PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Rutgers Division of Intercollegiate Athletics honored the winners of its 2005-2006 departmental awards at halftime of the RU Homecoming game against Ohio Saturday.

NEILL

Ryan Neill (Wayne, N.J.) was named the winner of the Coursen Award, given to Rutgers' outstanding senior male student-athlete, as well as a recipient of the Athletic Director's Excellence Award.  A two-time first-team all-BIG EAST Conference selection (2004-2005), he was named a 2005 SI.com All-American (honorable mention), a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award, presented annually to the top defensive end in the country, a Lombardi Award Watch List member, a finalist for the Wuerffel Trophy Award and a Draddy Award and National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete candidate.  The recipient of the Homer Hazel Trophy as Rutgers' MVP in 2005, the 6-3, 265-pound defensive end was an ESPN The Magazine District 2 Academic All-America selection and BIG EAST All-Academic Football Team selection following a senior year during which he was second in the BIG EAST with 21.5 tackles for loss (eighth among all NCAA Division I-A players) and tied for second in the BIG EAST with 10.0 sacks (tied-14th nationally).  Neill led all Rutgers defensive linemen, and was fourth overall on the team, in tackles with 71, leading the Scarlet Knights to their first bowl appearance in 27 years (Insight Bowl) and a final record of 7-5.

The Donald Leslie Coursen Memorial Perpetual Award is given annually to a male member of the graduating class who, during his career at the University, has participated in a major sport and proven himself an athlete of ability who has shown determination, courage, manliness, modesty and self-control.  In addition, the honoree, with loyalty to the University, unselfish devotion to his teammates and generous fairness to his opponents, has played the game according to the spirit of the rules.

PONDEXTER

Cappie Pondexter (Chicago, Ill.) was selected the winner of the Headley-Singer Award as the outstanding senior female student-athlete, as well as a recipient of the Werblin Award.  The 2006 Women's Basketball News Service National Player of the Year, Pondexter was a finalist for all three major national player-of-the-year awards (State Farm Wade Trophy, Naismith and Women's Wooden Award), the Bayer Advantage Senior CLASS Award, the Nancy Lieberman Award (top point guard) and the Honda Sports Award.  She averaged 21.6 points per contest (sixth nationally), adding 4.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game for the Scarlet Knights last season.  Named to the Kodak/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-America First Team, the Associated Press All-America First Team, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-America Team, the Senior CLASS Award All-America First Team, the Women's Wooden Award All-America Team, the Gballmag.com All-America First Team and the ESPN.com All-America First Team, the WBCA National Player of the Month for January was the unanimous choice as the BIG EAST Player of the Year, becoming the first player in league history to be named to the All-BIG EAST First Team four times during her career.  The 5-9 guard was selected to the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team for the fourth straight year (22.5 ppg) and earned a spot on the NCAA Tournament All-Cleveland Region Team (22.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.3 apg).  She was the second overall selection in the 2006 WNBA Draft (Phoenix Mercury), eventually earning an invitation to the WNBA All-Star Game as well as a berth on the league's All-Rookie Team, and she finished her rookie campaign with averages of 19.5 points (fourth in the WNBA), 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game.  She also competed with the USA Basketball Senior National Team at the Opals World Challenge in April of 2006 in Australia, and was a member of Team USA's World Championship training camp earlier this month in Durham, N.C.

The Headley-Singer Award, donated by trustees Evelyn L. Headley and Marijane Singer, is awarded each year to a female member of the graduating class who, during her career at the University, has participated in a sport and proven herself to be an athlete of ability, has shown determination, courage, modesty, self-discipline and who, with loyalty to the University, unselfish devotion to her teammates, and respect for her opponents, has played the game according to the spirit of the rules.  The David. A 'Sonny' Werblin Award is given to a male or female student-athlete who, either as an individual or as a member of a team, received national recognition or won a national championship during the previous school year.

In addition to Neill, five others were named recipients of the Athletic Director's Excellence Award, given to student-athletes who have been Scarlet Knights for at least four semesters prior to becoming eligible, accumulated a GPA of 3.50 or better through the year of award  consideration, earned national (at least honorable mention) or regional (first team) All-America status, and demonstrated leadership, character and performance of community service.

COULTER

Kaitlin Coulter (Tampa, Fla.) has been a standout rower for the Rutgers women's crew for the past three years.  As a junior in 2006, she rowed in both the four and six-seat.  Coulter was a member of the Varsity Eight that brought home the Raritan Cup with victories over Penn and Cornell, and earned several postseason awards, including first-team Mid-Atlantic region honors and the National Scholar-Athlete Award for Women's Rowing.  Coulter also earned BIG EAST Academic All-Star honors in 2006 for the third consecutive year.

FITTERY

Beth Fittery (Denver, Pa.) earned a number of athletic and academic accolades as a junior in 2006.  Fittery, a psychology major, was named the East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) Scholar-Athlete of the Year and earned EAGL All-America honors for the third straight year.  The co-captain led the team in the all-around and was named RU's Co-Most Valuable Player for the third consecutive year.  In addition, she received first-team All-America honors in the floor exercise at the USAG Collegiate National Championships after posting a score of 9.700.

HARRIGAN

Kelly Harrigan (Bristol, Conn.) had a standout career, both athletically and academically, with the Rutgers swimming and diving team.   She made an immediate impact, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2003, and capped off her career with numerous awards and honors during her senior season.  Harrigan received All-America honors all four years she swam for the Scarlet Knights and owns four individual relay records at RU.  She was a two-time BIG EAST Championships Most Outstanding Swimmer and a 19-time conference champion, most recently leading Rutgers to a second-place finish at the 2006 BIG EAST Championships.  Seven RU swimmers went on to compete the NCAA Championships last year, including Harrigan, who swam to a third-place finish in the 200-meter backstroke and an eighth-place effort in the 100 backstroke.  She also embodied the meaning of the term 'student-athlete' during her years 'On the Banks,' as she was named the 2005-2006 BIG EAST/Aeropostale Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

HENDERSON

Jason Henderson (Piscataway, N.J.) enters his senior season 'On the Banks' as one of the school's most accomplished fencers.  In three seasons he has three times advanced to the NCAA Championships in epee, placing 12th in 2005 to earn honorable mention All-America accolades.  Henderson also placed third at the 2006 Regionals.  As a sophomore, Henderson placed 18th at the national tournament, and as a freshman in 2004, he placed eighth to earn NCAA All-America accolades.

ROSELLE

Gina Roselle (Tinton Falls, N.J.) ended her Rutgers gymnastics career on a high note, earning All-America honors on the balance beam after she tied for fifth place in the event at the 2006 USAG Collegiate National Championships with a score of 9.550.  She also led the Scarlet Knights on the balance beam in 2006 with an average score of 9.492, and scored higher than 9.725 four times during the season.  Roselle was named to the 2006 EAGL All-Academic Team.