New season, big goals: Profs get set for spring sports campaigns
New season, big goals: Profs get set for spring sports campaigns
February 11, 2022
Hurdler Nicole Notarianni leads a talented women's track and field roster for Coach Derick "Ringo" Adamson this spring. Rowan athletes in all sports are gearing up for an exciting season.
Rowan University’s softball, baseball, lacrosse, and track and field teams have their sights set on conference and national titles as they begin their spring campaigns.
Here’s a team-by-team outlook for the new season:
After falling just short of a New Jersey Athletic Conference championship last year, Coach Kim Wilson’s squad is aiming for big things this season.
The Profs, who finished 27-7 overall and 17-1 in conference play last spring, began the season at the Grand Slam Triangle Classic in North Carolina on Feb. 25.
Key returnees for Wilson’s squad include sophomore infielder and returning NJAC Player of the Year Payton McNair, who, in a stellar freshman season, led the Profs in batting, runs and extra-base hits. Senior outfielders Morgan Zane and Rebecca Lombardo also give Rowan a solid 1-2 punch at the plate.
On the mound, senior pitcher Emily August, who went 14-3 last year and was named NJAC Pitcher of the Year, also returns.
In more than 25 years at Rowan, Wilson is one of the winningest all-time coaches in NCAA Division III softball. Last year, she notched her 800th career win and won NJAC Coach of the Year for the seventh time.
Last season, Coach Mike Dickson’s squad had a stellar campaign, winning the team’s 17th NJAC title and reaching the NCAA Division IIII College World Series for the sixth time in school history. They finished the season 29-6 and were ranked seventh in the nation in the D3Basecall.com poll.
This year, the Profs head into the spring ranked 12th in the preseason by D3Baseball and 16th in the nation by Collegiate Baseball News.
Dickson, whose team opens the season March 1 at Swarthmore College, will rely on a veteran corps that includes seniors Ryan Murphy, Ryan Mostrangeli and Donald Zellman and junior Eli Atiya.
Murphy, a right fielder, and Atiya, a pitcher, both have been named to the Preseason D3Basetball All-America Team. Last year, Murphy batted .384, leading the Profs in home runs, RBI and slugging percentage. Atiya, a left-hander, led the squad with a 9-2 record with an ERA of 1.68.
An outfielder, Mostrangeli batted .351 last year, earning him a spot on the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team. Zellman, a right-handed pitcher, had the team’s best ERA at 1.64 last spring and was undefeated as a starter.
In seven seasons, Dickson has led Rowan to a 180-80 record, four NCAA Tournament appearances and two NJAC titles. He was named the NJAC Coach of the Year and the American Baseball Coaches Association/ATEC NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year last season.
In their second straight season affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Profs finished at 3-7 last year and fell in the semifinals of the NJAC Championship Tournament.
This season, Coach Lindsay Delaney’s squad will rely on a quartet of seniors. The Profs opened their season at home on Feb. 23 versus Ursinus College. After many years at Coach Richard Wackar Stadium, Rowan’s home field has been changed to the Rowan Soccer and Lacrosse Complex.
Leading Rowan on attack will be Ashley Lechliter, Elise Cohan and Julianna Corson, while Gianna Rusk will lead the defense.
Last year, Lechliter, who was named to the All-NJAC first team, led Rowan in scoring with 32 goals and six assists. Cohan was an All-NJAC team honorable mention last year, while Corson had four multiple-goal games last spring. Rusk is a sturdy defensive starter and team leader for the Profs.
Now in her 15th season, Delaney is the second longest-tenured coach in program history and boasts a 138-85 record. She has guided the Profs to the Division III Championship Tournament six times.
A bevy of All-Americans—and two national champions—will lead the way for Coach Dustin Dimit, who is in his seventh year at the helm. Last year, Rowan won its sixth straight NJAC title and placed fourth in the NCAA Championships.
Ahmir Johnson, Division III national champion in the triple jump last season as a freshman, will look to defend his title. Meanwhile, Amara Conte, who was a member of the 4x400 national champion relay team last year, also returns for his sophomore campaign.
Johnson and Conte were All-Americans last spring, as were Jah’Mere Beasley, Nana Agyemang and Julio LeBron.
A junior sprinter, Beasley was the national runner-up in the 200 meters, while Agyemang achieved All-America status in the 4x100 relay. LeBron was All-America in the javelin.
The Profs will open their outdoor season in late March.
NJAC first team selection and NCAA qualifier Nicole Notarianni spearheads a talented roster that is expected to make some noise this spring.
A senior, Notarianni competed in the 100-meter hurdles at the Division III NCAA Championships last year, but fell just short of All-America status.
Promise Fadahunsi (sprints/jumps), Makayla Taylor (throws) and Olivia Scattergood (throws) all look to have big seasons for Coach Derick “Ringo” Adamson, now in his 15th year as head coach. As head coach of Rowan’s cross country and track and field teams, Adamson, a former Olympian, has led the Profs to 22 NJAC titles altogether.
He has been named NJAC Coach of the Year a total of 16 times.
Rowan will begin its outdoor season in late March.