Jeremy Rushok won the conference title in the 10,000 meter run leading to his first-team All-ECC selection

Men's Track & Field 5/3/2016 1:33:00 PM

Rushok, VanDeMortel & Laird Headline Wildcats' All-ECC Selections

AMHERST, N.Y. - Daemen College men's outdoor track and field athletes Jeremy Rushok (Akron, N.Y./Buffalo State College), Matt VanDeMortel (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) and Zach Laird (Alexander, N.Y./Alexander Central) each earned first-team All-East Coast Conference honors as announced today in a press release from ECC headquarters in Central Islip, N.Y. In addition, Niko Jemmison (Brooklyn, N.Y./Brooklyn Generation), Nigel Cordulla (Cheektowaga, N.Y./John F. Kennedy) and Kevin Roginson (Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North) joined Laird as second-team All-ECC honorees, as was the Wildcats' 4x800 meter relay team. All-conference honors are determined based on athletes' performances at the conference championship meet which was held on April 23 in Rochester, N.Y. on the campus of Roberts Wesleyan College.

Rushok and VanDeMortel both claimed individual titles for the Wildcats leading to their first-team All-ECC selections. Rushok placed first in the 10,000 meter run with a time of 33:41.11, finishing nearly 45 seconds faster than runner-up Joshua johnson of meet host RWC. VanDeMortel placed first in the 800 meter run with a time of 1:57.55.

It was the second straight season with all-league honors for Rushok who was a second-team selection last spring after finishing fourth in the 5,000 meter run.

Laird's school-record effort in the javelin highlighted Daemen's efforts in the meet's field events. He placed second with a throw of 46.72 meters, breaking his own school record of 42.01 meters which he set earlier this season at the ROC City Classic. He additionally picked up second-team All-ECC honors for his fourth-place finish in the shot put (11.87 meters).

Jemmison paced the Wildcat sprinters with his third-place finish in the 100 meter dash, establishing a new school record in the process as he became the first Daemen runner to post a sub-11 second time in the event (10.99 seconds). It represented a return to the all-league circle for Jemmison who was a first-team honoree in the 400 meter dash, and a second-team honoree in the 200 meter dash back in 2014.

Cordulla's selection came after he placed fourth in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:00.25. Roginson's selection also came in the middle distance category as he placed third in the 5,000 meter run with a time of 16:13.21.

The Wildcats' 4x800 meter relay team consisting of the afore-mentioned Cordulla and VanDeMortel as well as freshmen Lucas Canales (Ithaca, N.Y./Ithaca) and Jake Pronti (Pendleton, N.Y./Starpoint) finished second with a time of 8:22.61 resulting in their inclusion in the second-team All-ECC honorees.

Follow the Daemen College track and field team on Twitter (@DaemenTRACK / @DaemenAthletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/daemencollegeathletics) to get live game updates and breaking news throughout the year.

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Players Mentioned

Lucas Canales: 5' 7"; Freshman

Nigel Cordulla: 5' 9"; Junior

Zach Laird: 5' 11"; Sophomore

Jake Pronti: 5' 10"; Freshman

Kevin Roginson: 5' 10"; Sophomore

Jeremy Rushok: 6' 0"; Junior

Matt VanDeMortel: 5' 10"; Junior

Niko Jemmison: 5' 10"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Lucas Canales
: 5' 7"; Freshman

Nigel Cordulla
: 5' 9"; Junior

Zach Laird
: 5' 11"; Sophomore

Jake Pronti
: 5' 10"; Freshman

Kevin Roginson
: 5' 10"; Sophomore

Jeremy Rushok
: 6' 0"; Junior

Matt VanDeMortel
: 5' 10"; Junior

Niko Jemmison
: 5' 10"; Sophomore