PITMAN, NJ --- Rowan University senior Gabriella Pagano (Blairstown, NJ/Pope John XXIII) has been named the NJAC Runner of the Year while The College of New Jersey freshman Teagan Walker (Ewing, NJ/Ewing) earned Rookie of the Year status.
 
Additionally, Rowan head coach Shedrick Elliott III and assistants Eric DuBois, Shelby Whetstone, and Jassina Surles earn Coaching Staff of the Year honors based on a vote of the league’s head coaches.
 
Pagano and Walker highlight the 14-member NJAC women’s cross country all-conference team. All honors were determined based on placing at the championship meet, which was conducted at Stockton University on Saturday, Nov. 1.
 
Pagano dominated the conference championship race, winning the title in 21:56 on the 6K course to earn NJAC Runner of the Year honors. The Blairstown native led Rowan to the team championship with a commanding performance, finishing 25 seconds ahead of the field. Pagano’s victory capped a stellar career that includes First Team All-Conference honors in 2024, Second Team recognition in 2022, and now her crowning achievement as conference champion and Runner of the Year.
 
Walker earned NJAC Rookie of the Year recognition with an impressive seventh-place finish at the conference championship, clocking 23:20. The Ewing native helped lead TCNJ to a runner-up finish with her strong performance, just 35 seconds off the winning time. Walker is a three-time NJAC Rookie of the Week this season.
 
The Rowan coaching staff of Shedrick Elliott III, Eric DuBois, Shelby Whetstone, and Jassina Surles earned Coaching Staff of the Year honors after guiding the Profs to the conference championship with 41 points. The staff mentored five all-conference runners, including Runner of the Year Pagano, two total First Team honorees, and three Second Team runners.
 

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FIRST TEAM
Name	School	Yr.	Hometown/High School
Gabriella Pagano+^	Rowan	SR	Blairstown, NJ/Pope John XXIII
Dale Leonard~^	Ramapo	JR	Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central
Naesha Gadie~	TCNJ	JR	Trenton, NJ/Hamilton West
Shannon Stakelbeck	Rowan	JR	Toms River, NJ/Toms River East
Abigail Churchill	Montclair State	SR	Oakland, NJ/Indian Hills
Kayla Kass~*%	Stockton	SR	Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne
Teagan Walker	TCNJ	FR	Ewing, NJ/Ewing
SECOND TEAM
Name	School	Yr.	Hometown/High School
Ella Daly	TCNJ	SO	Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville
Madelyn Valasek&	Stockton	SR	Medford, NJ/Shawnee
Jezena Aponte	Rowan	JR	Jersey City, NJ/Henry Snyder
Rachel Hayes+%	Stockton	SR	Marlboro, NJ/St. John Vianney
Juliana Sieminski	Rowan	FR	Elk Township, NJ/Delsea Regional
Ava Biemuller	TCNJ	SO	Howell, NJ/Freehold Township
Allyson Wernik^	Rowan	JR	Sewell, NJ/Washington Township

KEY:
^ - First Team All-Conference 2024
% - Second Team All-Conference 2024
~ - First Team All-Conference 2023
& - Second Team All-Conference 2023
* - First Team All-Conference 2022
+ - Second Team All-Conference 2022