Rutgers Athletics Announces Annual Award Winners

PISCATAWAY, N.J.  – The Rutgers Division of Intercollegiate Athletics has announced its annual award winners for the 2007-08 academic year. The award recipients will each be honored along with special guest Carli Lloyd (Delran, N.J.) at halftime of Saturday’s Rutgers football game against Connecticut at noon at Rutgers Stadium. 

Carli Lloyd will be recognized during a ceremony for leading the United States to an Olympic Gold Medal in Beijing, China last August

All-American running back Ray Rice (New Rochelle, N.Y.) is the recipient of the David A. “Sonny” Werblin Award, 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. Standout linebacker Brandon Renkart (Piscataway, N.J.) has been named the winner of the Donald Leslie Coursen Memorial Perpetual Award, given annually to a male member of the graduating class who, during his career at the University, has participated in the intercollegiate athletics program and proved himself an althlete of outstanding ability, and has shown determination, courage, modesty and self-discipline and who, with unselfish devotion to his teammates and generous fairness to his opponents, has represented Rutgers University to the highest of standards.  Katrina Elder-Bush (Boston, Mass.) of the women’s tennis team is the recipient of the Headley-Singer Award. Donated by trustees Evelyn L. Headley and Marijane Singer, The Headley-Singer Award is given each year to a female member of the graduating class who, during her career at the University, has participated in the intercollegiate athletics program and proved herself to be an athlete of outstanding ability, and who has shown determination, courage, modesty, and self-discipline, and who, with unselfish devotion to her teammates and generous fairness to her opponents, has represented Rutgers University to the highest of standards.

 The award recipients will be joined by Lloyd, a former women’s soccer All-American at Rutgers, who will be recognized during a ceremony for leading the United States to an Olympic Gold Medal in Beijing, China last August.

A two-time All-American, Rice was the nation's second-leading rusher in 2007 after totaling 2,012 yards on the ground and scoring 25 touchdowns to help lead Rutgers to its third straight bowl and second consecutive bowl victory last season. Following the season, he was selected in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens and has started for the club in his rookie season. In 38 career games, Rice rushed for 4,926 yards and scored 50 touchdowns (49 rushing).

Rice finished as the second-leading rusher in BIG EAST history and the all-time leading rusher in Rutgers' history. He became the first player in Rutgers and BIG EAST history and the 13th player in NCAA history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season with 2,012 in 2007.  In his final game as a Scarlet Knight, he saved his best performance for last, rushing for a school-record 280 yards and four touchdowns, including a 90-yard touchdown run.

RICE

Rice left Rutgers as the school's all-time leader in 100-yard games (25), 200-yard games (6), career rushing yards (4,926), career rushing attempts (910), career rushing touchdowns (49), single-season rushing yards (2,012 in 2007), single-season rushing touchdowns (24 in 2007), single-season rushing attempts (380 in 2007), single-game rushing yards (280 vs. Ball State, 2008 International Bowl), single-season scoring record (150 points in 2007), single-season all-purpose yards (2,251 in 2007), consecutive 100-yard games (8 in 2007), longest rushing touchdown (90 vs. Ball State, 2008 International Bowl) and tied the school record for longest run from scrimmage (90 vs. Ball State, 2008 International Bowl).

Rice was named a Doak Walker Award finalist, honoring the nation’s top running back, for the second-straight season last fall and a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, honoring the top overall player in the country. He was also a Walter Camp Football Foundation, Sporting News, Associated Press and SI.com Second Team All-American as well as a unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST selection in 2007.

RENKART

A senior captain, Renkart was a defensive leader as well as a two-year starter and standout linebacker for the Scarlet Knights. He ended his senior season as one of the top tacklers on the team with 67 stops and 6.5 tackles for loss last fall. Off the field, the student-athlete was named a National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame National Scholar-Athlete and was a finalist for the prestigious Draddy Trophy, recognizing athletic accomplishments, academic honors and community service. Renkart boasted a 3.702 cumulative grade point average as a Civil Engineering major his senior season and was a member of Chi Alpha Sigma National Athletic Fraternity as well as the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society. He was a three-year member of the All-BIG EAST Academic Team and earned ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American accolades.

Renkart signed a free agent contract with the New York Jets of the National Football League in the summer and earned a spot on the team’s practice squad.

ELDER-BUSH

Elder-Bush finished off a stellar career with an exceptional senior season in 2008. She was the only individual to play No. 1 singles in every match at Rutgers. She led the Scarlet Knights in doubles victories last spring and was second on the squad in singles wins and holds the most wins at the position. Elder-Bush and partner Christine Tran started off the year 5-0 and won numerous key matches down the stretch of the season. In the 2008 BIG EAST Championships, Elder-Bush posted a 2-1 singles mark and went 1-1 in doubles action en route to being named to the league’s All-Tournament Team. She was the first Scarlet Knight to be named to the All-Tournament Team in the last five years. Elder-Bush picked up singles victories over Kristy Borza of Pittsburgh and Lauren Little of Marquette, both at the No. 1 singles position. Her only loss came to BIG EAST Most Outstanding Player Kelcy Tefft of Notre Dame.

Elder-Bush was inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society and was the first player from Rutgers to receive the East Region Arthur Ashe Award, given to a student-athlete who exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and leadership, as well as scholastic extra-curricular achievements.

Lloyd helped Rutgers earn four BIG EAST Tournament berths and two trips to the NCAA Tournament, including a Sweet 16 finish in 2001. She was the first RU player to earn first-team All-BIG EAST honors four times (2001-04), and in 2004 was named the BIG EAST Conference Midfielder of the Year as well as being named to the Soccerbuzz All-America Second Team, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Mid-Atlantic Region All-Third Team and the Soccerbuzz Mid-Atlantic Region First Team. She finished her career at Rutgers as the all-time leader in points (117) and goals (50). The four-time All-American also was a finalist for the 2004 Soccerbuzz National Player-of-the-Year Award, and was named a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy, the official NSCAA national player-of-the-year award.

Lloyd scored the game-winning goal in the 98th minute as Team USA defeated Brazil 1-0 in the 2008 Summer Olympics gold medal match. After 90 minutes of scoreless play, the game went into overtime. In the opening minutes of the extra session, Lloyd received a pass from teammate Amy Rodriguez and sent a left-footed shot past Brazilian keeper Barbara into the right side of the goal.

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