College Track & Field
Rider’s Payne, Fenlator National Coaches All-Academic Team

NEW ORLEANS, LA—The Rider University men’s and women’s track & field programs were honored by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association as 2007 All-Academic teams.

“These awards are a reflection of their dedication to what we want to do as a program,” said Rider head coach Rob Pasquariello, “be exceptional both on the track and in the classroom. Obviously the academics comes first.”

In all, there were 34 Division I men’s teams and 97 Division I women’s teams honored.  The Rider women compiled a 3.020 cumulative grade point average and won both the Indoor and Outdoor Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Track & Field Championships this year.  The Rider men compiled a 3.067 team grade point average and placed second in the MAAC both Indoor and Outdoor.

“To have the whole team honored, that means we’re getting through to the majority of the kids,” Pasquariello said.

In addition to the teams being honored, two individuals, David Payne and Jazmine Fenlator, were named to the USTFCCCA 2007 All-Academic Teams.

A 2007 graduate of Rider, Payne (Neptune, NJ) graduated with a 3.568 cumulative grade point average as a Finance major and was named the Most Outstanding Performer at both the Indoor and Outdoor Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Track & Field Championships this year.

Fenlator (Wayne, NJ) compiled a 3.560 grade point average as a Journalism major, graduating Magna Cum Laude, and was named the Most Outstanding Performer at both the Indoor and Outdoor Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Track & Field Championships, leading Rider to a pair of team titles.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, one must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.25 and obtain an NCAA automatic or provisional qualifying mark for the most recent indoor championships or an outdoor regional qualifying mark in their respective event.

Payne is one of 233 student-athletes from 88 colleges and universities on the Division I Men's All-Academic Team. Payne was an NCAA Regional qualifier in both the 100 meters and the 200 meters, winning both events at the MAAC Championships on his way to five MAAC gold medals as a senior.  Payne was an All-East performer twice indoor (100m, 200m) and once outdoor (200m) this year.

Fenlator won five MAAC gold medals this year, earned All-East honors in four different events, set new Rider records in five different events, and qualified for the NCAA Regional Championship in three events.

Fenlator is one of 415 student-athletes representing 117 Division I colleges and universities who make up the Women’s All-Academic team.

Fenlator was Rider’s New Jersey AIAW Woman of the Year and the MAAC’s nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year award this year.  Earlier this spring Fenlator was named to CoSIDA’s  ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 2 women's track & field/cross country team.

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