PISCATAWAY, N.J.  – The Rutgers men's cross country and track & field teams announced their annual awards for the 2018-19 season.


 
MVP CROSS COUNTRY – CONOR MURPHY
Senior Conor Murphy became the program's first all-region honoree since 1989 with his performance at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional. Murphy posted a time 31:48 in the 10K race to finish 17th in the field. Overall, he paced RU in team-high three races on the season, finishing ninth overall at the Fordham Fiasco and 12th overall at the IC4A Championships. Additionally, Murphy's PR result of 23: 15 at IC4As earned him All-East accolades. Murphy was named the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award XC honoree for Rutgers.
 

MOST IMPROVED CROSS COUNTRY – COLE PSCHUNDER
Junior Cole Pschunder was the runner-up at the Metropolitan XC Championships, crossing the line second with a time of 25:58.9. His mark helped secure a third-place team finish for RU in the 8K. The Gibbsboro, New Jersey, native was also the Scarlet Knights' top finisher at the Big Ten Championships with a time of 25:15.1. Pschunder went on to earn All-East accolades with a PR of 23:34 at the IC4A Championships, where RU finished in the top 10 as a team.
 

OUTSTANDING FRESHMAN CROSS COUNTRY – NICK HUTCHISON
Nick Hutchison made his Scarlet Knight debut in RU's third-place finish at the Metropolitan Championships. After posting a mark of 27:00.7 at the Big Ten Championships, Hutchison drastically cut down his time with a personal-best of 24:58 at the IC4A Championships. His mark was the highest among all RU rookies at IC4As.
 

MVP TRACK EVENTS – TAJ BURGESS
At his second straight NCAA Outdoor Championships, Taj Burgess clocked a time of 46.45 in the 400m semifinals to finish 18th in the nation. The Jersey City, New Jersey, native will earned Honorable Mention All-America status for the performance. Last season, Burgess collected Second Team All-American honors in the race in his rookie year. Additionally, Burgess claimed a silver medal in the event at the 2018 Big Ten Championships, while adding a podium finish this season.
 

MVP FIELD EVENTS – CHRIS MIRABELLI
Chris Mirabelli recorded a throw of 69.71m (228' 8") in the javelin to finish ninth in the nation at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, claiming Second Team All-American honors. The Lumberton, New Jersey, is now a four-time All-American, earning First Team status in 2017 before sitting out a season due to a shoulder surgery and a heart condition. During his comeback this year, Mirabelli claimed his third Big Ten title in the javelin with a throw of 71.83m, claiming First Team All-Big Ten status for the third time.
 
Mirabelli became the program's first ever four-time All-American in a single event in the outdoor season alone, claiming the recognition in the javelin at four outdoor championships.
 

MOST IMPROVED TRACK EVENTS – BILLY HILL
Billy Hill contributed to top performances for the distance crew in 2018-19. During the indoor campaign, Hill helped guide the 4x800m team to a third-place finish at the IC4A Championships, earning All-East accolades with the quartet. He placed eighth with the distance medley relay at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, posting a time of 9:55.87 for RU's first ever podium finish at the conference meet.
 
Individually, Hill won the 1500m with a PR of 3:51.30 at the Metropolitan Outdoor Championships, helping RU claim the team title. He had entered the year with a PR of 4:00.37 in the event.
 

MOST IMPROVED FIELD EVENTS – GREG HARNETT
Greg Harnett finished fifth in the javelin at the Big Ten Championships with a mark of 65.30m (214' 3"). Qualifying for his second straight NCAA East Preliminary, Harnett finished 14th in the region with a PR of 66.01 (216' 7"). The East Amwell, New Jersey, native had entered the season with a personal-best throw of 64.25m (210' 9") set in 2016, extending his throw nearly seven feet this year.


MVP NEWCOMER – A'NAN BRIDGETT
In his first year as a Scarlet Knight, A'nan Bridgett collected two Big Ten medals in the long jump, including bronze at the indoor conference championships and silver at the outdoor championships. He was named Second-Team All-Big Ten for his performance outdoors.The Princeton Junction, New Jersey, native qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary as a rookie, finishing in the top 25 of the region.
 
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersAthletics) and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding Rutgers men's track and field and cross country, follow the program on Twitter (@Rutgers_MensTF). The team is also on Facebook (facebook.com/ RutgersMensTF/).