Bergen County Doctor Pleads Guilty to Submitting More than $32,000 in False Claims

Faces Five-Year Prison Sentence for Health Care Claims Fraud

TRENTON

– Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor (“OIFP”) announced today that a Bergen County family practitioner is facing five years in prison for submitting more than $32,000 in false claims to an insurance company for health care services he never rendered.

Dr. Robert Delagente, 45, of Oakland, who practiced at North Jersey Family Medicine, pleaded guilty to a one-count accusation charging him with second-degree health care claims fraud. Under the terms of the plea agreement, the State will recommend that Delagente be sentenced to five years in prison. Delagente is scheduled to be sentenced on January 10, 2020.

In pleading guilty before Superior Court Judge James X. Sattely in Bergen County on Nov. 21, 2019, Delagente admitted that between May and December of 2016 he submitted seven fraudulent claims to Blue Cross/Blue Shield of New Jersey totaling $32,006.

The fraudulent claims billed the insurance company for allergy testing and immunotherapy services that Delagente did not provide to patients.

“When doctors cheat the insurance system, they’re committing a crime that drives up the cost of healthcare for everyone, including the patients they took an oath to serve,” said Attorney General Grewal. “The five-year prison sentence this doctor faces sends a message that New Jersey will not tolerate medical providers who abuse their professional authority for illegal gain.”

“Insurance fraud costs insurance companies billions of dollars every year nationwide and those losses are passed on to all of us through higher insurance premiums and increased costs for goods and services,” said Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Tracy M. Thompson. “To protect New Jersey residents from being victimized by insurance cheats we will continue to pursue harsh punishments like the one announced today to send a strong message of deterrence.”

Deputy Attorney General Crystal Callahan represented the State during the plea hearing.

Delagente was charged following a joint investigation of his practice by OIFP and the FBI. The investigation was coordinated by OIFP Detectives Suzanna Lopez and Janet Thai, and special agents with the FBI Health Care Fraud Unit.

Delagente also faces criminal charges in federal court stemming from this investigation.

On May 13, 2019, the

U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of New Jersey charged Delagente

with one count of distribution of controlled dangerous substances for allegedly prescribing opioid pain medications and other controlled substances outside the ordinary course of professional practice, and one count of obstruction of justice for allegedly falsifying medical records to cover it up.

In the wake of the federal charges against him, Delagente entered an

Interim Consent Order

with the State Board of Medical Examiners in which he agreed to the temporary suspension of his license pending the outcome of those charges and pending further action by the Board.

Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Thompson noted that some important cases have started with anonymous tips. People who are concerned about insurance cheating and have information about a fraud can report it anonymously by calling the toll-free hotline at

1-877-55-FRAUD

, or visiting the Web site at

www.njinsurancefraud.org

. State regulations permit a reward to be paid to an eligible person who provides information that leads to a conviction for insurance fraud.

North Jersey Oral Surgeon License Revoked

Final Decision

Initial Decision

NEWARK

– Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the Division of Consumer Affairs today announced that the State Board of Dentistry (“the Board”) revoked the license of a North Jersey oral and maxillofacial surgeon and ordered him to pay more than $500,000 in penalties, costs, and restitution to patients for engaging in “hit and run dentistry” that left a swath of harmful consequences for patients in four counties.

Dr. Andrew Maron, who owned a string of dental practices in Monmouth, Passaic, Hudson, and Union counties, and also practiced as an itinerant oral surgeon in those counties, has been prohibited from practicing in New Jersey since the State filed multiple allegations of negligence, gross negligence and professional misconduct against him in 2015.

In a final decision that brings closure to the State’s case, the Board revoked the license of the 58-year-old Maron, finding that his treatment of patients – many of whom were low-income, elderly, or disabled – amounted to “hit and run dentistry” that reflected a “cavalier indifference to his patients’ well-being” and a “pattern of substantial deviations from the standard of care that existed unabated for years.”

“Most dental practitioners are dedicated to the health and safety of their patients,” said Attorney General Grewal. “But revolving-door dentistry that puts practitioners’ financial gain ahead of patient health and safety erodes public trust and undermines the integrity of the entire profession. That’s why it’s important for the Board to take decisive action in cases like this one, and we are pleased that the Board did so.”

According to findings in the case, Maron committed multiple acts of negligence and gross negligence and professional misconduct in his treatment of 17 patients between 2010 and 2015. Such conduct included:

Pulling natural teeth and replacing them with dental implants with little or no regard to the restorability of the natural tooth;

Placing numerous implants that failed, some dangerously so by migrating into the sinus, or by patients swallowing them;

Performing, planning and undertaking treatment without regard to a patient’s ability to pay for the treatment;

Discussing treatment with patients who were already in the chair receiving anesthesia;

Pressuring elderly patients into having implants placed without pre-operative diagnosis, review, or informed consent;

Pressuring Medicaid patients into taking CareCredit loans which exceeded their ability to repay;

Ignoring or failing to take patients’ medical histories;

Submitting inaccurate and inflated billing for treatment; and

Failing to ensure that the dentists in his employ practiced with patients\’ health, safety, and welfare in mind.

“Dr. Maron placed patients at risk through egregious conduct that violated the most basic tenets of professionalism,” said Paul R. Rodríguez, Acting Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. “His disregard for the well-being of his patients makes a mockery of the standards adhered to by those who are privileged to hold a license to practice dentistry. The revocation of his license not only protects the public from the threat posed by Dr. Maron, it removes a stain on New Jersey’s esteemed dental profession.”

The Board\’s decision to revoke Maron’s license largely upholds the findings of an Administrative Law Judge who heard the case in a series of hearings that concluded in January 2019.

In an Initial Decision rendered in May 2019, Administrative Law Judge Susan M. Scarola concluded that Maron’s practice was “so overextended it was almost impossible for him to provide quality care.”

“Respondent’s repeated acts of negligence and gross negligence, his professional misconduct, his dishonesty and deception, and his lack of providing appropriate and determined care for his patients warrant the severest possible sanction, namely, revocation of his license,” Judge Scarola concluded.

Judge Scarola also agreed with the State’s argument that Maron should be ordered to pay a substantial penalty for each unlawful act he committed, and that he be ordered to reimburse patients for deficient treatment, and reimburse the State for fees and costs associated with investigating and prosecuting the case.

Following a hearing on July 24, 2019, the Board adopted Judge Scarola’s findings and conclusions with limited modifications. Those modifications lowered the amount of restitution to one patient, and removed restitution to another patient who already received payment through civil litigation.

The Board ordered Maron to pay civil penalties totaling $138,500; restitution totaling $75,041.22 to 15 patients; and aggregate costs and attorneys\’ fees of $303,856.22. The Board filed its written decision on Nov. 1, 2019.

This investigation was conducted by the Enforcement Bureau of the Division of Consumer Affairs.

Senior Deputy Attorney General Joan D. Gelber, from the Division of Law represented the State in this matter.

Patients who believe that they have been treated by a licensed health care professional in an inappropriate manner can file an online complaint with the State Division of Consumer Affairs by visiting its

website

or by calling

1-800-242-5846

(toll free within New Jersey) or

973-504- 6200

Commercial Vehicle Travel Restrictions on portions of I-78, I-80 and I-287 start at midnight tonight

Winter Weather Alert**

Avoid Unnecessary Travel during the Storm

(Trenton) –

New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti today issued a

commercial vehicle travel restriction on portions of I-78, I-80, and I-287 starting

at 12 midnight tonight

The winter storm is expected to produce difficult travel conditions across the northwest portion of the State due to accumulated snow and ice that will cause limited visibility on the roadways and disrupt snowplow operations, especially during the morning and evening commuting period on Monday, December 2.

NJDOT is prepared and coordinating our response with our regional transportation partners and the New Jersey State Police to ensure the safety of all travelers. Ice and winds could bring trees and branches down on roadways. NJDOT crews have tree-clearing equipment available to remove debris from state highways to ensure plows, emergency personnel and utility companies can get through.

Commercial Vehicle Travel Restriction

The restriction applies to the entire length of all Interstate Highways in New Jersey including:

Interstate 80, both directions from the Pennsylvania state line to exit 43 (I-287)

Interstate 78, both directions from the Pennsylvania state line to exit 29 (I-287)

Interstate 287, both directions from exit 21 (I-78) to the New York border

The commercial vehicle travel restriction in New Jersey applies to the following vehicles:

All tractor-trailers

Empty straight CDL-weighted trucks

Passenger vehicles pulling trailers

Recreational vehicles

Motorcycles

The restriction DOES NOT apply to:

New Jersey Turnpike

Garden State Parkway

Atlantic City Expressway

The Department is reminding motorists:

AVOID UNNECESSARY TRAVEL during the storm

Consider Telecommuting tomorrow, if possible

If you must drive and road conditions deteriorate, GET OFF THE ROAD somewhere safe and wait it out

Always STAY CLEAR of plows and spreading trucks. If they are behind you,

let them pass

DO NOT PASS between trucks that are in a plow formation

Be patient and use caution

In order for NJDOT and our regional and local transportation partners to safely and efficiently clear roadways of snow and ice, motorists need to

Clear the Roads so We Can Clear the Roads.

NJDOT will deploy our Incline Package assets on I-280 and I-78 at Jugtown mountain (between Exits 7 and 11), which includes pre-positioning towing assets, NJDOT Safety Service Patrol (SSP) trucks, and coordination with New Jersey State Police.

NJDOT will be using Variable Message Signs throughout the storm to provide updates. Once conditions improve, NJDOT will lift the Winter Weather Congestion Alert.

Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT\’s traffic information website

www.511nj.org

for real-time travel information and for NJDOT news and updates follow us on the

NJDOT Facebook page

or on Twitter

@NJDOT_info

Two Sisters Says Archdiocese of Newark and Harrisburg Diocese Protected Priest

FORTNEY FAMILY TO ANNOUNCE FILING LAWSUIT AT DECEMBER 2 PRESS CONFERENCE IN NEWARK

At a press conference in Newark, New Jersey on December 2, 2019, Fortney Family sisters Patty Fortney-Julius and Lara Fortney-McKeever, along with their attorney, Benjamin D.

Andreozzi, Esq., will announce the filing of a civil lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Newark and the Diocese of Harrisburg (PA) under New Jersey’s newly enacted civil window legislation. Patty and Lara’s lawsuit outlines priest Augustine Giella’s heinous sexual abuse of multiple of the Fortney Family sisters, including Patty and Lara, and the cover-up of his crimes by the Newark Archdiocese and Harrisburg Diocese. As the lawsuit outlines, Giella was incardinated into the Newark Archdiocese, but transferred to the Harrisburg Diocese, where he met the Fortney Family. He then abused the Fortney Family sisters in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

According to their attorney after years of silence, the Fortney Family sisters have become advocates for survivors of sexual abuse across the nation. They now travel the country speaking on the issue of child sexual abuse and lobbying state legislatures to change laws that disadvantage survivors, including in New Jersey. Several of the Fortney Family sisters will be available to answer questions regarding their journey and the filing of their civil case.

The announcement will be made Monday at 10 a.m. at the Comfort

Suites Newark-Harrison

1348 McCarter Hwy.,

Newark, NJ 07104

The sisters are being represented by

Lindsey Gibson of

Andreozzi & Associates, P.C.

Op-Ed: Peyton’s Law –

Empowering Student Athletes/Parents to be Proactive about Cardiac Arrest Prevention

By Sen. Mike Regan

Nov 2019/

The Center Square

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is reported to be the leading killer of student athletes in the United States and the leading cause of death on school campuses. An average of one in 300 student athletes have undetected abnormal heart issues that could lead to SCA.

Recognizing these staggering statistics, I introduced

Senate Bill 836

, known as Peyton’s Law, in an effort to educate every student athlete and their parents about electrocardiogram (EKG) testing to detect underlying heart conditions.

This bill has been a top priority for me because it honors a young woman who was taken from us six years ago at the young age of 19. Her name is Peyton Walker, and she died from Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Peyton was a graduate of Trinity High School in Camp Hill, and she was a sophomore at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre when she died. Her mother, Julie Walker, established and now heads The Peyton Walker Foundation, which advocates for the use of EKG testing to screen for underlying electrical issues in the heart that can lead to SCA. The foundation conducts free EKG screening events at schools across Pennsylvania and has screened several thousand students.

Unfortunately, Peyton’s family is not alone in losing a loved one to SCA. Based on Cody’s Law, recently enacted legislation in Texas named after Cody Stephens, a young football player who died of SCA, Peyton’s Law builds on the important groundwork of Act 59 of 2012, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act.

Thanks to Act 59, student athletes and their parents currently are provided an information sheet with symptoms and warning signs of SCA. However, there is no guidance on what steps can be taken if a parent wants to be proactive or if the student athlete has experienced any of the signs or symptoms of SCA.

Peyton’s Law requires information be provided to student athletes and their parents regarding electrocardiogram testing and notice be given of the option to request the administration of an electrocardiogram in addition to the standard physical examination.

This is a common-sense piece of legislation aimed at educating our student athletes and their families at a time when every hour of every day we lose a child to SCA. And the majority of those deaths are attributed to detectable and treatable heart conditions that went undiagnosed due to the limited scope of standard sports physicals and well-child check-ups.

As a father of four, Peyton’s story, as well as so many others, has hit close to home. Knowing a simple test could save my children from becoming a victim of SCA motivated me to have my own boys screened, and my legislation provides life-saving information to all parents and empowers them to take the same steps I did. And while the legislation speaks specifically to student athletes, I want all parents to be part of the bigger conversation – to be aware of SCA, its warning signs, and their ability to seek an EKG if they are worried about their child having an underlying heart condition.

Peyton’s Law has garnered tremendous support and momentum in the legislature, and I commend my colleagues for recognizing the importance of this issue. It is unusual for a bill to see such quick action, but the fact that I met with Julie Walker on this issue in July, introduced the bill in August, and by October it had achieved unanimous passage in the Senate, is a testament to the merits of the bill.

The legislation now awaits consideration in the House of Representative’s Education Committee, chaired by Representative Curt Sonney, R-Erie. I have had the pleasure of meeting with Chairman Sonney to discuss the significance of this issue, and I look forward to the bill’s passage in the House and it being signed into law by the governor.

Peyton’s Law will undoubtedly help save the lives of many young people in Pennsylvania while honoring the life and memory of a young woman gone too soon.

published here with permission of

The Center Square

NJ Pick-6 Increases to $3.7 Million for Dec. 2

TRENTON (Nov. 29, 2019) – The Pick-6 drawing on November 28 produced seven winners of $2,941 for matching five out of six white balls drawn. One of those tickets was purchased with XTRA, multiplying the prize to $5,882. The $3.7 million drawing will be held Monday, December 2, 2019.

The winning numbers for the Thursday, November 28, drawing were: 14, 16, 18, 26, 31 and 43. The XTRA Multiplier was: 02. By adding XTRA for an additional $1.00 per play, winners are able to multiply their non-jackpot prizes by the XTRA number drawn.

Acting Executive Director James Carey announced that there were 411,749 tickets purchased for the drawing and of those sold, thousands were prizewinners! For correctly matching four numbers, 305 ticketholders won $65 each and 42 others won $130 each with the addition of XTRA. Moreover, for correctly matching three numbers 6,149 ticketholders won $3.00 each and 999 others won $6 each with the addition of XTRA. Lastly 7,163 ticketholders each won $2.00 for correctly matching two numbers with the addition of XTRA on their purchase.

###

All New Jersey Lottery game winning numbers and drawings for the Pick-3, Pick-4, Jersey Cash 5, Pick-6, CASH4LIFE and 5 Card Cash games can be viewed on the NJ Lottery website (www.NJLottery.com) or on the official Lottery Facebook Page. Evening draws, with the exception of CASH4LIFE and 5 Card Cash, can be seen on WPIX-TV (PIX11) in New York and WPHL-TV (PHL17) in Philadelphia. Powerball and Mega Millions drawings can be seen on WABC-TV or WTXF stations.

Cellphone shock: Pennsylvanians Paying More in Fees Than Most

By Steve Bittenbender |

The Center Square

Nov 26, 2019

Pennsylvanians are paying more taxes on their cellphone bill than all but one of their neighbors and significantly more than the national average. That’s

according to a report

by a nonpartisan tax policy research group.

The combined local, state and federal taxes on a resident’s cellphone bill is 25.4 percent. The Washington-based Tax Foundation noted that was the seventh-highest rate in the nation. Excluding the federal 9.1 percent rate, Pennsylvania’s state and local tax is slightly more than 16.3 percent.

A state resident who has a $100 monthly bill from their wireless provider pays more than $304 in taxes per year. The average U.S. resident pays about $260 annually in local, state and federal levies.

“It’s important that people keep an eye on these things because they are well-hidden within people’s phone bills,” said Ulrik Boesen, a senior policy analyst for the foundation.

Two things stand out regarding Pennsylvania’s higher than average costs. First, Boesen said Pennsylvania charges a 5 percent gross receipts tax that’s in addition to the 6 percent sales tax.

Telecommunications is one of five industries on which Pennsylvania levies a gross receipts tax. The others include electric utilities providers, transportation companies, private bankers and managed care organizations.

The other surcharge that Boesen noted was the $1.65 monthly fee for state wireless 9-1-1 service. That represents a tax rate of nearly 4.4 percent. By comparison, Ohio’s charge is just 25 cents per number per month for state and local wireless 9-1-1.

While 9-1-1 is an essential service for residents, Boesen said that doesn’t mean it should have its own tax.

“In general, we don’t like when you have specific taxes for specific services,” he said. “We like it more when you broaden your tax bases to be as broad as possible and as low-rate as possible.”

A year ago, Pennsylvanians were paying a rate of 22.9 percent, but the bulk of that is due to a nearly 2.5 percent increase in the federal surcharge, which provides funding for certain organizations, such as schools and hospitals, in communities with higher than normal costs. The federal tax also can assist low-income residents in those areas.

Among neighboring states, only New York residents paid a higher percentage of taxes, as its 18.7 percent state-and-local rate ranks fourth in the U.S. Maryland was also in the top half of states at 14.7 percent, 14th highest.

West Virginia was 32nd overall at 10.2 percent, New Jersey landed at 38th at 9 percent, and Ohio residents pay 8.5 percent in state and local taxes, which ranked 43rd. Delaware’s rate of 6.6 percent is 49th in the study, which also includes Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.

Action Wellness Honors Three “Friends For Life”

Action Wellness to be Presented with Pioneer Award by Center for AIDS Research at UPENN

PHILADELPHIA, PA (NOVEMBER 2019)

– Every year, Action Wellness observes

World AIDS Day

in partnership with

AmeriHealth Caritas

. On December 1, as a part of their annual campaign

“Action Heroes Wear Red”

, friends and supporters are asked to wear red, or a red ribbon, on this day to raise awareness for World AIDS Day. This day is an opportunity for people to unite in the fight against HIV and to commemorate those who have died from AIDS-related illness. In 2017, according to the CDC, there were 1.8-million new cases of HIV in the United States. Action Wellness refuses to let this disease take over, and is dedicated to raising awareness in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

Since 1991, Action Wellness has recognized individuals who have made a very real difference in the lives of people living with HIV and other chronic illnesses by giving them their highest honor: the

Friend for Life Award

. On December 4, Action Wellness is hosting the Friends for Life Awards event at

Yards Brewing Company

. The award ceremony is set to honor NBC10’s Vai Sikahema, Yard’s Brewery’s Tom Kehoe and London Grill Owner Terry Burch McNally.

Vai Sikaehma has done an outstanding job in raising awareness for those affected by HIV through his work on

NBC10

and

Telemundo62

Tom Kehoe, Owner of

Yards Brew

ing Company

, has been supporting Action Wellness for years by creating Action IPA. Every year the sales of Action IPA benefit Dining Out For Life. Dining Out For Life is Philadelphia’s largest dining fundraiser in which participating restaurants donate 33% of your food bill back to local HIV/AIDS service organization.

Terry Burch McNally has been supporting Action Wellness since the first year of Dining Out For Life. Fairmount’s London Grill (which is now closed) has been one of the few restaurants that have been with Dining Out For Life for the last thirty years.

Through their work, their vision, and their philanthropy, these three individuals have made a very real difference in the lives of people living with HIV and other chronic illnesses.

Finishing out the week on December 6, Action Wellness Executive Director Kevin Burns will be accepting an award on behalf of the organization. It is the Pioneer Award from the

Community Advisory Board of the Center for AIDS Research

at the University of Pennsylvania. The award is part of the Red Ribbon Awards Ceremony which is held each year in commemoration of World AIDS Day, and recognizes the tireless efforts of our local heroes in policy, research, community, faith, youth leadership and more. The Penn CFAR CAB has developed partnerships with several programs from the School District of Philadelphia showcasing the work of youth around the city and creating the space to continue the work of HIV activism and education.

For media inquiries and/or interview requests, please contact

Molly@PhillyPRGirl.com

About Action Wellness:

Action Wellness is one of Pennsylvania’s largest AIDS service organizations. It is committed to helping people living with HIV and other chronic illnesses. Its services include: medical case management, a range of health screenings including HIV testing, treatment as prevention, prevention education, supportive housing, and volunteer services. Services are provided at five Action Wellness locations and at more than 30 host sites throughout the city of Philadelphia and in Delaware County. Action Wellness currently serves over 4,000 clients annually through the efforts of 400 dedicated volunteers and over 100 professional staff working together to sustain and enhance the quality of life for the diverse community it serves.

About World AIDS Day:

World AIDS Day

was founded in 1988 and is the first ever globally recognized health day. There are an estimated 30,000 people living with HIV in Philadelphia and an estimated 37.9 million people living with HIV globally. Despite the virus only being identified in 1984, more than 3 million people have died of HIV or AIDS, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history.

5 Pieces of Essential Equipment for a New Dental Surgery

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(Nov. 29, 2019)–A surgeon is only as good as their tools, and this also goes for a dentist. When opening, upgrading or launching a new dental surgery, it’s vital that you first have all the supplies you need to provide excellent care for your patients.

Your skill and technique might be top of the class from all your training and qualifications, but if you don’t have the necessary tools to make use of those skills, they will all go to waste.

Before you open your new dental surgery to the public, make sure you have these essential instruments and pieces of equipment at hand.

X-Ray Equipment

Some dental treatments require an insight that you cannot get by eye, which is why you need to

invest in X-ray equipment

. Digital X-rays are much more efficient and less harmful than traditional X-rays; there is a lot less radiation which makes it safer for both the dentist and the patient. What’s more, instead of waiting for X-ray images to develop, you can access them immediately on a computer.

Sterilization Equipment

Maintaining sterile equipment and a sterile environment is vital for good quality care and for the health of your patients. If your equipment isn’t sterile, it can pass on contagious germs and infect multiple patients. There are multiple types of sterilization equipment that you will need throughout the office, including but not limited to:

Dental instrument washers & dryers

Dental sterilizers

Sterilization is essential; even if your other equipment and instruments are of excellent quality. If they aren’t sterile, you won’t be providing excellent care.

Curing Light Units

For treatments like veneers, specialized instruments and equipment are required for the procedures. If you plan to offer cosmetic teeth treatments, you will need a wide range of instruments specifically used for these types of treatments.

One of these instruments is a dental curing light

that will become essential for any procedure that involves materials that need curing by light.

Dental Operatory Lights

To be able to see all the way into patients’ mouths, you will need a strong dental operatory light. When you have a good view of the patient, you can provide more accurate and tailored care for the current condition of their teeth and their mouth.

Cabinets

While cabinets aren’t directly correlated to patient care, they are correlated to how well you perform as a dentist. Organization is key when you have a lot of instruments and equipment in the office. Having cabinets will allow you to organize and store all the essential equipment you need so that you can access it with ease when you are treating a patient.

Reaching for an instrument and knowing exactly where it is, looks much more professional than taking a long time to look for it and wasting the patient’s time.

—

Whether you are starting a new dental office from scratch or updating one that’s already running, it is important to remember the essentials before anything else.

image courtesy of unsplash.com

All-American Joseph Domanico Named League Performer of the Week

TROY, NY (11/26/2019)– Following an All-America effort at the NCAA Championship Meet, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athlete Joseph Domanico of Haddon Township 08108 and Haddon Township High School has been selected as the Men\’s Cross Country Performer of the Week by the Liberty League, it has been announced.

A senior captain, Domanico earned All-America after leading Rensselaer to a school record 10th place finish at the Division III Championship. He was 17th in the field of 279 finishers to pace the Engineers, who recorded their first top 10 finish.

He was in 124th place after the first 1K (3:08.1) before moving up 76 spots to get to 48th place at the 3K mark (9:15.0). A 3:23.7 split put him in 47th at 4K (12:38.7) before he advanced 18 spots into 29th at the 6.4K mark (19:58.3). A final kick of 4:50.9 brought Domanico into 17th place overall with a time of 24:49.1 – the first time he broke 25:00.0 in his college career. He scored 14 points, which was the best total for any competitor from a Liberty League school and second from a squad from the northeast. The All-America certificate is the first of his career.

Rensselaer, which entered the meet ranked 16th in Division III, has now competed in each of the last four national championships and six in total. It was 13th in 2018 and 2016, 14th in 2017, 17th in 1996 and 33rd in the nation in 1975.

Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is America\’s oldest technological research university. For nearly two centuries, the Institute has been a driving force behind breakthroughs in engineering and science in virtually every arena-from transportation and infrastructure to business, medicine, outer space, and cyberspace.

As it approaches its bicentennial anniversary, the Institute continues to define The New Polytechnic, a new paradigm for teaching, learning, and research that uses advanced technologies to enable fresh collaborations across disciplines, sectors, and regions, in order to answer the global challenges of our day.