AKHTAR, ARDELEAN & SALGE COLLECT NJAC WEEKLY CROSS COUNTRY AWARDS

Abad Akhtar

Matt Ardelean

Nicole Salge

Richard Stockton student-athletes collected three of the four NJAC weekly cross country awards. Junior Abad Akhtar (Brigantine/Atlantic City) was named the NJAC Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week for the second time this season and freshman Matt Ardelean (Margate/Atlantic City) was chosen the NJAC Rookie of the Week. Freshman Nicole Salge (Spotswood/Spotswood) earned the NJAC Women’s Cross Country Rookie of the Week honor.

On Saturday, Akhtar won the Osprey Open with a 6K time of 19:11.53, followed by Ardelean in second place at 20:02.80 as the duo led Stockton to a team victory on its home course. Akhtar won his second race of the year and sixth of his career. The junior has been Stockton’s top finisher at all four meets this season, and Ardelean has been the Ospreys’ second runner across the finish line in each of his first four career races.

Salge helped the Stockton women’s team win the NJAIAW Championship on its home course by placing 11th out of 59 runners with a time of 26:18.42 for six kilometers. The freshman was running in just her second college race after missing Stockton’s first two meets of the season.