West Babylon, N.Y. - On Wednesday, the East Coast Conference announced its Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Year after a vote by the league’s coaches. St. Thomas Aquinas College's Emmanuel Mena-Jimenez was selected as the Men’s Outdoor Athlete of the Year for a second straight year.
The sophomore from West Haverstraw, N.Y. excelled in throwing events, finishing no worse than fourth in 11 different events during the outdoor season. Mena Jimenez was the ECC Champion in the discus (52.60m) and hammer (52.82m) and was the runner-up in the shot put (13.95m). His season-best mark in the discus of 52.89m, which was good for second at the TCNJ Invitational, also earned Mena Jimenez a spot in the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championship. At the national championship, he finished 11th with a mark of 51.36m to earn a spot on the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-America Second Team.
Also announced were the Most Outstanding Athletes of the ECC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Fellow Spartan Jayden Bennermon (Jr., Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) was selected as the Men's Most Outstanding Men’s Athlete at the ECC Championship. Bennermon won the high jump (1.85m), long jump (6.43m), and triple jump (13.71m) to secure 30 points in the meet for St. Thomas Aquinas.