Lawrenceville, NJ - The Manhattan men and Rider women won the 2004 MAAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship today at Rider University. The Jasper men's team totaled 222 points, followed by Rider (157), Iona (137), Saint Peter's (58), and Marist (44). The win was Manhattan's seventh consecutive MAAC Outdoor Track anf Field Championship.

The Rider women's team totaled 266.50 points, followed by Manhattan (257), Iona (96), Marist (80.50), Loyola (52), and Saint Peter's (12). Rider won its first ever MAAC title.

The most outstanding male athlete for field event was awarded to Manhattan's Thomas Jacob Freeman, who set a MAAC record of 67.78 meters in the hammer throw. The most outstanding male athlete in the track event was Iona's Joe McAlister who won the 5,000 and 10,000 meter runs. The men's coach of the year was awarded to Manhattan's Dan Mecca.

The most outstanding female athlete in the field event was awarded to Manhattan's Karin Larsson who won the triple jump, shot put, and high jump. The most outstanding female athlete in the track event was Iona's Emmily Chelanga who won both the 3,000 and the 10,000 meter runs. Women's coach of the year honors went to Rider's Bill Hodge.

After six tournament records were broken on the first day of competition on Saturday, day two followed with eight more. In the men's events, Iona's Richard Kiplagat set a time of 3:38.22 in the men's 1,500 meter run and Rider men's 4x100 meter relay set a time of 41.11. In the women's events, Iona's Emmily Chelanga set a new record of 9:58.91 in the 3,000 meter run and Rider's Jazmine Fenlator set a record in the discus throw with a mark of 45.86 meters. The Lady Jaspers also tallied three other tournament records with Karin Larsson posting a mark of 13.77 meters in the shot put, Jenna Daly's 3.5 meters in the pole vault, and Therese Forsberg's time of 4:35.02 in the 1,500 meter run. The Rider women's team also broke the record in the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3:55.56.