 during week nine of the winter season.
Sanders became the second NJCU athlete in two years to claim the league championship in the 200 meters. Sanders, whose highest indoor championship finish was third, blew away the 23-woman field in the 200 meters in an ECAC-Championship qualifying time of 25.96 seconds—winning by 48/100th of a second.
Sanders led the long jump for much of the competition, before finishing second among 13 athletes in an ECAC qualifying distance of 5.30 meters (17-4.75). A personal best mark, it exceeded the ECAC distance of 5.25 meters.
Sanders also was seventh of 17 in the 400-meter dash in 1:02.59 seconds and helped the 400-meter relay place fourth overall, running the leadoff leg as the quartet timed 51.23 seconds.
