What a weekend for the Rowan University athletic programs.
Both the baseball and softball squads clinched berths in the NCAA Division III National Championship series after claiming titles at their respective Super Regions.
Jamir Brown (Riverside High School) won a national title in track and field, winning the 110-meter hurdles in 13.75 seconds, on Saturday. The Profs finished third in the nation at the meet.
Jamile Gantt (Paulsboro) and Noah Wampole (Radnor, Pa.) earned All-American honors in the high jump, tying for third and sixth place, respectively. On the women's side, Izzy Deal (Washington Township) earned two All-American honors, placing sixth in the javelin and shot put, while Nyla Jones (Timber Creek) and Molly Lodge (Woodstown) placed in the 400 hurdles.
Rowan baseball (36-10) earned a trip to the NCAA Division III World Series with a sweep of host Lynchburg, Va., winning the second game 6-2 on Saturday. The Profs will journey to Eastlake, Ohio, for the World Series, which begins on May 30. It's the fourth trip in program history to the national tournament.
Tyler Cannon (Gloucester Catholic) went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and Jason Morgan (Gloucester Catholic) had two hits and two RBIs in the clinching game.
Rowan softball (47-2) clinched its third straight trip to the National Championship series when the Profs swept out Salisbury, 15-1 and 6-2, on Friday.
The team will travel to Bloomington, Ill., for the national tournament, which will begin on May 29.
McKenzie Melvin (Williamstown) earned the Super Region's Outstanding Player award after going 5-for-8 with three runs scored and two RBIs.
Rylee Lutz (Gloucester County Tech) improved to 21-1 with a gem in the first game. She yielded one run on five hits and struck out seven en route to the tournament's Most Outstanding Pitcher award.
In Game 1, Breanna Bryant went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs while Payton MacNair (Cinnaminson) tied a career high with four runs scored.
In Game 2, Emily McCutcheon (Audubon) scattered two runs on four hits, striking out four en route to the victory. She raised her record to 21-1 on the season.
Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 35 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him by email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.