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Robert Spies of Hampton, a freshman from the Raritan Valley Community College cross country team, has been named a National Junior College Athletic Association All American. The 2016 graduate of North Hunterdon High School also has been named to the first team All-Garden State Athletic Conference.

Last week Spies ran in the NJCAA Division III Cross Country National Championships, held November 12 at Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua, NY. He finished 12th out of 50 in the men's 8k race, with a time of 29:48 and an average kilometer pace of 3:44. The race was a close one, with the first-place runner finishing with a time of 29:11.

“Rob is the first All American in our program, and I know he will come back hungrier for more next year,” said RVCC head cross country coach Patty Rivas. “The RVCC Athletic Department is proud of him and his accomplishments.”

To qualify for nationals, Spies excelled in the NJCAA Region XIX Championships, held October 30. In the Division III men's 8k race, he finished in second place with a time of 28:25 and an average mile of 5:43.

This is the consecutive season that a member of the RVCC cross country team has run in the national championships. Jake Thoden participated last year.

For additional information about RVCC Athletics, visit www.rvccathletics.com.

Raritan Valley Community College’s main campus is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. Serving Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for close to 50 years, RVCC is an educational and cultural center that is nationally recognized for its innovative programming, service to the community and environmental leadership. The College offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates, as well as career training, professional development and personal enrichment courses. The College also has a performing arts center and planetarium.

RVCC is committed to offering a quality and affordable education through effective teaching, liaisons with the community’s businesses, and state-of-the-art technology. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 16, 2016

Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383

PR #62