PITMAN --- Ramapo's Cheickna Traore was named the National Men’s Track Athlete of the Year for the 2023 NCAA DIII Indoor Track & Field season, announced by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
He headlined NJAC action at nationals as he earned All-America in two events, and was joined by Rowan's Nana Agyemang (long jump) and Amara Conte (400m) on the All-America podium.
Additionally, Traore was earlier named the Metro Region Track Athlete of the Year along with a pair of coaches honors as Rowan's Dustin Dimit was named Metro Region Coach of the Year and Norman Tate named Metro Region Assistant Coach of the Year. A total of 35 student-athletes earned 52 all-region honors.
Traore, who hails from Jersey City, New Jersey, made history at the 2023 NCAA DIII Indoor Track & Field Championships this past weekend in Birmingham, Alabama. He set an NCAA DIII record – and a meet record – in the 200 meters when he broke the tape first in 20.72. That came just a few events after he set a seasonal best of 46.85 to win the 400-meter crown and move up to No. 2 in NCAA DIII history in the process. Traore owns three of the top-7 marks in NCAA DIII history in the 200 and two of the top-10 efforts in the 400 from this season alone.
Dimit, in his ninth year at Rowan, led the Profs to the team title at the NJAC Indoor Championships. Dimit’s Profs lead all Metro Region teams with 19 All-Region honors. Rowan held three top-5 #EventSquad Rankings, topped by a No. 2 in the 60-meter hurdles, and had the No. 1 4×400-meter relay entering the NCAA Championships.
Tate, in his 15
th year as assistant coach at Rowan, coached Profs relay teams toDIII records in the 4×200 and 4×400. His athletes earned 10 All-Region honors in the 60, 200, 400, 60 hurdles and 4×400 and scored 96 points at the NJAC Indoor Championships. In addition to coaching the sprints, hurdles and relays, he provides technical work for the Profs’ horizontal jumpers, who nabbed national qualifying spots in the long jump (2) and triple jump (1).
National Honors
Track Athlete of the Year: Cheickna Traore, Ramapo |
| All-America |
| Cheickna Traore |
Ramapo |
200m, 400m |
| Nana Agyemang |
Rowan |
LJ |
| Amara Conte |
Rowan |
400m |
Metro Region Honors
Track Athlete of the Year: Cheickna Traore, Ramapo
Coach of the Year: Dustin Dimit, Rowan
Assistant Coach of the Year: Norman Tate, Rowan |
| All-Region |
| Robert Kalinowski |
Farmingdale State |
Heptathlon |
| Kimani Carrington |
Montclair State |
60mH |
| Owen Fogarty |
Montclair State |
PV |
| Dave Etienne |
NJCU |
200m, 400m |
| Cheickna Traore |
Ramapo |
60m, 200m, 400m |
| Jason Agyemang |
Rowan |
60mH |
| Nana Agyemang |
Rowan |
4x400, 200m, LJ |
| Jah'mere Beasley |
Rowan |
4x400, 60m, 200m |
| Amara Conte |
Rowan |
4x400, 400m |
| Evan Corcoran |
Rowan |
200m |
| Anaias Hughes |
Rowan |
HJ |
| Ahmir Johnson |
Rowan |
LJ, TJ |
| Shamar Love |
Rowan |
60m |
| Kwaku Nkrumah |
Rowan |
60mH, HJ |
| Max Owens |
Rowan |
PV |
| Tyler Raimondi |
Rowan |
PV |
| Jacob Riley |
Rowan |
Mile |
| Jarett White |
Rowan |
HJ |
| Marquise Young |
Rowan |
4x400, 60mH |
| Rendys Amilcar |
Rutgers-Newark |
TJ |
| Jordan Hartley |
Rutgers-Newark |
HJ |
| Zachariah Muyingo |
Rutgers-Newark |
HJ |
| Erik Ackerman |
Stockton |
3000m |
| Joseph Morales |
Stockton |
PV |
| Connor Wright |
Stockton |
LJ, TJ |
| Sean Burtnett |
TCNJ |
800m |
| Kevin Christensen |
TCNJ |
DMR |
| Thomas Domozych |
TCNJ |
60m |
| Jason Engler |
TCNJ |
4x400 |
| Andrew Lodge |
TCNJ |
DMR, 4x400, 400 |
| Zachary Mackiewicz |
TCNJ |
SP, WT |
| Michael Rodriguez |
TCNJ |
DMR |
| Roman Rychkov |
TCNJ |
DMR, 4x400, 800m |
| Raymond Schmitt |
TCNJ |
60m |
| Tyler Scott |
TCNJ |
4x400 |