Scarlet Raptor Captures NJAC Championship in Senior Year

Years of dedication and hard work paid off when Alexis Marini CCAS’24 became the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) champion in the hammer throw. Overcoming stiff competition, Marini bested 17 athletes during the May 4 NJAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a hammer throw of 50.86 meters (more than 166 feet). In a sport where wins are often celebrated in centimeters, the championship-winning throw was 0.66 meters (more than two feet) longer than that of Marini’s closest competitor.

“Alexis came to us as an accomplished high school athlete and, through hard work, has become an elite athlete and a cornerstone of the program,” said Ian Chrzanowski, head coach of men's and women's track and field. “She will be truly missed after graduation.”

The NJAC hammer throw title is the crowning achievement of Marini’s illustrious track and field career, which included U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Metro Region honors during both the 2023 indoor and outdoor track seasons. She also set the Rutgers–Camden record in the discus throw during the 2023 indoor season and was honored as Scarlet Raptor of the Year at the 2024 Senior Student-Athlete Awards Banquet.

As Marini prepares to walk across the stage of Freedom Mortgage Pavilion to receive her degrees in economics and philosophy, she is also celebrating an exceptional academic career, which culminated in a 3.97 GPA. This fall, she will head south from the Garden State to continue her academic career at the University of Georgia School of Law.

“We are so proud of Alexis,” said Thomas Thomasson, acting director of athletics. “She truly embodies what it means to be a student-athlete at Rutgers–Camden, excelling both in the classroom and the field of competition.”