Montclair, NJ – Graduate student CHRISTINE GRIFFITH of the Montclair State women's outdoor track and field team was named the Thomas M. Gerrity Most Outstanding Athlete at the New Jersey Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships.

Griffith, who won both the shot put and the javelin to claim First Team All-NJAC in both events, becomes the fourth student-athlete in program history to garner Most Outstanding Athlete honors. She joins Tierra Hicks (2002), Monique Riddick (2008), and Heather Gearity (2012). Griffith and Riddick are the only field athlete to gain this prestigious honor. The NJAC teams are based on finishes at the NJAC Championships, which were contested last weekend as the Red Hawks placed fifth overall.

The Upper Saddle River, NJ native gained 10 points for the team in the shot put, throwing 12.73m to win by .07m over Makayla Taylor. The graduate student returned to the field for the javelin and again collected 10 points for the team by winning with a toss of 40.7m. That distance was a personal best by almost 3m as she won by 2.34m. Griffith is currently second in the AARTFC Region in the shot put and 18th nationally with her throw of 13.37m at the Stockton Invite #3 on April 16.

The graduate student becomes the fourth student-athlete to gain First Team All-Conference in the shot put and joins Lia Negra as the only two be named First Team All-NJAC in the javelin. Earlier this week, Griffith was chosen as the NJAC Field Athlete of the Week.