With Sterling’s Marquise Young and Pitman’s Nicholas Razze in the lineup, Rowan ran a blistering 3:11.41 and placed 4th in the 1,600-meter relay Saturday at the NCAA Division 3 Championships, giving the Profs their most points at nationals in 40 years.
With more than half their points coming in the 110-meter hurdles, Rowan recorded its 4th consecutive top-5 finish at D-3 nationals. Their 43 points placed them 3rd, behind only two Wisconsin powerhouses – La Crosse, which won with 76 points, and Oshkosh, which was 2nd with 48 points.
The Profs went into the 4-by-4 with 38 points – 22 in the hurdles with a historic 1-2-5 finish from Kwaku Nkrumah, Jason Agyemang and Young, plus 10 in the javelin with Damitrius Hester and Thomas Flanagan going 3-5, four in the 400-meter relay with Nana Agyemang, Penns Grove’s Eli Hendricks, Bridgeton’s Shamar Love and Highland’s Robert McKinney in 5th place, and Paulsboro’s Jamile Gantt contributed two points in the high jump.
The five 4-by-4 points gave Rowan 43, their most since the 1984 team won with 114 points in Northfield, Minn., the Profs’ fifth of five consecutive national titles.
In eight years under head coach Dustin Dimit, Rowan has now placed in the top 10 in Division 3 six times, including 4th in 2021, tied for 5th in 2022, tied for 3rd in 2023 and now 3rd this year. It’s the first time they’ve finished in the top five four years in a row since the 1980 through 1984 teams won five straight D-3 titles under legendary Bill Fritz.
Since 1976, Rowan has failed to score at D-3 Nationals just twice out of 48 years the meet’s been held.
Rowan at NCAA Division 3 Nationals Year-by-Year
1974: Did not score
1975: Did not score
1976: 6 points [tied for 33rd]
1977: 6 points [tied for 39th]
1978: 35 points [2nd]
1979: 44 points [2nd]
1980: 61 points [1st]
1981: 58 points [1st]
1982: 119 points [1st]
1983: 97 points [1st]
1984: 114 points [1st]
1985: 27 points [8th]
1986: 6 points [tied for 35th]
1987: 8 points [tied for 37th]
1988: 7 points [tied for 39th]
1989: 9 points [tied for 30th]
1990: 15 points [20th]
1991: 25 points [11th]
1992: 14 points [20th]
1993: 16 points [tied for 12th]
1994: 4 points [tied for 52nd]
1995: 10 points [tied for 21st]
1996: 17 points [9th]
1997: 25 points [tied for 8th]
1998: 35 points [5th]
1999: 16 points [tied for 16th]
2000: 5 points [tied for 49th]
2001: 6 points [tied for 42nd]
2002: 6 points [tied for 40th]
2003: 6 points [tied for 43rd]
2004: Did not score
2005: 7 ½ points [33rd]
2006: 1 point [tied for 66th]
2007: 5 points [tied for 42nd]
2008: 2 points [tied for 68th]
2009: 10 points [tied for 29th]
2010: 14 points [tied for 17th]
2011: 18 points [tied for 12th]
2012: 23 points [8th]
2013: 8 points [tied for 31st]
2014: Did not score
2015: 6 points [tied for 43rd]
2016: 15 points [tied for 18th]
2017: 23 points [tied for 7th]
2018: 26 points [3rd]
2019: 7 points [tied for 40th]
2020: Not held
2021: 41 points [4th]
2022: 30 points [tied for 5th]
2023: 39 points [tied for 3rd]
2024: 43 points [3rd]
Rowan’s 18 Top-10 Finishes at NCAA Division 3 Championships
1980: 61 points [1st]
1981: 58 points [1st]
1982: 119 points [1st]
1983: 97 points [1st]
1984: 114 points [1st]
1978: 35 points [2nd]
1979: 44 points [2nd]
2018: 26 points [3rd]
2024: 43 points [3rd]
2023: 39 points [tied for 3rd]
2021: 41 points [4th]
1998: 35 points [5th]
2022: 30 points [tied for 5th]
2017: 23 points [tied for 7th]
1985: 27 points [8th]
2012: 23 points [8th]
1997: 25 points [tied for 8th]
1996: 17 points [9th]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 