PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers Athletics inducted 49 student-athletes into the 2025 class of Chi Alpha Sigma, the National Collegiate Athlete Honor Society. The student-athletes were honored with an on-field presentation during the Friday night football game against Iowa at SHI Stadium.
 
Chi Alpha Sigma is a nonprofit organization that was established to recognize college student-athletes who excel both on and off the field of competition. The organization was founded in 1996 by then DePauw University head football coach Nick Mourouzis. His goal was to provide outstanding student-athletes with an opportunity to become connected within a fraternal association that aligns their educational and athletic successes for a lifetime.
 
The Rutgers chapter was founded in 2005 by Tom Stephens, a professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the university. Stephens played an integral role with Rutgers Athletics, most recently serving as Rutgers' Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) to the NCAA from 2002. A more than four decade career at Rutgers, Stephens has helped to honor academic success annually, shining a spotlight on the scholastic achievements of countless student-athletes. 
 
"Dr. Stephens has been a long-time advocate for student success, making it his mission as FAR to promote the academic achievements of our students," said Scott Walker, executive director for academic services. "His support has extended well beyond Chi Alpha Sigma. He has been a consistent presence at practices, games, and recruiting events, building relationships with students that will last a lifetime."
 
The criteria for induction to Chi Alpha Sigma requires that the student-athlete must attend a four-year accredited college or university that is a member of the NCAA or NAIA. The honoree also must achieve at least junior academic standing by the fifth semester or seventh quarter, as determined by the certifying institution, and must have achieved a minimum cumulative grade-point average of a 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale).
 
Baseball
RJ Johnson Jr. (Class of 2025) - Sport Management
JD Jones (Class of 2025) - Finance
 
Men's Basketball
Patrick Hayes (Class of 2025) - Labor and Employment Relations
 
Football
DJ Allen (Class of 2026) - Exercise Science
Jacob Allen (Class of 2026) - Communication
Samuel Brown V (Class of 2026) - Criminal Justice
Joe DeCroce (Class of 2026) - Communication
Donovan Delaney (Class of 2026) - Criminal Justice
Sammy El Hadidi (Class of 2026) - Communication
Nelson Monegro (Class of 2026) - Criminal Justice
Nick Oliveira (Class of 2027) - Information Technology and Informatics
Jai Patel (Class of 2026) - Business Analytics and Information Technology
 
Men's Lacrosse
Brady Kurdyla (Class of 2026) - Communication
 
Men's Soccer
Cole Cruthers (Class of 2026) - Urban Planning & Design
 
Men's Track and Field
Noah Kriesman (Class of 2026) - Exercise Science
 
Wrestling
Brandan Chletsos (Class of 2026) - Human Resource Management
 
Women's Cross Country
Melanie Barbosa (Class of 2025) - Exercise Science
 
Field Hockey
Natalie Arnold (Class of 2026) - Communication
Erica Babitts (Class of 2026) - Communication
Ava Cickavage (Class of 2025) - Economics
Indy van Ek (Class of 2025) - Communication
Puck Winter (Class of 2025) - Communication
 
Gymnastics
Valentina Lorente-Garcia (Class of 2026) - Dance / Journalism & Media Studies
 
Women's Lacrosse
Katie Buck (Class of 2026) - Biological Sciences
Ava Chiarella (Class of 2026) - Public Health
Kayleigh Coughlin (Class of 2026) - Accounting
Erin Devine (Class of 2026) - Communication
Lily Dixon (Class of 2026) - Marketing
Gianna Eglauf (Class of 2026) - Communication
Kimberly Greenblatt (Class of 2026) - Journalism And Media Studies
 
Rowing
Shea Callahan (Class of 2026) - Marketing
A'Mya Dill-El (Class of 2025) - Information Technology And Informatics
Sydney Lehrer (Class of 2025) - Sociology
Seher Talukdar (Class of 2026) - Biological Sciences
Sofia Ulinski (Class of 2026) - Biological Sciences
 
Women's Soccer
Olivia Bodmer (Class of 2025) - Criminal Justice
 
Softball
Jillian Anderson (Class of 2025) - Public Health
Bailey Briggs (Class of 2026) - Psychology
Gaelen Kelly (Class of 2026) - Supply Chain Management
 
Swimming and Diving
Sephora Ford (Class of 2026) - Public Health
Grace Hagemaster (Class of 2026) - Political Science
Katherine Lang (Class of 2026) - Public Health
Jillian Ruffner (Class of 2026) - Accounting
Ellie Schinsky (Class of 2026) - Psychology
Grace Weaver (Class of 2026) - Biomedical Engineering
 
Women's Track and Field
Celine-Jada Brown (Class of 2026) - Psychology
 
Volleyball
Aly Borellis (Class of 2026) - Economics
Lexis Visintine (Class of 2026) - Finance
 
  
About Rutgers Athletics
The Rutgers Department of Intercollegiate Athletics (Rutgers Athletics), comprised of 24 men's and women's varsity sports serving more than 730 student-athletes, is a member of the Big Ten Conference and governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Rutgers is the Birthplace of College Football, hosting the first-ever collegiate matchup on Nov. 6, 1869, a 6-4 victory over Princeton. Rutgers Athletics is uniquely positioned in the nation's largest media market with over seven million television households, along with access to Big Ten Network and its nearly 60 million homes across the U.S. and Canada. Established in 1766, Rutgers University is the State University of New Jersey and eighth-oldest higher education institution in the country. As a premier academic institution, Rutgers is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for all of the latest news and updates. Also visit ScarletKnights.com for additional information on Rutgers Athletics.