Montclair, NJ – The Montclair State men's track & field team and the field hockey earned the highest team grade point average to celebrate Day Three of Division III Week.
 
The men's track & field gained Team Academic honors for the third time overall as they previously took the top spot in 2003 and 2017. Field hockey was the lead on the women's side for the second time in three seasons and the fifth time overall.
 
The track and field team placed 22 members in the 3.0 club and had 11 named to the Dean's List. Senior BRANDON RIZZO was a First Team All-NJAC honoree in the 500-meter run after winning the race in 1:06.09. The first-place finish makes it two straight years Rizzo won the 500, and he broke his school and conference record time set during the 2019 NJAC Championship. The foursome of NANA ANTI, SEBASTIAN CORTES, TIM GOSS, and Rizzo notched First Team accolades as well, winning the 4X200 meter relay in 1:13.6. It was the fourth time overall the Red Hawks won the 4X200 and first since 2015.

The Red Hawk foursome of PATRICK TUOHEY, MATTHEW CARMICHAEL, NICK ZIPETO, and Rizzo gained an Honorable Mention honor in the 4X800 relay. The quartet notched a time of 8:19.16 and was the third time Montclair picked up an All-Conference nod in the 4X800. The last group to do it was back in 2007 when Terry Iavarone, Akeem Jones, Anthony Jarvis, and Elvis Cole garnered Second Team honors.
 
The field hockey team named recently had four members (NICOLE ANDRIANI, KATELYN OSTERLIND, MELISSA PALLEN and KEELEY WINN) named as NFHCA Scholars of Distinction, while 15 team members were chosen to the NFHCA National Academic Squad. During Division III Week, 13 student-athletes were named to the Dean's List while 21 had a 3.0 or better.
 
On the field, Andriani became the first two-time All-American when she garnered First Team honors from the NFHCA this year. The NJAC Goalkeeper of the Year, the senior also was a First Team All-NJAC choice and a two-time NJAC Defensive Player of the Week. Junior forward Elizabeth Cimiluca joined Andriani as an All-Region selection and was also a First Team All-NJAC selection.
 
KELLY WATSON and JANELL HARDEN rounded out the All-Conference selections, with each gaining Honorable Mention accolades. Watson led the Red Hawks with eight goals and chipped in three assists while starting all 17 games. The senior recorded her first career hat-trick in a 4-3 victory over Muhlenberg College on October 4, registering the first three Montclair goals. Harden played 1,080 minutes on the backline, the most among Red Hawk field players this year while starting all 17 games. She was a vital cog on the defense that allowed just 20 goals this season.
 
With 450 members, Division III is the largest division within the NCAA, which administers 28 Division III championships. Division III institutions comprise nearly 40 percent of the NCAA's membership and nearly 180,000 student-athletes compete at the Division III level each season. Division III Week is part of an identity initiative, which was introduced in 2010 to sharpen the division's identity and enable schools, conferences, and student-athletes to consistently explain why they prefer to compete in Division III. The initiative is guided by a strategic-positioning platform, describing Division III as a place where student-athletes can "follow your passions and develop your potential," through an approach that combines rigorous academics, competitive athletics and an opportunity to pursue other interests.