Big Ten Medal Of Honor
This award is given to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each Big Ten member institution who has attained the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work. The awardees will have demonstrated excellence on and off the field throughout their respective collegiate careers.
- Geo Baker (Men's Basketball)
Geo Baker cemented his place in Rutgers basketball history in 2021-22. Baker averaged 12.0 points-per-game, 3.9 assists per game and shot 39.1 percent from the field as the Rutgers men's basketball team collected the most wins since joining the Big Ten and posted its highest conference finish since the 1990-91 season. The Scarlet Knight finished his career second all-time in assists (496), fifth all-time in three-pointers made (237), fourth all-time in steals (180), eighth all-time in points (1,654) and eighth all-time in field goals made (599). Baker was the first and only men's basketball Scarlet Knight to earn two Big Ten Player of the Week awards and became one of the first three-time all-conference selections since 1978-79 with Third Team All-Big Ten honors.
- TT Naslonski (Women's Lacrosse)
TT Naslonski ended her historic and record-setting Rutgers career with an outstanding 2022 season. Naslonski finished her career as the most prolific scorer in Rutgers women's lacrosse history. A consensus Second Team All-American by the IWLCA and Honorable Mention All-American by USA Lacrosse Magazine and IL Women, First Team IWLCA All-Region, First Team All-Big Ten selection and IWLCA Senior All-Star Game selection, Naslonski set new Scarlet Knight records for career points (226) and goals (187). During the 2022 season, she set the RU record for points in a single season (90) while her 22 points in four career NCAA Tournament games made her the top postseason scorer in Rutgers history. Her performance on the field helped the Scarlet Knights to its best season in program history with its highest ranking to date at No. 10 in the final IWLCA Poll and a team-best 16 victories. Altogether Naslonski and the Scarlet Knights topped six nationally-ranked teams, advanced to the Big Ten Tournament Final and produced its second-consecutive NCAA Tournament opening-round victory with a win over No. 23 Saint Joseph's.
Bauer Athlete of the Year
This award is given to the one male and one female student-athlete from any class who has consistently performed and excelled in athletic competition at a high level for the most recent academic year/season.
- Ron Harper, Jr. (Men's Basketball)
In four seasons at Rutgers, Ron Harper Jr. played in 121 games with 109 starts. He scored 1,525 points and collected 622 rebounds, 94 steals and 78 blocks. He is tied for 12th all-time with RU legend Roy Hinson in points scored and 19th all-time in blocked shots. Harper Jr. made 181 career three-pointers, shot 43.9 percent from the field and was 34 percent from long range. Harper Jr. had his best season with the Scarlet Knights in 2021-22. Harper Jr. led the team with 15.8 points per game in 32 starts. The Franklin Lakes, N.J. native shot 44.2 percent from the field and a career-best 39.8 percent from three-point distance this season, along with 5.9 rebounds per game, a career-best 33 steals and 20 blocks. Harper Jr. opened his memorable senior season with four consecutive double-doubles, then scored 30 points with a buzzer-beating halfcourt shot to defeat No. 1 Purdue. Rutgers was awarded National Team of the Week by ESPN and NCAA.com March Madness for the first time in school history following the win. Rutgers had four consecutive wins over ranked opponents, becoming the first unranked team has done so in college basketball history. Harper Jr. ended his regular season with a game-winning shot against Indiana on the road and a victory in front of RU Nation against Penn State on Senior Day. Harper Jr. became the first Scarlet Knight since Quincy Douby in 2005-06 to be named All-American. He is the 11th Scarlet Knight in program history to earn All-America honors. Harper Jr. also became the first Rutgers player to Win the Metropolitan Haggerty Award since Douby in 2005-06. Harper Jr.'s 2nd Team All-Big Ten Award was the highest recognition ever for a Scarlet Knight in the Big Ten. Harper previously had one Third Team and one Honorable Mention selection tying Rutgers legend James Bailey for three All-Conference team awards.
- Amirah Ali (Women's Soccer)
Amirah Ali put a bow on one of the greatest careers in the history of Rutgers women's soccer in 2021. Ali set career-high marks with 12 goals, six assists and 30 points to lead the Scarlet Knights to the College Cup for just the second time in program history. In RU's postseason run to Santa Clara, Ali scored 3 goals, all in consecutive games against Saint Louis, TCU and Arkansas, including the equalizer against the Razorbacks that forced overtime and eventually the penalty kick shootout that Rutgers would win. Ali racked up countless accolades for her historic final season on the Banks, being named to the College Cup All-Tournament Team, All-America Third Team, All-Region First Team, Big Ten All-Tournament Team, All-Big Ten First Team and Academic All-Big Ten.
Athletes Of The Year
- Freshman of the Year - Josh Kuroda-Grauer (Baseball)
Josh Kuroda-Grauer emerged as the every day starter at second base. He was named All-Big Ten Third Team while also being named to the conference's All-Freshman Team. Kuroda-Grauer excelled on both offense and defense, batting .299 with a 29-game on-base streak and 18 multi-hit games while committing just one error on the entire season, good a .994 fielding percentage.
- Freshman of the Year - Riley Tiernan (Women's Soccer)
Riley Tiernan wasted no time making her mark for Rutgers soccer as a true freshman in 2021, helping lead the Scarlet Knights to a Big Ten Championship and the Women's College Cup. It was Tiernan's penalty kick against Arkansas in the NCAA Quarterfinals that sent RU to the College Cup for just the second time in program history. The list of individual accolades for Tiernan in her debut season includes Big Ten Freshman of the Year, All-Big Ten First Team, All-Region First Team and Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
- Sophomore of the Year - Ryan Lasko (Baseball)
Ryan Lasko put together one of the finest individual seasons in Rutgers baseball history in 2022. He led the Big Ten with 90 hits and 81 runs, while also tying for the Rutgers lead with 16 home runs. His 12 home runs in Big Ten games were two shy of the all-time Big Ten record for home runs in a conference season. He batted .349, hit 16 home runs and 51 RBI with a 1.074 OPS, stole 13-of-14 bases and collected 166 total bases. Lasko's list of accolades includes ABCA/Rawlings All-America Second Team, All-Big Ten First Team, All-Region First Team, ECAC Player of the Year Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist and invitee to USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp.
- Sophomore of the Year - Kyleigh Sand (Softball)
Kyleigh Sand was among the pair of Scarlet Knights earning the program's first-ever First Team All-Big Ten honors along with National Fast Pitch Coaches Association (NFCA) First Team Great Lakes All-Region and Honorable Mention All-ECAC accolades. Sand's .398 batting average was the highest "On The Banks" since 2011 and her team-leading 49 runs helped RU its most runs since 2015. The sophomore was instrumental in helping her squad jump out to a 21-10 record for its best start in 41 years and be among a record-tying eight Big Ten Teams in the postseason as the Scarlet Knights made their second National Invitational Softball Championship (NISC) appearance. Among Rutgers single-season leaders, Sand finished the season second in hits (68), third in runs (49), fourth in walks (33), tied for fifth in stolen bases (23) and sixth in batting average (.398). Among her Big Ten peers she ranked fourth in hits (68) and stolen bases (23), fifth in batting average (.398) and on-base percentage (.495), sixth in runs (49) and 10th in doubles (12).
- Junior of the Year - A'nan Bridgett (Track & Field)
A'nan Bridgett became a three-time All-American, completing the Big Ten sweep earning gold in the long jump at both the indoor and outdoor conference championships. The three-time NCAA Championship qualifier finished fourth at the indoor championships to earn First Team All-America honors. He took earned First Team All-American distinction in the outdoor championships with a sixth-place finish in the long jump. On the track, Bridgett owns a share of two school records as he tied indoor 60-meter time and ran on the record-setting 4x100-meter relay team in the outdoor. Bridgett is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient
- Junior of the Year - Cassidy Spillis (Women's Lacrosse)
A consensus All-American by the IWLCA (first), USA Lacrosse Magazine (second) and ILWomen (second), the unanimous 2022 Big Ten Midfielder of the Year and unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection, Cassidy Spilis produced career highs in points (71), goals (69), draw controls (72), ground balls (46) and caused turnovers (22) in 21 games this season. A three-time Big Ten Midfielder of the Week to close the regular season, Spilis tallied 14 hat tricks this spring and scored five or more goals seven times during the 2022 campaign. Spilis is currently top 10 in five categories within the Big Ten. The Tabernacle, New Jersey, native is second in goals (69), fourth in ground balls (46), sixth in points (71), sixth in draw controls (72) and ninth in caused turnovers (22). A Tewaaraton Award Top-25 finalist and First Team IWLCA All-Region pick, Spilis' 69 goals are the most in a single season in school history, surpassing Heather Jones' 60 in 1993.
- Senior of the Year - Adam Korsak (Football)
Named Second Team All-America in 2021 by the Associated Press, FWAA, Phil Steele and Walter Camp, Adam Korsak helped the Scarlet Knights to a net punting average of 45.25 to set a new NCAA record. The Aussie was voted a Ray Guy Award finalist, winning the fan vote, to become the first Scarlet Knight to place in the top-three for a national on-field award since 2007. Opponents had a return of less than four yards 69-of-72 attempts, with 65 times recording a zero or negative return. In addition, Korsak pinned 38 inside the 20 with 16 settling at the 10 or closer and four times stopping a punt at the 1-yard line. He boomed 19 at least 50 yards on the way to setting a new program record with a 45.8 average, recording zero touchbacks. The two-time team captain has posted 124 consecutive attempts without a touchback dating back to 2019 and was voted First Team All-Big Ten in the coaches' vote. Korsak additionally earned the Homer Hazel Award as the most valuable player on the team at the Rutgers football banquet. He holds the Rutgers records for career punting yards (12,021), career punts (274) and longest punt (79 yards).
- Senior of the Year - Gianna Glatz (Field Hockey)
Gianna Glatz excelled as the top goalkeeper in collegiate field hockey. The Medford, N.J. native was the 2021 Big Ten Co-Player of the Year and Regional Player of the Year en route to First Team All-American honors. She set statistical bests with a 0.93 goals-against-average and .796 save percentage this season. She was named to the NFHCA Senior Team and Big Ten All-Tournament Team. In addition, she earned the Wayne Duke Award, NFHCA National Scholar Athlete and NFHCA Scholar of Distinction for her off--field achievements. Glatz finished her career fourth all-time in Rutgers' history in goals-against-average (1.40) and fifth all-time in Rutgers history in saves (364).
Coursen Award
This award is for the most outstanding male student-athlete from the graduating class who, during his career at the university, has participated in the intercollegiate athletics program and proved himself to be an athlete 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.
- Danny DiGeorgio (Baseball)
Danny DiGeorgio came to Rutgers as a regular student with no plans on playing baseball. DiGeorgio soon realized he would regret never giving it a shot. So he decided to try out for the team his sophomore year and wound up becoming the starting shortstop for the Scarlet Knights in 2018. That kickstarted a legendary career for DiGeorgio, who led the Scarlet Knights to a program-record 44 wins as the leader in the dugout and starting shortstop. His final season as a Scarlet Knight culminated in All-America Third Team honors from ABCA/Rawlings. He was one of three Scarlet Knights to be named All-Big Ten First Team and was one of six finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award, given annually to the top shortstop in the country. In 2022, DiGeorgio set career highs in nearly all major categories with a .368 batting average, seven home runs, 59 RBI and a 1.032 OPS. He was also a standout defensively for a team that led the Big Ten in fielding percentage the entire season.
- Jared Jean-Flix (Men's Lacrosse)
Jared Jean-Flix made a big impact as the Scarlet Knights' top defenseman. The Cumming, Ga. native was a three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, with career-bests in caused turnovers (19) and ground balls (24). An Honorable Mention All-American and Scholar All-American, Jean-Felix was named All-ECAC and All-Big Ten. In his career, the defenseman posted 51 ground balls and 37 caused turnovers across 39 games.
Headley-Singer Award
This award is for the most outstanding female student-athlete from 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 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.
- Katie Larmour (Field Hockey)
Katie Larmour was named a Second Team All-American, First Team All-Region, First Team All-Big Ten and First Team All-ECAC. The Belfast, Northern Ireland native scored one goal and added five assists during the 2021 campaign. The midfielder was named to the NFHCA Senior Team in recognition of her six years 'On the Banks', during which time she played in 86 career games, 83 of them starts and posted 17 goals (six game-winning goals) and 18 assists for 52 career points. In addition, she was named as a NFHCA National Scholar Athlete.
Werblin Award
The Werblin Award is given to any 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 most recent academic year.
- Baseball - Nick Cimilio, Danny DiGeorgio, Ryan Lasko
- Men's Basketball - Ron Harper, Jr.
- Field Hockey - Gianna Glatz, Katie Larmour
- Football - Adam Korsak
- Men's Lacrosse - Jared Jean Felix, Ronan Jacoby, Brennan Kamish, Colin Kirst, Shane Knoblock, Ethan Rall, Ross Scott
- Women's Lacrosse - Meghan Ball, Marin Hartshorn, Stephanie Kelly, TT Naslonski, Cassidy Spilis
- Rowing - Hannah Heideveld, Olivia Maxton, Luisa Neerschulte
- Women's Soccer - Amirah Ali, Emily Mason, Gabby Provenzano, Frankie Tagliaferri
- Women's Swimming & Divign - Abigail Knapton
- Men's Track & Field - A'nan Bridgett
- Women's Track & Field - Chloe Timberg
- Wrestling - Greg Bulsak, Sebastian Rivera
