Record 48 Winter Student-Athletes Earn Academic All-Big Ten

May 11 | General, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Women's Gymnastics, Women's Swimming & Diving, Wrestling

PISCATAWAY – A school-record 48 Rutgers student-athletes were recognized by the Big Ten Conference as Winter 2020 Academic All-Conference on Monday after a record-setting 100 were honored by the league in the fall. Among the winter honorees are 23 repeat selections, a four-time honoree in wrestling redshirt senior Jordan Pagano and seven three-time selections.

"Rutgers student-athletes continue to set a high standard of excellence in academics," said Director of Athletics Pat Hobbs. "We are reminded with each academic awards release how grateful we are of our hard-working students and the support structure that surrounds them. Next winter, we anticipate the opening of the Barbara Rodkin Academic Success Center and a continued dedication to distinction in the classroom."

Rutgers' three-time Big Ten All-Academic honorees are Joey Downes from men's basketball, Khadaizha Sanders from women's basketball, Erin McLachlan from gymnastics, and Lexy Brewer, Sarah Davis, Alexandra Fabugais-Inaba and Nadia Nabhan from swimming & diving.

To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, students-athletes must have been enrolled full-time at the institution for a minimum of 12 months and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.

Eighty-eight percent (21/24) of eligible swimming & diving student-athletes received recognition, while 73 percent (8/11) of gymnastics earned the distinction. Swimming and diving also boasts a two-time NCAA Championships qualifier and Big Ten silver medalist in Terka Grusova. Wrestling features two selections slated to compete at NCAA Championships, including four-time Academic All-Big Ten winner Jordan Pagano. Women's basketball sets a program record with five selections, while men's basketball had five honorees for the second consecutive year, tying for the program's most recipients since 2012.

Men's Basketball
Geo Baker, Jr., Human Resource Management, Derry, N.H. (2^nd selection)
Nick Brooks, Sr., Human Resource Management, Somerset, N.J.
Joey Downes, Sr., English, East Sandwich, Mass. (3^rd selection)
Myles Johnson, Jr., Electrical and Computer Engineering, Long Beach, Calif. (2^nd selection)
Luke Nathan, Jr., Marketing, Randolph, N.J. (2^nd selection)

Women's Basketball
Zipporah Broughton, So., Environment and Business Economics, Wetumpka, Ala.
Mael Gilles, Jr., Communication, Montreal-Nord, Quebec, Canada (2^nd selection)
Stephanie Guihon, Jr., Criminal Justice, Largo, Md.
Noga Peleg Pelc, So., Communication, Even Yehuda, Israel
Khadaizha Sanders, Gr., Adult and Continuing Education, Kankakee, Ill. (3^rd selection)

Gymnastics
Sophia Atienza, Jr., Public Health, Copley, Ohio (2^nd selection)
Kiera Doherty-Herwitz, So., Exercise Science, Bedford, Mass.
Emily Drauss, Jr., Materials Science and Engineering, Longwood, Fla. (2^nd selection)
Kaitlyn Hall, Sr., Labor Studies and Employment Relations, Raytown, Mo. (2^nd selection)
Belle Huang, Jr., Biological Sciences, Gaithersburg, Md. (2^nd selection)
Abigail Karolewski, So., Journalism and Media Studies, Hillsborough, N.J.
Sage Littlejohn, So., Pre Business, Orlando, Fla.
Erin McLachlan, Sr., Journalism and Media Studies, Huddersfield, England (3^rd selection)

Swimming & Diving
Lily Black, Jr., Environmental Sciences, Cinnaminson, N.J.
Lauren Boone, Jr., Journalism and Media Studies, Elkhart, Ind. (2^nd selection)
Alexis Brewer, Sr., Exercise Science, Bridgewater, N.J. (3^rd selection)
Delaney Carey, Jr., Industrial Engineering, Orlando, Fla.
Sarah Davis, Sr., Nutritional Sciences, Scotch Plains, N.J. (3^rd selection)
Megan Demeo, So., Exercise Science, Bedford, Mass.
Katie Dougherty, So., Public Health, Carmel, Ind.
Jenna Douglass, So., Chemical Engineering, Cape Town, South Africa
Kasja Dymek, So., Pharmacy, Gardner, Mass.
Alexandra Fabugais-Inaba, Sr., Journalism and Media Studies, Oakville, Ontario, Canada (3^rd selection)
Federica Greco, Jr., Human Resource Management, Rome, Italy
Terka Grusova, So., Sport Management, Jablonec nad Nisou, Czech Republic
Clare Lawlor, Sr., Exercise Science, Orland Park, Ill.
Simone Lusby, So., Human Resource Management, Auckland, New Zealand
Erin Murphy, So., Public Health, Galloway, N.J.
Nadia Nabhan, Sr., Human Resource Management, Virginia Beach, Va. (3^rd selection)
Katherine Scott, Sr., Labor and Employment Relations, Lincroft, N.J.
Eleonora Trentin, So., Nutritional Sciences, Firenze, Italy
Marina Wilkins, So., Economics, East Longmeadow, Mass.
Nora Woods, So,. Pre-Business, Collingswood, N.J.
Lizzie Zeller, So., Biomedical Engineering, Champlin, Minn.

Wrestling
Christian Colucci, Gr., Labor Studies and Employment Relations, Summit, N.J.
Brett Donner, Sr., Sport Management, Wall, N.J. (2^nd selection)
Luke Ecklof, Jr., Marketing, Howell, N.J. (2^nd selection)
Zach Firestone, Sr., Human Resource Management, Logan Township, N.J. (2^nd selection)
Joseph Grello, Sr., Human Resource Management, Newton, N.J. (2^nd selection)
Shane Metzler, Jr., Human Resource Management, Long Valley, N.J. (2^nd selection)
Jordan Pagano, Sr., Psychology, South Brunswick, N.J. (4^thselection)
Willie Scott, Sr., Labor Studies and Employment Relations, Brick, N.J.
Michael VanBrill, Sr., Human Resource Management, Mullica Hill, N.J. (2^nd selection)