Vincent Elardo enters his fourth season as an assistant track and field coach for the men’s and women’s programs at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Elardo is responsible for tutoring the Knights throwers and is involved with recruiting efforts and academic monitoring. Elardo holds a USATF Level 1 coaching certificate. Since joining the Knights staff in 2012, Elardo and his athletes have seen 12 school records fall. He has coached six all-east performers, eight conference champions, and one NCAA preliminary qualifier.
2012-2013
Senior Dwanya Freeland was crowned Northeast Conference Indoor Champion indoor in the 20-pound weight throw, with a school-record toss 18.15m (59’6.5). Freeland went on to place sixth at the ECAC Championships and earn All-East honors after producing a toss of 17.78m (58’4.5). Freeland continued her successful senior campaign by setting two more school records in the hammer throw and discus throw outdoors.
2013-2014
Ashli Weems enjoyed a successful freshman campaign. During the outdoor season, Weems finished second at the NEC Championships, with a school-record toss of 45.64m (149’9) in the discus, and sixth place in the Javelin, with a toss of 39.73m (130’4) also a new school record. Junior Andrew Forbes placed second at the NEC Championships, with a throw of 64.12m (210’4) in the javelin, breaking a school record and qualifying him for the IC4A Championships, where he finished 13th, narrowly missing All-East honors.
2014-2015
Graduate student Timothy Byrne took home gold medals at the indoor and outdoor Northeast Conference Championships in the shot put as well as the discus on his way to breaking both the indoor and outdoor school records in the shot put. Junior Naomi Hines took home her first gold medal of her career at indoor Northeast Conference Championships in the 20lb. weight throw with a toss of 18.27m (59’9) which broke Dwayna Freeland’s two year old school record. Hines went on to finish second at the outdoor championships in the hammer throw producing a new school record with a throw of 56.91m(186’7). Byrne and Hines both earned All-East honors indoor at the IC4A/ECAC championships in the shot put and 20lb weight throw. Outdoor freshmen Nicholas Todaro finished in first place at the Northeast Conference Championships in the hammer throw. Joining him was fellow Freshman standout Decoda Simpson who won the discus and placed fifth in the shot put earning first time all rookie honors in both events. Simpson would go on to throw 48.59 at the ECAC championships placing third and smashing the school record by over ten feet. Senior Andrew Forbes won the Javelin throw with a toss of 61.79 (202’7). Byrne, Forbes, and Simpson earned All-East honors in the shot put, javelin and discus at the IC4A and ECAC Championships, while Hines throw of 56.91m qualified her for NCAA Preliminaries in the hammer throw where she finished in 17th place at the event narrowly missing a chance to compete at the NCAA Championships at the University of Oregon.
Elardo attended Monmouth University where he was tutored by Abraham Flores. Flores has coached some of the best throwers in the country during his tenure at Monmouth and recently was selected to coach the USA Junior world team in 2015. Elardo set a Northeast Conference record by winning 12 individual championships as a thrower (Shot Put (6), Discus (2), Hammer (2,) Weight Throw (2).
The Forked River, N.J. native was named NEC Outdoor MVP in 2010 and again in 2012. He was a seven-time All-East performer, a two-time USA qualifier, and a 2012 NCAA qualifier, before earning Third-Team All-American honors in the shot put at the NCAA Championships. Other accomplishments include; being crowned IC4A Champion in 2011 and 2012, Team MVP in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and being honored as Monmouth University’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2012.
Elardo graduated from Monmouth with a bachelor’s degree in Science in Health Studies in May 2012. He is currently working towards his master’s degree in Public Administration at FDU.
