Triton College sophomore Ava Connerty of Riverside made significant strides to become the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III national champion in the 100-meter high hurdles this women’s track and field season.
There also was the work involved in just being a student-athlete while balancing her part-time job as a pharmacy technician for 21 hours weekly in three 7-hour shifts.
“It was just school, work, track – nothing else for the whole season. It was pretty hard, but time management was really everything,” Connerty said. “There were a lot of long days because I’d work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and then I’d have practice from 5 to 7 p.m. Then at the end of the day I was so drained. But it was all worth it at the end.”
Connerty recently was honored as the NJCAA Division III Women’s Outdoor Track & Field National Scholar Track Athlete of the Year by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
The 2023 Riverside Brookfield High School graduate is the first Triton athlete to receive the USTFCCCA award.
“It’s really like a big reminder of the time and effort put into both school and track paying off,” Connerty said. “It’s an honor to be recognized nationally for something that’s been a big part of my life.”
Connerty became the Trojans’ first national champion in women’s track, May 10, in Utica, N.Y. Her lifetime-best 15.24 seconds won the 100 hurdles by .02 of a second. Connerty also was an All-American with the Trojans’ third-place 4 x 400 relay and second in the 100 hurdles at 2024 nationals after joining the team in mid-season.
Academically, Connerty maintained a 3.9 grade-point average as she worked toward an associate’s degree in psychology, which she is completing this summer. Learning of her scholastic honor more than two months after her national title only added to the satisfaction.
“I didn’t know they recognized an athlete of the year just based on academics,” she said. “I didn’t expect it at all. It was really a nice surprise.”
Connerty will continue track at NCAA Division II Nova Southeastern University (Davie-Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) and pursue a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Head women’s and men’s track and cross country coach Jonathan Carter just completed his second season with the Sharks.
“I’ve always wanted to go to a school in Florida,” said Connerty, who has family in Ft. Lauderdale. “[Carter] seemed really interested in me because he’s trying to rebuild the track program. It seemed like I’d be a really good fit and that’s what really drew me in.”
Kallas is NJCAA Athlete of Year
College of DuPage freshman and national champion Will Kallas of Riverside was named the NJCAA DIII Male Field Athlete of the Year by the USTFCCCA.
The 2024 RBHS graduate won the outdoor NJCAA DIII title in pole vault with 4.50 meters/14 feet-9 inches, May 8, in Utica, N.Y., after being a USTFCCCA All-America seventh at indoor nationals, March 7-8, in Lubbock, Texas with a then personal-best 4.63m/15-2 1/4.
Kallas also achieved a personal-best 50.69 for the 400 and was part of the third-place, NJCAA honorable mention All-American 4 x 400 relay (3:26.59, 51.34 split) at outdoor nationals. The Chaparrals (195 points) captured their fifth consecutive outdoor NJCAA team title by 66 points over Harper.
On March 28, Kallas cleared a lifetime-best 4.85m/15-11 in pole vault at St. Louis University, nearly two feet better than his then RBHS school-record 14-0 from the 2024 indoor season.