Ramapo College Women's Cross Country

Van Leeuwen returns to her alma mater after competing with the women's cross country and track and field teams from 2006-2009.  While competing at Ramapo, Van Leeuwen (Puntasecca), was named to the New Jersey Athletic Conference 2nd Team for her efforst at the league's championship in the steeplechase.  She also was named to the Honorable Mention Team competing as a member of the 4x800 relay.  Van Leeuwen holds the record for the Distance Medley Relay for indoor track and field, while also holding the College's record in the 1,000-meter run. A four-year member of SAAC, Van Leeuwen was named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team for her efforts in the classroom.  She was also inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma Honors Society, and earned Dean's List honors each semester at the College. She is a 2010 graduate of Ramapo College where she earned a biology/physical therapy degree.  She also graduated from The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2012.  She currently is a staff physical therapist at TruCare Physical Therapy in Ramsey, and recently married Craig Van Leeuwen, former pole vaulter and NCAA Division III National Champion at Ramapo College. 2015-2016 Season

Head coach Justina Cassavell enters her 10th season as head coach of both the cross-country and track & field programs at Ramapo College and her 13th at the college overall. Ramapo continues to be a contender on the national scene in both cross country and track & field. In cross country, eight athletes have qualified for the NCAA Cross Country Championships where Jeremy Hernandez (2017) and Steven Fiumefreddo (2021) earned NCAA All-American honors. Cassavell was named the 2015 NJAC Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year while the 2019 Men’s Cross Country team won the NJAC Cross Country Championship for the first time in school history. At the NCAA Atlantic Region Championships, they finished 6th overall the highest finish since the 2017 season. Chris Andersen and Jason Rodriguez earned All-Region honors. The 2019 women’s squad placed 2nd at the NJAC Championships - the highest placing during coach Cassavell’s tenure. Jen Polo finished 3rd place overall while Safiya Ratliff finished in 5th place. Safiya was named NJAC Women’s Cross Country Rookie of the Year. The Lady Roadrunner placed 12th at the NCAA Atlantic Region Championships, the highest finish in school history. Ratfliff and Polo earned All-Region honors. On the track, Cheickna Traore rewrote the records books at Ramapo College along with NCAA Division III in multiple sprint events. He finished his career with three NCAA DIII National records (indoor/outdoor 200m and indoor 300m), #2 All-Time in the indoor 400m and outdoor 100m and #3 All-Time in the indoor 500m. Traore won three NCAA Championships and is a seven-time All-American while he holds eight Ramapo College individual sprint records and is a member of two relay teams that hold school records. He was named NJAC Male Athlete of the year, Ramapo College Male Athlete of the Year, Ramapo College Career Award Winner. Hernandez became the 2018 NCAA Indoor Champion in the men’s mile with a national record time of 3.59.01. He is the first NCAA Division III athlete to break a four-minute mile in the history of the sport. Amber Edwards became the 2018 NCAA Indoor National Champion in the triple jump with a mark of 12.52-meters (41’ 1.00”). Kristina Langan advanced to the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships where she earned All-American honors with a 6th place finish in the pole vault. Cassavell joined the Roadrunner coaching staff in 2013 after a highly successful coaching career in the high school ranks. She was the Head Coach of the Girls Cross Country/Track & Field Team at Voorhees High School from 1997 to 2012.  She led the Voorhees Girls to three New Jersey State Meet of Champions Titles in 2007, 2008, and 2012, while they earned nine New Jersey State Group Championship Titles, and 13 New Jersey Sectional Championship Titles. She is a 1992 graduate of Rutgers University where she earned a degree in Economics.  She was a four-year member of the Scarlet Knight cross country and track and field teams. Cassavell was a NCAA provisional qualifier in 1991 for indoor track and field in the 800m run, with a time of 2:09.86.  She received All-East track & field honors in 1989, 1990, and 1991, while earning a championship crown at the indoor Metropolitan Championships in the 800m in '91.  She was named Rutgers Most Improved Runner in track & field in 1990. Cassavell and her husband, Robert have four children, Claudia, Nicole, Zoey and Robby. 2025-2026 Season