JERSEY CITY, N.J.  (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Given that it was the program's first year back in existence in almost a decade, the 2018-19 New Jersey City University track and field teams were happy to send athletes to the ECAC Indoor Championships at all, so the two individuals and one relay team that made it were excellent news. In just his second year at the program, however, head coach Patrick O'Neill has made immense strides, and if that wasn't already clear, the numbers now speak for themselves: The Gothic Knights will be sending 18 individuals and six relays to the 2019-20 ECAC Indoor Championships in Manhattan, N.Y. on Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7.
 
Here are the individual Gothic Knights who qualified:
Matthew Davis (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) — Shot Put
Shakeem Gipson (Newark, NJ/Technology) — Shot Put
Javier Baez (Jersey City, N.J./Dickinson) — Shot Put
Destiny Gittens (Newark, NJ/Newark Tech) — Shot Put
Shantel Worrell (Jersey City, N.J./Snyder) — Shot Put
Tyneil Jackson (Jersey City, N.J./Ferris) — Triple Jump
Jason Layton (Newark, NJ/St. Benedict's Prep) — Long Jump
Aliezer Ferrer (Lyndhurst, NJ/University Academy Charter) — Long Jump
Dave Etienne (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) — 400- and 200-Meter Dash
Jason Garcia (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) — 60-Meter Dash 
Shania Robinson (Jersey City, NJ/Snyder) — 60- 200- and 400-Meter Dash
Tiffany Ortiz (Jersey City, NJ/University Academy Charter) — 500-Meter Run
Lamya Young (Audubon, NJ/Audubon) — 60-Meter Dash
Polina Agutina (Evaptoria, Poland/Number 6) — Long Jump
Arame Diouf (Weehawken, NJ/Memorial) — Long Jump
Jaime Tlatelpa (Jersey City, NJ/University Academy Charter) — One Mile Run
Jose Recinos (Union City, NJ/Union City) — One Mile Run
 
The Gothic Knights will also be running in six relays: the 4x200, 4x400, and 4x800 Meter Relays, alongside the Distance Medley Relay on the men's side, and the 4x200 and 4x400 Meter Relays on the women's side.
 
Here is who will be filling out those relays:
Women's 4x200 Meter Relay — Robinson, Ortiz, Shaneeka Benekin (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln), Zahria Thomas (Jersey City, N.J./Dickinson)
Men's 4x200 Meter Relay — Xavier Freeman (Newark, NJ/St. Benedict's Prep), Jon DeJesus (Perth Amboy, NJ/Perth Amboy), Garcia, Kalel Redd (Somerset, NJ/Franklin)
Women's 4x400 Meter Relay — Ortiz, Benekin, Thomas, Xarial Chandler (East Orange, NJ/University)
Men's 4x400 Meter Relay — Freeman, DeJesus, Donald Luxama (Woodbridge, NJ/Woodbridge), Redd
Men's 4x800 Meter Relay — Muhammed Jawneh (South River, NJ/South River), Adnan Kpodo (Irvington, NJ/Irvington), Tlatelpa, Samuel Colon III (Newark, NJ/Eagle Academy)
Men's Distance Medley Relay — Kpodo, Colon III, Jawneh, Tlatelpa
 
All in all, that's 17 athletes on the men's side, and 11 on the women's side, for a whopping 28 total, more than five times the number the Knights sent in total last year.
 
GOTHIC KNIGHTS on SOCIAL MEDIA:
For the latest on NJCU men's and women's track and field—#NJCUMTrack and #NJCUWTrack—follow the Gothic Knights on social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and SnapChat. We Are Jersey City's Team.