AFFLITTO, ECKART & JOSEPH COLLECT NJAC WEEKLY HONORS

Joey Afflitto

Ronika Eckart

Rachel Joseph

Richard Stockton freshman third baseman Joey Afflitto (Brick/ Brick) was named the NJAC Softball Rookie of the Week today. In women’s track & field, senior Ronika Eckart (Pt. Pleasant/Pt. Pleasant Boro) was chosen the NJAC Track Athlete of the Week and junior Rachel Joseph (Livingston/Livingston) was selected the NJAC Field Athlete of the Week.

Afflitto got her career off to a great start with a solo home run in her first college plate appearance, in the first inning against Salem State on March 16. The rookie infielder went on to bat .419 with two doubles, two home runs and seven RBI during Stockton’s 10-game stint in Fort Myers, Florida last week. Afflitto also was a perfect 7-7 on stolen base attempts and hit safely in nine of her first 10 games at the college level. Stockton went 7-3 on its annual spring break trip.

Eckart and Joseph were key performers for the Stockton women’s track & field team, which began the 2009 outdoor season by hosting the Stockton Invitational on Saturday. Joseph easily defeated nine competitors in the pole vault, winning by 11.75 inches with a best vault of 10’11.75” (3.35m). Eckart finished second out of 18 runners in 100-meter dash with a time of 12.88 seconds and also placed ninth in the 100-meter hurdles at 16.08 seconds.