PITMAN, NJ --- Rowan University freshman shortstop
Payton MacNair (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) and fellow Prof
Emily August (Mahwah, NJ/Mahwah) have been named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Softball Player and Pitcher of the Year respectively for the 2021 season. Their selections highlighted the 32-member 2021 NJAC Softball All-Conference team which was announced on May 6.
Additionally, The College of New Jersey’s
Julia Mayernik (Columbus, NJ/Northern Burlington) and Ramapo’s
Mahogany Wheeler (Millville, NJ/Millville) were tabbed NJAC Co-Rookies of the Year. Rowan's
Kim Wilson is named the Dr. June Walker Coach of the Year.
All selections were made via a vote of the league’s 10 head coaches and were based on conference-only statistics.
A three-time NJAC Rookie of the Week selection,
MacNair stepped into Rowan’s starting shortstop role in her first season in Glassboro and led the Profs to a 17-1 regular season conference record. She leads all NJAC players in conference-only runs scored (22), conference-only hits (30), and conference-only doubles (10). MacNair is also second among all NJAC players with a conference-only .794 slugging percentage and posted the third-highest batting average (.476) in league play. The rookie shortstop also recorded a .933 fielding percentage.
August was recognized as the Pitcher of the Year after posting the best conference-only ERA (0.64) among all NJAC pitchers. She also posted a league-best nine wins in NJAC play, going 9-1 with seven complete games and five shutouts. August was second in opposing batting average, holding batters to just .163 against her. She also struck out 58, the third-most in the league this year.
Mayernik stepped into the starting role at catcher this season for the Lions, who finished second in the NJAC regular season standings with a 16-2 record. She batted .370 with a .565 slugging percentage in conference-only play and ranked among the top 10 players in doubles (6) and runs scored (14). She also recorded a stellar .992 fielding percentage, recording just one error in 124 chances behind the plate. She was named Rookie of the Week for Week 4.
Wheeler was a two-way threat for Ramapo this season, earning the starting pitching role as well as batting mostly in the clean-up spot. In the circle, she was 5-5 with a 2.18 ERA and tossed 10 complete games. She struck out 29 in conference-only play. At the plate, Wheeler batted .320 in conference-only play and drove in 16, which ranks fourth among all NJAC players. She also slugged .600, ranking seventh in the league, as she hit eight doubles and two home runs.
Wilson was selected as the NJAC Coach of the Year by her peers for the eighth time in her career. So far in 2021, she has guided the Profs to a 25-5 overall record and the NJAC regular season championship via a 17-1 mark in league play. Now in her 25th season at the helm of the Profs, Wilson has guided Rowan to an overall record of 799-323-3.
2021 NEW JERSEY ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
ALL-CONFERENCE SOFTBALL TEAM |
| PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Payton MacNair, Rowan |
| PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Emily August, Rowan |
| CO-ROOKIES OF THE YEAR: Julia Mayernik, TCNJ & Mahogany Wheeler, Ramapo |
| DR. JUNE WALKER COACH OF THE YEAR: Kim Wilson, Rowan |
|
| FIRST TEAM |
|
|
|
|
| Name |
Year |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown//High School |
| Emily August |
SR |
P |
Rowan |
Mahwah, NJ/Mahwah |
| Eliza Sweet^ |
SR |
P |
TCNJ |
Shamong, NJ/Seneca |
| Korie Hague |
JR |
C |
Rowan |
Vineland, NJ/Vineland |
| Kayla Gallo |
SO |
1B |
Montclair State |
Middletown, NJ/Middletown North |
| Julie Raba* |
SR |
2B |
Kean |
Spotswood, NJ/Spotswood |
| Lauren Conroy*+ |
SR |
3B |
TCNJ |
Aberdeen, NJ/Matawan Regional |
| Payton MacNair |
FR |
SS |
Rowan |
Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson |
| Allie Immerso |
SR |
OF |
TCNJ |
Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial |
| Meg Murzello~ |
SR |
OF |
Stockton |
Maple Shade, NJ/Holy Cross |
| Morgan Zane* |
JR |
OF |
Rowan |
Pittsgrove, NJ/A.P. Schalick |
| Taryn DiGiacomo |
SR |
UT |
Kean |
Saddle Brook, NJ/Saddle Brook |
| Kayla Cosentino |
FR |
DP |
Montclair State |
Whitehouse Station, NJ/Hunterdon Central |
| Sarah Byrnes |
SR |
At-Large |
Rutgers-Camden |
Cherry Hill, NJ/Camden Catholic |
| Kaci Neveling |
SO |
At-Large |
TCNJ |
Egg Harbor, NJ/Toms River North |
| Amber Powers~ |
JR |
At-Large |
Montclair State |
Newton, NJ/Pope John XXIII |
| SECOND TEAM |
|
|
|
|
| Name |
Year |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown/High School |
| Ali Cavallaro |
FR |
P |
Montclair State |
Marlboro, NJ/Marlboro |
| Alanna Namit*+ |
SR |
P |
TCNJ |
Mountainside, NJ/Governor Livingston |
| Julia Mayernik |
FR |
C |
TCNJ |
Columbus, NJ/Northern Burlington |
| Jackie Lara^ |
JR |
1B |
Rutgers-Newark |
Ridgefield, NJ/Ridgefield |
| Carli Egan^ |
SR |
2B |
Ramapo |
Washington Twp., NJ/Washington Twp. |
| Jaclyn Monaco |
SO |
3B |
Ramapo |
Montville, NJ/Montville |
| Lilly James^ |
JR |
SS |
Stockton |
Roseland, NJ/West Essex |
| Alyssa Borozan |
JR |
OF |
Montclair State |
Mount Olive, NJ/Mount Olive |
| Angie Dunphy |
SR |
OF |
Stockton |
Hainesport, NJ/Rancocas Valley |
| Kimmy Musarra |
JR |
OF |
Rutgers-Camden |
Millville, NJ/Millville |
| Mahogany Wheeler |
FR |
UT |
Ramapo |
Millville, NJ/Millville |
| Jaclyn Carifi |
SO |
UT |
TCNJ |
Parsippany, NJ/Parsippany Hills |
| Nina Arroyo^ |
SR |
At-Large |
Rutgers-Camden |
Delran, NJ/Delran |
| Maddie Carlson |
SR |
At-Large |
Kean |
San Jose, CA/Pioneer |
| Carly McDaniel |
SR |
At-Large |
William Paterson |
Lincoln Park, NJ/Boonton |
| HONORABLE MENTION |
|
|
| Name |
Year |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown/High School |
| Vanessa Archibold^# |
SR |
OF |
William Paterson |
Saddle Brook, NJ/Saddle Brook |
| Breanna Bryant |
SO |
3B |
Rowan |
Bear, DE/Caravel Academy |
Key:
* First Team All-Conference 2019
^ Second Team All-Conference 2019
|
+ First Team All-Conference 2018
~ Second Team All-Conference 2018
# Honorable Mention 2017 |