2021-22 Seton Hall Athletics Annual Report

SETON HALL ATHLETICS

VISION FOR EXCELLENCE

In accordance with the Mission of Seton Hall University the results and goals of this report are incorporated under our student-athlete centered vision that is focused on four principles:

1 2 3 4

Compete with honor, sportsmanship and integrity, while assuring our studentathletes reach their full potential and are a source of pride for the Seton Hall University community.

By continuing to provide the necessary resources to each and every student-athlete, Seton Hall Athletics will strive to graduate each of our athletes while pushing them towards academic excellence.

Through administrative and coaching leadership each team competes for conference and national championships.

The Seton Hall Athletics Department, at all times and in all facets of its operation, will exercise fiscal diligence while enhancing the involvement of our supporters to help us achieve our studentathlete centered vision and goals.

SETON HALL ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Department of Athletics and Recreational services is to ensure that the intercollegiate athletics and recreational programs represent and reflect the missions and goals of the University. By providing quality opportunities and programs that reflect high academic, moral and athletic standards, Seton Hall University enables all student-athletes to maximize their personal potential.

The Department is committed to ethnic, racial, cultural and gender diversity along with attention to inclusion of the physically challenged. By providing challenging recreation opportunities and quality facilities for all members of the Seton Hall community, Athletics and Recreational Services seeks to create a sense of community spirit and pride among all constituents: students, faculty, staff, administrators and alumni

Dear Pirate Blue Members,

The 2021-22 year was another one to marvel at here at Seton Hall Athletics. We saw our teams compete for championships; we saw our studentathletes continue to raise the bar on academic success; we saw a changing of the guard in our men’s basketball program with the return home of one of our most celebrated alumni; we saw record giving from our loyal supporters; and we saw continued progress in ensuring that our facilities help our student-athletes thrive.

And one other thing we saw was the return of all our in-person events. I cannot even begin to tell you how important it was for us as a community to be able to physically gather to cheer, celebrate, learn and socialize. From our Beefsteak Tip-Off Dinner to our SHUCademy Awards and from our Leadership Forum to our Hall of Fame Enshrinement and all our games in between, it was critical that we reconnected. Sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone and losing that in-person connection was

difficult for our community. But as we’ve seen time and again, the Seton Hall community is resilient and we’re back to being whole again.

As you read through our annual report and learn more about the department’s accomplishments, I hope that you have a sense of pride. You should be proud to support student-athletes who work hard, who strive for more, who help make a difference here. Your investment in Seton Hall Athletics always results in a tremendous return; it helps us develop young men and women with limitless potential into our world’s next great leaders.

As we look forward to 2022-23, I’m excited for what’s to come. We are focused on continuing to be studentathlete centric, doing everything we can so that they are positioned for success and so that they are ready for life after graduation. We have a group of coaches who are dedicated to helping maximize our student-athlete potential and a group of administrators ready to support them.

It’s going to be another exciting year in South Orange, and I’m thankful that we

have you alongside us for the ride!

Please know that your support as a Pirate Blue member is greatly appreciated and critical for our mission. I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming game or Pirate Blue event!

GO PIRATES!

Bryan Felt

Seton Hall Director of Athletics & Recreation

BACK ON TOP

It had been a long 22 years since the Seton Hall men’s golf team claimed its place at the top of the BIG EAST Championship leaderboard. Since that fateful afternoon in 2000, the Pirates had been a consistent championship contender, but never had the magical blend of top-end talent up and down their lineup to claim the title and the automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals.

The Pirates were getting close in recent years with top-4 finishes in three straight conference tournaments, but then the sports world stopped for the Coronavirus pandemic, and the championship was canceled in 2020. An abbreviated year ensued in 2021 with the Pirates finishing third behind champion and newcomer Connecticut and BIG EAST powerhouse Marquette.

In 2022, however, all the pieces came together.

Graduate students, and undisputed team leaders, Andres Acevedo and

Gregor Tait announced they would return to take advantage of their fifth year of eligibility. Wenliang Xie returned after a year away due to the pandemic. Head coach Clay White brought in a talented freshman, Angus O’Brien from Australia. Sophomore Wanxi Sun took a major step forward. Senior Deven Ramachandran looked fully healed from an injured shoulder. Additionally, the Pirates had a deep roster with backup players Brody Hanley, Ian Lee, Joshua Lee, Peter Tyler Po and Hunter Ramee all pushing the regular starters for lineup inclusion.

The results were remarkable from the start. The Pirates opened the fall season with back-to-back secondplace finishes at the Alex Lagowitz Memorial and the Hartford Hawks Invitational. At Hartford, Acevedo and Sun were an incredible 7-underpar to tie for fourth overall. Sun’s second-round 65 tied Seton Hall’s single-round, par-72 record. After a brief letdown at Georgetown, the Pirates stormed back to win the

Daniel Island Intercollegiate, claiming their first team title since 2007. Xie was 3-under to lead The Hall and tied for second among all individuals.

Seton Hall took its collective game to an even higher level during the spring season. In six tournaments before the BIG EAST Championship, the Pirates never placed worse than fourth. They opened the spring season with a fourth-place finish at the Loyola Intercollegiate in Arizona where four Pirates in the starting lineup, and Brody Hanley competing as an individual, all shot under par. Xie again led the way at 4-under.

The Hall then won back-to-back tournament titles at the Ross Collegiate Classic and The Big Texan. Acevedo led the Pirates at the Ross Collegiate Classic, tying for seventh at even par, while O’Brien lifted Seton Hall to the title in Kerrville, Texas by tying for second at 2-under. After tying for second at a weather-shortened Seattle Redhawk Invitational, the Pirates returned to New Jersey to place

third at the Princeton Invitational. O’Brien and Tait tied for eighth at Springdale at even-par.

In their final regular season tuneup, the Pirates placed fourth at a competitive Rutherford Intercollegiate with Xie tying for third at 1-under-par.

The Pirates were in fourth place after round one of the BIG EAST Championship at Callaway Gardens in Georgia, seven strokes off Marquette’s lead after an evenpar, 288. Then in round two, the Pirates made their move. The Hall shot a 5-under-par, 283, led by Xie’s 4-under, 68, to create a logjam at the top of the standings. Marquette and Connecticut were tied for the team lead, with the Pirates only one stroke behind with 18 holes remaining.

Needing to make a statement in the final round, the Pirates golfed one of their finest rounds in program history, and their top round ever at a BIG EAST Championship. The Hall vaulted to the lead behind a remarkable 7-under-par, 65, from Tait. As UConn faded, the Pirates and Marquette were neck-andneck as The Hall was completing its final round. Tait capped his stunning effort with an eagle on No. 16 and a birdie on No. 18 in front of a roaring Seton Hall gallery. Xie and O’Brien were also under par in round three at 2-under each. As a team, the Pirates were 10-underpar in round three and won the BIG EAST title by three strokes over the Golden Eagles to claim the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals.

Seton Hall’s 15-under-par, 849, for the tournament is the secondlowest three-round par-72 score in program history.

Tait’s astounding third-round effort vaulted him into a tie for the individual championship with UConn’s Caleb Manuel. Once

it was clear that Co-Champions would be awarded, Tait graciously conceded the playoff which would have determined which golfer would receive the automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals. As a member of a team champion, Tait knew he was already advancing to the NCAAs and displayed his hallmark sportsmanship so his rival would be guaranteed the opportunity as well.

Although the Pirates’ magical season ended at the NCAA Yale Regional, The Hall put up another tremendous effort. Needing to finish in the top-five to advance to the national championship, the 12th-seeded Pirates finished eighth in the 14-team field. The Hall finished with an 8-over-par, 848, better than four teams ranked higher nationally including No. 27 NC State and No. 31 Charlotte. Fitting, that in their final collegiate tournament, it was Acevedo and Tait that led The Hall at 1-underpar.

Acevedo, Tait and Xie were all named to All-BIG EAST Teams and the PING All-Region Team. Meanwhile, White, after 18 years at the helm, was named Northeast District Coach of the Year. White, and assistant coaches J.T. Harper and Ian Lagowitz, were also named BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year.

In all, Seton Hall won four tournaments during the historic 2021-22 year and finished with a program-best national Golfstat ranking of 87. The Pirates’ team scoring average of 287.50 was more than three full strokes lower than its previous record.

It’s hard to argue that the 2021-22 Seton Hall men’s golf team wasn’t the greatest in program history.

ACADEMIC SUCCESS

3.506

VISION

To foster the overall development of all student-athletes, Academic Support Services for Student-Athletes supports a holistic approach to empower each individual’s pursuit of personal success. Growth toward autonomy and focus on personal accountability remain the highest priorities. We see comprehensive support services as integral components of assisting students to developing into mature, thoughtful and independent learners and contributors to their communities.

MISSION

The Mission of the Office of Academic Support Services for Student-Athletes and the Charles W. Doehler Academic Center for Excellence is to aid in the overall development of the student-athlete from orientation to commencement. We serve our student-athlete community guided by the principles of Catholic education and the standards of excellence set forth by the Division of Student Services, the Department of Athletics, the NCAA and the BIG EAST Conference. We recognize that all students are unique, and therefore we provide a holistic approach to supporting their efforts toward earning a degree from Seton Hall and becoming productive members of their communities. Academic Support Services for Student-Athletes embraces the core values of Seton Hall University and her Catholic mission to collectively support the growth of servant leaders and socially conscious and responsive citizens.

Cumulative GPA for all student-athletes is now

, once again the highest it has ever been.

Seton Hall inducted its 2021 class (51 students). Eligibility requires student-athletes to maintain a minimum 3.4 cumulative grade-point average through their junior and senior years

BASEBALL

• Jonathan Luders was a BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award nominee

• Earned the American Baseball Coaches Association Team Academic Excellence Award

MEN’S BASKETBALL

• Ike Obiagu was a BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award nominee

• Alexis Yetna was named a BIG EAST Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year nominee

• Bryce Aiken, Jamir Harris, Ike Obiagu and Tyrese Samuel were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

• Sidney Cooks was a BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award nominee

• Mya Jackson was named a BIG EAST Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year nominee

• Received a Special Mention by the Women’s College Basketball Association (WCBA) for its academic achievement last year

CROSS COUNTRY

• Lauren Ginefra was named the winner of the BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award

• Daniel Washburn was a BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award nominee

• Emma Newgarden was named Seton Hall’s ECAC Scholar Athlete of the Year

• Cristina Fernandez was nominated for the BIG EAST Michael Tranghese Postgraduate Leadership Award

• Lauren Ginefra was Seton Hall’s BIG EAST Scholar Athlete of the Year Nominee

• Meghan Vizzard is a Servant Leader Scholar

• Emily Hernandez was selected to represent Seton Hall student-athletes as the department’s Diversity Equity & Inclusion representative for the BIG EAST Conference

MEN’S GOLF

• Andres Acevedo, Deven Ramachandran and Gregor Tait were named Cleveland Golf/ Srixon All-America Scholars

• Devin Ramachandran was a BIG EAST Sports Excellence Award nominee

• Earned the Golf Coaches’ Association of America (GCAA) 2022 Team Academic Award

WOMEN’S GOLF

• Sarah Fouratt, Ana Sarrias Pro and Ginevra Zavagli were named Women’s Golf Coaches’ Association (WGCA) All-America Scholars

• The WGCA unveiled its listing of the Top-25 programs nationally in grade point average and the Pirates ranked No. 17 with a 3.814

MEN’S SOCCER

• J.P. Marin was named Seton Hall’s ECAC Scholar Athlete of the Year

• Luca Dahn was Seton Hall’s BIG EAST Scholar Athlete of the Year Nominee

• Luca Dahn was a BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award nominee

• Earned the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award

WOMEN’S SOCCER

• Emily Arellano was named Seton Hall ECAC Scholar Athlete of the Year

• Earned the United Soccer Coaches’ Association of America Team Academic Award

SWIMMING & DIVING

• Thomas Staes won the BIG EAST Michael Tranghese Postgraduate Leadership Award

• Cornelia Jerresand and Walker Parra were BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award nominees

• Sean Vizzard was named a Second Team Scholar All-America by the College Swimming & Diving Coaches’ Association of America

• Caleb Smith was the recipient of the Walter Dukes Integrity and Impact Award

• Walker Parra represented Seton Hall at the BIG EAST Well-Being Forum and Student Athlete Advisor Committee

• Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving were named Scholar All-America Teams by the College Swimming Coaches’ Association of America

SOFTBALL

• Shelby Smith was a BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award nominee

• Marisa Pla was named a Servant Leader Scholar

TENNIS

• Arina Gumerova, Oliwia Kempinski, Hili Kronzon, Arabella Moen and Anastasia Petrova were named Women’s Tennis 2022 ITA Scholars

• Aina Plana Ventosa was a BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award nominee

• Earned the 2022 ITA All-Academic Team Award

VOLLEYBALL

• Raygan Murray was nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year

• Hanna Tulli represented Seton Hall at the BIG EAST Well-Being Forum and Student Athlete Advisor Committee

• Earned the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association Team Academic Award for the 2021-22 academic year with Honor Roll distinction

BASEBALL

Matt Bethea

Michael Ciminiello

Alex Clyde Drew Conover

Pat D’ Amico

Christian Finnigan

Daniel Frontera

Will Gale

Steve Grober

David Haberman

Devin Hack

Jedier Hernandez

Dane Hoggard

Carter Kelsey

Aurelio Licata

Chris Lotito

Jonathan Luders

Mark McNelly

Michael Callan Moss

Alex Nicolosi

Brennan O’Neill

Blaise Panzini

Nick Payero

Niko Piccolo

Zane Probst

Justin Scotto

Collin Sheehan

Bobby Sheppard

Ryan Sheppard

GOLF – MEN’S

Andres Acevedo

Brody Hanley

Joshua Lee

Ian Lee

Angus O’Brien

Peter Tyler Po

Deven Ramachandran

Hunter Ramee

Gregor Tait

Wenliang Xie

GOLF - WOMEN’S

Sacha Amelang

Margot Bechadergue

Ludovica Busetto

Chris Shine Zack Sylvester

Jack Wentworth

BASKETBALL – MEN’S

Bryce Aiken

Jamir Harris

Tray Jackson Ike Obiagu Tyler Powell Jared Rhoden

Tyrese Samuel

BASKETBALL – WOMEN’S

Katie Armstrong

Sidney Cooks

Andra Espinoza-Hunter

Femi Funeus

Kailah Harris

Mya Jackson

Victoria Keenan

Skylar Treadwell

Amari Wright

CROSS COUNTRY – MEN’S

Brandin Affrunti

Justin Allone

Declan Harkness

Cole Kretlow

James Loeffel

Nicholas Minikel

Sirish Modhagala

Peter Smutelovic

Patrick Wagner Andrew Walde Daniel Washburn

CROSS COUNTRY –WOMEN’S

Danielle Becker

Arianna Braccio

Amelia Carson

Kate Cochran

Lauren Ginefra

Nancy Habib

Emily Hernandez

Olivia Hernandez

Amanda Houston

Abigail Hughes

Emma Newgarden

Rica Ongsiako

Julia Smith

Gaby Vega Meghan Vizzard

Sarah Fouratt

Ana Sarrias Pro Ginevra Zavagli

SOCCER - MEN’S

Ian Albuquerque

Raz Amir

Torre Avitabile

James Boote

Mattia Cella

Luca Dahn

Cyrus Darvish Pierce Enxuto

Nolan Fierro

Justin Gemellaro

Chase Hutson

Jordan Jowers

Hugo Keller

Denis Kelmendi

Camil Koreichi

J.P. Marin

Andreas Nota

Ralph Pascarella

Johannes Pex

Paavo Riihijarvi

Hannes Ronnholmen

Mans Saebbo

C.J. Tibbling

Mark Walier

Maurice Williams

CORNELIA JERRESAND

TORRE AVITABILE

SOCCER – WOMEN’S

Emily Arellano

Julia Aronov

Riley Balser

Dani Brinckman

Ella Conger

Claudia D’Angelo

Marisa DiFonso

Maria Garcia Lopez

Rachel Gerrie

Phoebe Hampson

Laura Hooper

Lizzy Kirk Caroline Lipton

Maille McDermott

Cara Milne-Redhead

Anna Prawer

Chiara Pucci

Emma Ramsay

Abbie Roberts

Natalie Tavana Naomi Welch

SOFTBALL

Hannah Alexander

Lela Allen

Baylee Allender

Miranda Arruda

Sydney Babik

Janae Barracato

Jenna Blevins

Kelsey Carr

Lauren Caye

Gabby Ciancio

Ashly Colonnetta

Grace Dawson

Emily Durigan

Cadyn Ehrenberg

Olivia Gilbert

Amber Johnson

Molly Mitman

Emily Pena

Marisa Pla

Shelby Smith

Taylor Soanes

Kiana Tate

Ally Taylor

Jordan Tressler

Madi Walsh

Abby Wingo

SWIMMING & DIVING –MEN’S

Gennarino Conzemius

Conor Dunne

Henry Keegan

Sawyer Keyes

Christian Kopecki

Ben LaClair

Bryant LaCroix

Gideon Langenbusch

Ji Ho Lee

Thomas Minar

Quinn Murtha

Justin Oosterwyk

Walker Parra

Charles Pitta

Trevor Post Ben Puglessi

Morgan Ryan

Caleb Smith

Thomas Staes

Sean Vizzard

Jonathan Ware

SWIMMING & DIVING –WOMEN’S

Madeleine Bachand

Nicole Bastian

Sierra Cripps Isabella Defonte

Heidi Dickson

Madeline Field

Sarah Frie

Natalie Heim

Catherine Horner

Leiya Istambouli

Cornelia Jerresand

Savannah Kennedy

Josie McCartney

Meredith Mutter Claire O’Neill

Taylor Patnode Nicolette Pawar Sarah Pilecki

Genevieve Ross

Lauren Schofield

Laura Stavila Allie Waggoner Amanda Zajdzinski

TENNIS – WOMEN’S

Hiba El Khalifi

Arina Gumerova

Chloe Hamlin

Oliwia Kempinski

Hili Kronzon

Arabella Moen

Emily O’Donovan

Anastasia Petrova Aina Plana Ventosa

VOLLEYBALL – WOMEN’S

Cagla Bengi

Eden Dolezal

Madison Frusha

Jennifer Giron

Anna Holland

Reagan Hopp

Tsvetelina Ilieva Taylor Jakubowski

Reece Koehler

Faith LaMacchia

Perri Lucas Madeline Matheny

Raygan Murray

Amanda Rachwal Hanna Tulli

Emilee Turner Jenna Walsh Julia Wilkins

EMMA NEWGARDENJ.P. MARIN

THE REDEMPTION SEASON

Following a season with no fans and no NCAA Tournament appearance, and two years removed from the “What Could Have Been?” 2019-20 campaign, the 2021-22 Seton Hall Pirates were a hungry bunch. Led by established veterans (Jared Rhoden, Myles Cale, Ike Obiagu) and a group of impactful transfers (Jamir Harris, Kadary Richmond, Alexis Yetna), Seton Hall found itself back in the the Big Dance for the fifth time in the last six NCAA Tournaments.

It was a redemptive season of sorts. The Pirates were back in the national conversation as one of the most consistent programs in Division I and it gave Kevin Willard — the head coach that helped start the conversation in the first place — another 20-win season and further cemented his

case as the most impactful coach in the history of Seton Hall men’s basketball since P.J. Carlesimo.

Entering the year, the Pirates were viewed as a medley of players that had plenty of talent on paper but needed to be seen on the court before a judgement could be made. The key question: how would the newer pieces mesh with the players that had been in the program for years? Fans did not have to wait long for an answer as the the non-conference slate showed the nation that the Pirates were one of the top team’s in the country at full strength and playing to their potential.

Over its first two games, Seton Hall’s combined margin of victory was 80 points, its highest total since winning by a combined 82

points over its first two contests back in 1956-57. Two blowout victories over Fairleigh Dickinson and Yale set the stage for a Gavitt Games showdown at No. 4 Michigan. In a rematch of the classic yet heartbreaking 1989 national championship game, the Pirates left Ann Arbor with some redemption as clutch free throws and suffocating defense down the stretch lifted The Hall to a 6765 victory.

The Pirates would go on to win four of its next five games, with its lone blemish being a narrow 79-76 defeat at the hands of Ohio State at the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off. That stretch set the stage for two critical games at Prudential Center where Seton Hall welcomed No. 7 Texas for a BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle game on Dec. 9 and in-

state rival Rutgers on Dec. 12. Looking back, it was two games that bolstered the Pirates’ NCAA Tournament resume.

Seton Hall held the Longhorns scoreless for nearly eight minutes late in the second half and Bryce Aiken scored his team’s last five points, helping the Pirates secure its second top 10 win of the season. Next up was a date with the Scarlet Knights and the good vibes continued. Another packed crowd at Prudential Center saw the Pirates win convincingly over Rutgers as Aiken played hero again, leading The Hall with 22 points in 29 minutes of action in a 77-63 victory. Aiken earned the Joe Calabrese Award, handed out annually to the Garden State Hardwood Classic’s most outstanding player.

Following a COVID pause, the Pirates came back shorthanded at the beginning of BIG EAST play and started 0-2 in conference. In need of a win, Seton Hall went out to Butler came back with a 71-56 victory at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Jan. 4. The Pirates returned to Newark on Jan. 8 and behind an outstanding 27-point performance by Kadary Richmond, the Pirates grinded out a gritty 90-87 overtime win over Connecticut that added a solid conference victory to an already strong resume.

Despite dropping four of its next five games to move to 12-7 overall and 3-6 in the BIG EAST, the Pirates stormed back in the second half of the season and won eight of its last 10 games, including season sweeps of Xavier and Creighton, to finish

the regular season 20-9 and 11-8 in conference. More importantly, coupled with their strong performance against a difficult non-conference slate, the Pirates’ late-season surge in BIG EAST play secured their bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The Hall did not finish its season the way it wanted to. But after two seasons of what ifs and, at some points, not being able compete due to circumstances out of their control, the 202122 Pirates brought back some normalcy; big wins, big moments, and getting their name called on Selection Sunday. Accomplishments that should not be overlooked.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Jared Rhoden

Junior Baldwin, N.Y.

• All-BIG EAST First Team

• All-Met First Team

• NABC and USBWA AllDistrict

WOMEN’S GOLF

Margot Bechadergue

Graduate Student

Aix-En-Provence, France.

• All-BIG EAST Team

Ben LaClair Senior Belchertown, Mass.

• 400M Medley Relay BIG EAST Champion

Gaige Ryan Sophomore Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

• All-BIG EAST 800M Free Relay

MEN’S SOCCER

Luca Dahn

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Sidney Cooks Senior Kenosha, Wis.

• All-BIG EAST First Team

• All-Met First Team

Andra Espinoza-Hunter Graduate Student Ossining, N.Y.

• All-BIG EAST Second Team

• All-Met Second Team

Lauren Park-Lane Junior Wilmington, Del.

• All-BIG EAST First Team

• All-Met Player of the Year

• All-Met First Team

• All-ECAC First Team

• National Leader in Total Assists

• All-BIG EAST Tournament Team

• All-WNIT Team

Graduate Student Kahl, Germany

• All-BIG EAST Third Team

Johannes Pex Junior Stephansposching, Germany

• All-BIG EAST Third Team

CJ Tibbling

Graduate Student Jarna, Sweden

• All-BIG EAST Third Team

• All-BIG EAST 100M Free 200M Free 400M Free Relay 800M Free Relay 400 Medley Relay

Gideon Langenbusch Sophomore Oberhausen, Germany

• All-BIG EAST 400M Free Relay 800M Free Relay

Thomas Minar Junior Oxford, Conn.

• 200M Medley Relay BIG EAST Champion

Sean Vizzard Freshman Mount Laurel, N.J.

• 1650M Free BIG EAST Champion

• All-BIG EAST 500M Free 1650M Free

WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING

Sierra Cripps Junior Seymour, Conn.

SOFTBALL

Ashly Colonnetta Junior Cypress, Calif.

• All-BIG EAST Second Team

Taylor Hill Freshman Little Falls, N.J.

• BIG EAST Freshman of the Year

• All-BIG EAST First Team

• All-BIG EAST 50M Free 200M Medley Relay 400M Free Relay 800M Free Relay

Quinn Murtha Freshman Cumming, Ga.

• All-BIG EAST 3M Dive

Justin Oosterwyk Junior

Pequannock, N.J.

• 100M Fly BIG EAST Champion

• All-BIG EAST 200M Fly

Natalie Heim Sophomore Middletown, N.J.

• All-BIG EAST 200M Free Relay 400M Free Relay

Leiya Istambouli Sophomore Danbury, Conn.

• All-BIG EAST 200M Free Relay 400M Free Relay

MEN’S GOLF

Andres Acevedo

Graduate Student San Antonio, Texas

• All-BIG EAST First Team

• PING All-Region Team

Gregor Tait

Graduate Student

Martlesham Heath, England

• BIG EAST Individual CoChampion

• All-BIG EAST First Team

• BIG EAST All-Tournament Team

• PING All-Region Team

Wenliang Xie Junior Zhaoqing, China

• All-BIG EAST Second Team

• PING All-Region Team

• NFCA All-Mideast Region Third Team

Shelby Smith Junior Friendswood, Texas

• All-BIG EAST Second Team

• 200M Medley Relay BIG EAST Champion

• 400M Medley Relay BIG EAST Champion

• All-BIG EAST 100M Fly 200M Medley Relay 400M Medley Relay

Ross Pantano

Cornelia Jerresand Junior Taeby, Sweden

• All-BIG EAST 200M Free Relay 400M Free Relay

Josie McCartney Sophomore Verona, Wis.

MEN’S

SWIMMING & DIVING

Gennarino Conzemius Junior Bethel Park, Pa.

• 200M Medley Relay BIG EAST Champion

• 400M Medley Relay BIG EAST Champion

• All-BIG EAST 200M Medley Relay 400M Medley Relay

Junior Bennington, Neb.

• 200M Medley Relay BIG EAST Champion

• 400M Medley Relay BIG EAST Champion

• All-BIG EAST 100M Back 200M Back 200M Medley Relay 400M Free Relay 400M Medley Relay

• All-BIG EAST 200M Free Relay 400M Free Relay

PIRATE STANDOUTS

GREGOR TAIT

He was already one of the greatest golfers Seton Hall had ever produced. But when you put together a year like that of Gregor Tait’s in 2021-22, you move to legendary status.

After graduating a year earlier, Tait decided to take advantage of a rare fifth year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As remarkable as he was on the course, he and fellow graduate student Andres Acevedo, provided the team leadership and maturity that ultimately resulted in the Pirates’ first BIG EAST title in 22 years.

Before we get to the championship dramatics, a wider look at Tait’s fifth year shows his excellence throughout. The Martlesham Heath, England native recorded a 71.68 scoring average for the year, which ranked third-best in the BIG EAST Conference and ranks fourth-lowest for a single-year in Seton Hall history. It’s nearly three full strokes lower than his career average coming into 2021-22.

Tait collected five Top-10 finishes during the year and a remarkable 17 sub-par rounds. He had 14 sub-par rounds in his first four years in South Orange combined. The 31 for his career ranks second-most in Pirate history. More impressive is the fact that of his 17 subpar rounds this year, nine came among his final 12 rounds (four tournaments),

including the BIG EAST Championship and the NCAA Yale Regional.

After back-to-back 2-under-par, 70, performances in rounds one and two at the BIG EAST Championship, Tait took his game to another lever in the final round. Tait started the day six strokes behind UConn’s Caleb Manuel, but put together one of the finest rounds in Seton Hall history to catch the Husky and become the Pirates’ fourth BIG EAST individual champion. He started his epic performance with four straight birdies and added a fifth on the eighth hole, entering the turn at 4-under-par. He was still four-under through 15 holes before eagling the par-5, 16th hole, parring 17 and birdying 18 with a lengthy putt that caused the Pirate faithful in attendance to roar.

The result was a 7-under-par, 65, which tied Seton Hall’s single-round par-72 record. For the tournament, Tait was named Co-Champion, with Manuel, after an 11-under-par, 70-70-65-205. His 205 is the second-lowest three-round par-72 total in Seton Hall history and shatters the program’s record for a BIG EAST Tournament, which was 210 set by another former BIG EAST champion Lloyd Jefferson Go in 2016.

Tait’s final-round exploits were the catalyst to lift Seton Hall to its first team title in 22 years earning him, and the Pirates, an automatic bid to the

NCAA Regionals. Knowing his title and advancement were secure, Tait graciously conceded the playoff to Manual so the UConn star would gain the BIG EAST’s automatic NCAA berth for an individual.

At the NCAA Yale Regional, the Pirates impressed again, placing eighth in the 14-team field, despite being seeded 12th. Tait again excelled, shooting a 1-under-par, 69-69-71-209, to tie Acevedo for the team lead.

Tait leaves Seton Hall as a BIG EAST team and individual champion. His 130 career tournament rounds are a program record and he becomes only the sixth golfer in Seton Hall history to close his career with a scoring average under 74.00.

A legend indeed.

LAUREN PARK-LANE

Lauren Park-Lane’s meteoric rise to become among the elite women’s basketball players in the nation is nothing short of remarkable. Despite her diminutive size at 5-foot-3, she has established herself as arguably the top point guard in the BIG EAST Conference.

Each year, Park-Lane has taken another step forward towards greatness. As a freshman, she was a competent ball-handler and play-maker, but she wasn’t viewed as an offensive threat as evidenced by her 6.7 points per game average. As a sophomore, she burst onto the scene as player capable of taking games over offensively. While seeing a modest boost in her assists per game average, her scoring average ballooned to 17.5 points per game.

Last year, as a junior, Park-Lane took both elements of her game to a higher level.

As a scorer, Park-Lane broke Seton Hall’s single-season record for points with 678, averaging a career-best 18.3 points per game, which ranked thirdbest in the BIG EAST Conference. She also became the first player in Seton Hall history to record at least 30 points in back-to-back games. Park-Lane reached double-figures in scoring 31 times and had 18 games of at least 20 points. Her 73 made three-pointers tied for fifth-most in a single-season in Pirate

history and her 155 made free-throws led the BIG EAST.

As a play-maker, no NCAA Division I women’s basketball player in the country had more than Park-Lane’s 260 assists. Her 7.0 assists per game mark ranked fourth in the nation. Both numbers shattered Seton Hall’s single-season records. Park-Lane’s record-setting exploits weren’t only limited to Seton Hall’s books, her 152 assists in BIG EAST play set a new conference record, and her 18 assists at Butler on Feb. 22 tied the BIG EAST single-game mark.

A proven defensive talent, no one was surprised to see that she ranked fifth in the BIG EAST with 59 steals, but what was an eye-opener was the fact that 5-foot-3 point guard blocked 11 shots last year, the first blocks of her career.

One of the main reasons why the Pirates were able to win 24 games in 2021-22 and push all the way to the national final of the WNIT was Park-Lane’s sheer durability. She started all 37 games and led the nation with 1,420 minutes and 38.4 minutes per game. In the nine games of Seton Hall’s postseason, ParkLane played all but 10 minutes.

As expected, Park-Lane’s elite efforts brought a windfall of awards and accolades. Named to the Nancy Lieberman National Point Guard of the Year Watch List, she was a unanimous

selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team and became only the third player in Pirate history to be named All-Met Division I Player of the Year. An AllECAC First Team selection, Park-Lane was named to the All-Tournament Teams of the Cancun Challenge, the BIG EAST Tournament and the WNIT.

Given that Park-Lane has taken a major leap forward in each of her prior two seasons, it makes you wonder what she has in store for her senior campaign.

PIRATE STANDOUTS ANDRES ACEVEDO

Andres Acevedo received his undergraduate degree in May of 2021 and could have stepped away from Seton Hall knowing that he had earned his status as a valuable member of the men’s golf team. Instead, given a rare fifth year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he decided to return and captained his way to arguably the team’s greatest year in program history.

Acevedo, and fellow graduate student Gregor Tait, provided the leadership necessary to take the Pirates to the next level, and ultimately, lifted The Hall to its first BIG EAST Championship in 22 years.

In his final year in South Orange, Acevedo was everything you needed in a top-of-the-lineup regular. The San

MARGOT BECHADERGUE

Antonio native shaved nearly two full strokes off his scoring average, finishing with a 72.26 mark which was fifth-best in the BIG EAST Conference and the fifth— lowest single-year mark in Seton Hall history.

Named to an All-BIG EAST team for a second straight year, Acevedo had five top-10 finishes during the year and collected 10 sub-par rounds, nearly doubling the total of his prior four years.

In only the second tournament of the year, Acevedo turned in a career-best performance. The Pirate tied for fourth among 114 individual golfers at the Hartford Hawks Invitational with a remarkable 7-under-par, 69-67-73-209.

In the marquee event on the Pirates’ calendar, the BIG EAST Championship, Acevedo didn’t disappoint. He shaved two strokes off his score each day, tying for 10th overall with an even-par, 74-72-70-216, to help lift The Hall to a three-stroke victory and an automatic berth to the NCAA Regionals. At the NCAA Yale Regional, Acevedo again rose to the occasion tying Tait for the team lead with a 1-under-par, 67-70-72-209.

Named to the PING All-Northeast Region Team, Acevedo leaves Seton Hall with a 74.26 scoring average, which ranks eighth in Pirate history. Only Tait has played in more tournament rounds than Acevedo’s 128 in Seton Hall history and his 22 sub-par rounds are tied for fifth-most ever.

She may have only been in South Orange for one year, but Margot Bechadergue made an immediate impact on the program.

A graduate transfer after receiving her undergraduate degree from the University of Louisville, Bechadergue took the BIG EAST by storm right away, recording top10 finishes in each of her first two tournaments. She introduced herself to Seton Hall by placing fourth at her first tournament as a Pirate, the Nittany Lion Invitational, with a remarkable 5-under-par, 71-68-72-211. The performance shattered Seton Hall’s former par-72, three-

round record by three strokes.

As a result, Bechadergue was named BIG EAST Player of the Week for the first of three times during the memorable year.

At her only BIG EAST Championship, Bechadergue placed ninth with an 8-over-par, 74-78-72-224. Her even-par, 72, in the final round led the Pirates and put a stamp on a strong career. Bechadergue’s final performance helped fuel Seton Hall to a third-place finish and their lowest BIG EAST Championship final team score in program history, which includes the efforts of Seton Hall’s three BIG EAST title-winning teams from 2014-16.

In 10 tournaments, Bechadergue collected five top-10 finishes and recorded five sub-par rounds. For the year, she maintained a 75.50 scoring average, which led The Hall and ranked fourth in the BIG EAST Conference. Furthermore, her scoring average was the seventh-lowest for a single-year in Seton Hall history.

For her efforts, Bechadergue was named to the All-BIG EAST Team.

SIDNEY COOKS

No newcomer to the Seton Hall women’s basketball team made a larger impact on the Pirates’ success last season than Sidney Cooks. The 6-foot-4 center started 36 games and was a sensation from the start.

After stops at Michigan State and Mississippi State, Cooks found a home at Seton Hall after following former Bulldogs teammate Andra Espinoza-Hunter to South Orange. She proved to be the missing piece in the middle of the Pirates’ offense, a back-to-the-basket frontcourt force that could also drain a three-pointer if the defense didn’t extend.

After sitting the first game of the season, Cooks started the remaining 36 contests. Seton Hall brass knew they

JARED RHODEN

In many ways, Jared Rhoden was the prototypical Seton Hall men’s basketball player: step foot on campus with something to prove, get better over your four-year career, graduate, and let the work that you put in set you up professionally. Currently, Rhoden is on the roster with the Portland Trail Blazers after signing a one-year contract. His promising future in the NBA came after years of hard work at The Hall where he put together an outstanding four-year career that culminated in a senior season that brought the Pirates back to the NCAA Tournament.

Rhoden was the linchpin for the 2021-22 Seton Hall Pirates. He was named All-BIG EAST First Team, AllMetropolitan First Team and was tabbed to NABC and

had something special immediately as she collected 21 points on 10-for-15 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds against Fordham on Nov. 13, her first game in a Pirate uniform.

Against Butler on Jan. 7, Cooks erupted for a career-high 35 points and set a Seton Hall single-game record with 15 made field goals in only 20 attempts. She also pulled down 10 rebounds and blocked two shots. Later that month, she blew up again, scoring 32 points on 15-for22 shooting with 10 rebounds and seven blocks against DePaul on Jan. 30. Her seven blocks were the most by a Pirate in a single game since 1990.

When The Hall needed her most, Cooks delivered. The Kenosha, Wis. native averaged 17.7 points and 8.3 rebounds during Seton Hall’s run to the WNIT title game, including a 28-point performance against Middle Tennessee State in the WNIT National Semifinal. For her efforts, she was named to the All-Tournament Team.

For the season, Cooks averaged 15.9 points per game, which ranked sixth-best in the BIG EAST Conference. Her 7.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game both ranked fourth. Cooks led the Pirates with 12 double-doubles and reached double-figures in scoring 32 times, including eight games of at least 20 points.

Cooks’ remarkable first year at Seton Hall was capped by being named to the All-BIG EAST and All-Met First Teams.

USBWA All-District Teams after finishing sixth in the BIG EAST with 15.5 points per game. When the All-BIG EAST teams were announced, Rhoden was one of only three players (Justin Lewis, Marquette; Javon Freeman-Liberty, DePaul) that ranked in the top 15 in the BIG EAST in both scoring and rebounding.

Throughout the season, Rhoden came through for Seton Hall when it needed him most. He helped lead the Pirates to a victory at No. 4 Michigan with 16 points and five rebounds, he was the leading scorer with 18 points in The Hall’s win over No. 7 Texas and he made gamewinning play on defense in the 90-87 overtime victory over Connecticut; diving on the floor, coming up with the steal and calling a timeout with two seconds left that put the game on ice.

In the middle of the BIG EAST slate, Seton Hall had a 3-6 record in league play and found itself with its back against the wall. However, Rhoden stepped up again as he averaged 17.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting 43 percent from three-point range in a stretch where the Pirates won eight of their final 10 regular season games.

From from a freshman season that saw him average 13.1 minutes and 3.4 points per game, to a senior campaign that saw him become his team’s leader in big games, Rhoden continued the long run of Seton Hall stars that stayed four seasons while also cementing a strong legacy of his own.

PIRATE STANDOUTS TAYLOR HILL

It did not take long for Taylor Hill to establish herself as a star for Seton Hall softball. After starting the season 2-for14 at the plate, the Little Falls, N.J. product began to turn things around after a 2-for-4, two RBI performance in a win over UMBC on Feb. 20. Three days later, Hill would crush her first career home run in a victory over Fordham at Mike Sheppard Sr. Field.

Hill’s historic freshman season was off and running.

The shortstop became just the second Pirate to be named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and to the All-BIG EAST First Team after leading the conference with 35 base hits and amassing a .449 batting average during league play. Hill also clubbed 12 doubles during conference contests, setting a new BIG EAST single season record. She led the Pirates in nearly every major offensive statistical category, firmly at the forefront of an offense that batted a BIG EASTbest .287 as a team overall.

On March 25, Hill went 3-for-4 with four RBI in a win over Butler, raising her season average to .324. Over her final 20 games of the season, Hill’s batting clip would never fall below that number. She had 14 multi-hit games overall, including six three-hit performances. Hill’s best showing came in a weekend series at Georgetown, in which she went 8-for-11 with two home runs and 13 RBI en route to one of her five BIG EAST Freshman of the Week nods.

ROSS PANTANO

Ever since stepping on campus in 2019, Ross Pantano has been a star. A year after he became a BIG EAST Champion in the 400 Medley Relay, the Bennington, Neb. native posted five individual wins and was a part of seven first-place relay teams. As has been the case during his three years at The Hall, Pantano’s specialty has been in the backstroke.

Pantano secured an NCAA “B” qualifying time in the 200 Back during the BIG EAST Championships, touching the wall in a personal best time of 1:44.32. That time was good enough for second place in the event, and earned Pantano his second career All-BIG EAST finish in the event. The junior captured another personal best time during the BIG EAST Championships, swimming the 100 Back prelims in 48.64. Pantano would finish second in the finals of that event later on that night, securing his second of five AllBIG EAST finishes for the week.

Pantano starred in relay events as well, swimming as part of seven winning relay teams throughout the season. Pantano helped his 200 Medley Relay team repeat as BIG EAST Champions, doing so in style this season by setting a new program record in the event with a time of 1:27.89. Two days later, Pantano would help lead the 400 Medley Relay team to a first place finish in a time of 3:15.19.

In total, Pantano has been part of three BIG EAST Champion relay teams, and has achieved a total of 11 AllBIG EAST finishes over his first three years as a Pirate.

HOLLOWAY HOME!

return home to Seton Hall, where he played from 1996-00 and helped the Pirates reach the Sweet Sixteen of the 2000 NCAA Tournament, was nothing short of a massive party.

With a raucous crowd on hand, University President Joseph E. Nyre, Chair of Board of Regents Kevin Marino and Director of Athletics Bryan Felt were the featured speakers. Felt introduced Holloway, who organized a standing ovation for his former Saint Peter’s student-athletes in attendance, and then spoke to the audience about what it takes to play for him and how important this Seton Hall job is to him.

It wasn’t just a press conference. It was a homecoming celebration.

On March 31, 2022, Shaheen Holloway ’00, the McDonald’s AllAmerican turned star Pirates point guard, was introduced as the next head men’s basketball coach. His

Holloway, who most recently was the head coach at Saint Peter’s and led the Peacocks on a miraculous run to the 2022 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, has bled blue & white for over 25 years. After his successful playing career both with the Pirates and overseas as a professional, he got his start in coaching with Seton

Hall in 2006-07 and then returned to South Orange in 2010 as associate head coach under Kevin Willard. Holloway helped the Pirates to three NCAA Tournaments and the 2016 BIG EAST Tournament championship and was the lead recruiter for one of the most successful classes in Seton Hall history, a top-15 ranked class that featured Isaiah Whitehead, Angel Delgado, Khadeen Carrington, Desi Rodriguez, Ismael Sanogo and Michael Nzei.

“My goal is to make sure that they understand that to be champions, you got to be champions in the classroom, on the court and in the community, and that’s what I’m all about.”

- Shaheen Holloway

A MEMORABLE RUN

Pirates returned three starters including All-BIG EAST First Team selections Andra Espinoza-Hunter and Lauren Park-Lane, the newly-minted BIG EAST Most Improved Player.

Without question, the 2021-22 Seton Hall women’s basketball season will go down as one of the most memorable ever. The Pirates played more games and made more field goals than any other team in program history, but it took time for this group to find its footing. Once it did, records fell, and stars were made.

Head coach Anthony Bozzella and his staff assembled a veteran group without a single true freshman. They brought in talented, experienced transfers in Katie Armstrong from Fairfield, Sidney Cooks from Mississippi State and Ariel Cummings from West Virginia. The Pirates were also bolstered by the return of Curtessia Dean, who returned from injury following a stellar junior college career. In addition to the newcomers, the

The breath of talent was evident, and success was inevitable, but the mix needed time to gel. After winning two of three games in Walsh Gym to start the season, The Hall lost by 14 points to USC at the Cancun Challenge but showed grit the next day in a thrilling 68-63 overtime victory against a strong Toledo team.

Upon its return to the States, Seton Hall opened BIG EAST play with a loss to No. 2 UConn, and a disappointing setback at St. John’s, but again bounced back with one of its best victories of the season, a convincing 70-60 victory at Princeton. The Pirate victory snapped a 21-game home win streak for the eventuallyNCAA bound Tigers.

After a loss to a tough UCF team, the Pirates upended Marquette, 6957. With only eight players and two coaches due to COVID-19 protocols, The Hall used a 16-0 fourth-quarter run to stun the Golden Eagles for their first BIG EAST victory of the season.

After the Pirates dispatched Wagner in their final non-conference game and fell to Villanova in a three-point road nailbiter on New Year’s Eve, the month of January brought mostly heartache. The Hall went 2-4 in the month and fell by an average of 21.3 points in their four losses. At the halfway mark of their BIG EAST schedule, The Hall was 3-7 and just 8-10 overall.

But as the calendar page flipped to February, so did the Pirates’ fortunes. Armed with the most favorable remaining schedule in the conference, and with players healing from nagging injuries, The Hall was poised for a run… and run they did.

The Pirates went on a six-game win streak, beginning with a 91-62 rout of Georgetown on Feb. 2. The Hall splashed a program record and BIG EAST record-tying 19 three-pointers in only 31 attempts. Andra EspinozaHunter connected on 7-of-9 three-point attempts for 25 points to lead the way.

After holding on for a five-point win over Xavier in an offensive shootout, the Pirates took to the road and ripped Butler in Hinkle Fieldhouse before toppling Georgetown in Washington to pull even at 7-7 in BIG EAST play.

After a slow start, the Pirates blitzed to wins in 16 of its final 19 games, including a run to the WNIT National Final.

Armed with four straight wins, the Pirates snapped Villanova’s ninegame win streak with a thrilling 72-60 victory in Walsh Gym behind a career-high 33 points from Lauren Park-Lane. It was a game that also featured the 1,000th career points for Armstrong and Cooks. Five days later, The Hall ran its streak to six games with a 10-point victory against Providence.

Unfortunately, Seton Hall’s streak came to an end in an instant classic against Creighton on Senior Day, Feb. 20. The Pirates fell, 97-91, in doubleovertime despite raucous Walsh Gym crowd and a career-high 35 points from Espinoza-Hunter. Park-Lane had a three-point play with only six seconds left in the first overtime to give the Pirates the lead, but the Bluejays forced a second overtime session, and the Pirates fell late.

Undeterred, The Hall closed the regular season with three straight wins. Cooks scored a career-high 35 points and Park-Lane broke her own assist record with 18 in an 84-55 bludgeoning of Butler. The Hall then went on the road to outlast DePaul, the nation’s highest scoring team, 94-90, behind 31 points from ParkLane, which included the 1,000th of her career. Finally, the Pirates downed Xavier, 74-53, in Cincinnati with Park-Lane picking up 13 more assists to set a new BIG EAST single-season record.

Seton Hall earned the six-seed in the BIG EAST Championship and defeated 11-seeded Butler, 58-39, in the opening round at Mohegan Sun. The victory made a rematch with Creighton in the quarterfinals. A year ago, the No. 3 Pirates fell to No. 6 Creighton, this year the seeds were reversed, but the matchup was the same. Trailing, 65-64, Park-Lane found Mya Bembry on the baseline for a game-winning jumper with only 2.1 seconds remaining.

Although the Pirates fell in the conference semifinals to Villanova, they earned the program’s seventh trip all-time to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). Discontent with how the BIG EAST

Tournament finished, the Pirates played as if they had something to prove in the WNIT.

In the first round, the Pirates’ defense kept Fairleigh Dickinson without a single point in the fourth quarter, rolling to a 22-point victory. In round two, The Hall held off VCU, 70-67. Three days later, the Pirates rallied to take down a 28-win Drexel team. Trailing by as many as nine points in the fourth quarter, The Hall scored 31 points in the final 10 minutes to register a 78-71 victory.

For the third time in four WNIT games, Park-Lane erupted for 29 points as Seton Hall edged Columbia on the road, 78-75, to earn a trip to the WNIT National Semifinals. The Hall was a perfect 20-for-20 from the free-throw line, which included 14for-14 from Park-Lane.

In the national semifinal at Middle Tennessee State, the Pirates found themselves down four points with only 23 seconds left. Park-Lane completed a three-point play with 17 seconds left to cut The Hall’s deficit to one. Amari Wright then stole the ball to give possession back to The Hall, and off a timeout, EspinozaHunter found Cooks for a gamewinning layup to give Seton Hall a 74-73 lead with only 2.4 left to play. Cooks had a game-high 28 points on an efficient 10-for-13 shooting.

Although the Pirates dropped the WNIT title game at South Dakota State, the memory of a historic season will remain for years to come. Seton Hall finished the season with 24 victories, a remarkable feat when considering they started February with only eight. Lauren Park-Lane led the nation in total assists and minutes played and became only the third Pirate to be named All-Met Division I Player of the Year. ParkLane and Cooks were named to the All-WNIT Team, and both, along with Espinoza-Hunter, earned All-BIG EAST status.

Ultimately, the Pirates won 16 of their final 19 games and enjoyed a wild March Madness that didn’t end until April.

THE H.A.L.L.

PROGRAM

A staple of the Seton Hall studentathlete experience, the Helping Athletes Learn to be Leaders (H.A.L.L.) Program continued to impact Seton Hall student-athletes, and in turn the local community in 2021-22.

Launching in the Fall of 2013, with an emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion, the SHE Can Initiative, leadership development, career development, community enrichment, student-athlete welfare enhancement, and spiritual development, studentathletes participate in all areas of development throughout their time at Seton Hall through intentional programming tailored specifically to either them individually, their teams, their years in school, or the entire student-athlete population.

Due to the nature of the COVID-19 Pandemic, programming and events were altered, delayed, and in some cases cancelled. However, that led to innovation towards virtual programming and a deeper incorporation of e-learning modules, while also providing the student-athletes the opportunity to continue to achieve greatness in and away from athletics. This past year we were able to slowly integrate valuable in-person programming that picked up as the year went along.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion –Empowering Student-Athletes

Through a partnership with RISE (RiseToWin.org), each studentathlete participated in various forms of diversity education. Teams were partnered up with other teams during these training sessions so that they could have an environment they felt comfortable in, but also would be able to listen to perspectives of their teammates and fellow student-athletes from another team. This dialogue proved to lead to some great conversations and

discussions regarding stereotyping, identity, and general diversity concepts. Student-athletes also competed modules through the Game Plan platform designed to provide additional training on the topics centered around diversity, equity and inclusion.

Additionally, leadership during the current social justice movement was at the forefront as many student-athletes sought ways to find their voices during this

time and be agents of change in the areas of social justice and racial inequality. Whether it was department-wide initiatives like the “HALLin This Together” shirt campaign, or individual initiatives, student-athletes were encouraged to share their voices.

Student-Athlete Leadership Academy –Developing Leaders at Seton Hall & Beyond

A cornerstone of the H.A.L.L. Program’s Leadership Development pillar, the StudentAthlete Leadership Academy had another successful year of programming as we returned to a full in-person setup. Studentathletes participated in the academy after an extensive application process that saw over 30 student-athletes from eight teams represented.

This program focuses on developing student-athlete leaders at Seton Hall and beyond. The curriculum included text-based discussions, the D.I.S.C. leadership personality assessments, and conversations and discussions centered around this year’s text – The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by Steven Covey.

Career Development & Student-Athlete Welfare Programming

Coming out of the pandemic this past year, we were nimble enough to include some virtual, but mostly in-person career programming for the student-athletes. This emphasis on preparing them for life after sport and improving their overall student-athlete welfare was paramount.

These events included the following educational seminars and training events:

• The Patrick Murray & Mary Ann Pfaff Murray Leadership Forum for Student-Athletes

• The growth of the ‘SHE Can’ Women’s Leadership Series

• The Student-Athlete Leadership Academy

• Student-Athlete Mentoring Initiatives

• Significant Career Development Workshops: - Resume Workshops

- Interview Seminars

- LinkedIn and Networking Workshops

• Sexual Assault Prevention & Bystander Intervention Training

• Diversity & Inclusion trainings and seminars through a partnership with R.I.S.E.

• Stress Relief and Management Seminars with The Wellness Center

• Mental Health Education Seminars

• Sports Wagering and Gambling Prevention Rules Education

• Implementation of the NCAAsponsored “MyPlaybook: The Freshman Experience”

• Drugs and Alcohol education designed to show the negative impacts on an athlete’s body

• Sleep hygiene education designed to relay the importance of sleep for an athlete’s body

PIRATES IN THE COMMUNITY

PATRICK M. AND MARY ANN PFAFF MURRAY LEADERSHIP FORUM

A signature event of the Helping Athletes Learn to be Leaders (H.A.L.L.) Program, the Seton Hall University Department of Athletics hosted its annual Patrick M. and Mary Ann Pfaff Murray Leadership Forum for Student-Athletes on Feb. 8 inside Bethany Hall, the program’s first in-person event since February 2020.

Named in honor of Pat ‘64, MBA ‘72 and Mary Ann Pfaff Murray, who generously made a gift to the Pirate Blue Athletic Fund in support of the event, the Leadership Forum gives student-

athletes an opportunity to engage in a career-oriented discussion and networking opportunity with successful industry professionals.

This year’s panelists included: James Burnette, the Senior Director of Global Sales at LinkedIn, Cherie Leanza, the co-founder and Vice President of Marketing for GenWealth Group, and Kimberley Ring, the founder of Ring Communications.

Glenn Horine, a sports industry strategist and co-founder and CEO of Mettle + Rise, moderated the evening. While Horine did ask

questions to the panelists, much of the discussion was studentathlete driven as they were able to take advantage of the wealth of knowledge the panelists brought to the table.

The mission of the H.A.L.L. Program is to over the course of the student-athletes’ time at Seton Hall University, be the catalyst that transforms high school graduates into student-athlete leaders, and then leaders in the professional world.

THE STUDENT-ATHLETE EXPERIENCE

Seton Hall Athletics continued to promote the SHE Can initiative throughout of the academic year to provide our female studentathletes with tailored professional development and networking opportunities. On April 29th, 2022, Seton Hall Athletics hosted the inperson SHE Can Networking Panel on-campus in Bethany Hall. The networking panel was moderated by Senior Associate Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator Tatum Colitz, and the event’s theme explored leadership lessons and navigating transition. The panel further explored the lived experience of former Division I student-athletes and Seton Hall alumnae across generations and career fields. The featured panelists included Seton Hall Athletics graduates Julia Lanuez, Alyson Furch, and Mary Beth Childs, as well as two former Division I student-athletes in Maria Gerew and Katie Jordan.

Julia Lanuez MS, CCC-SLP

• Speech Language Pathologist at Newmark Education; Owner of Growing Through Speech LLC

• Former Seton Hall Sapphire and Coach

Maria Gerew, MD, MPH

• Internal Medicine Resident Physician at Morristown Medical Center

• Former Division I Soccer Student-Athlete

Katie Jordan, MBA

• Senior Account Manager at Experience Interaction

• Former Division I Water Polo Student-Athlete & Captain

Alyson Furch

• LeRoi Creative Founder & BDA Sports Management Director of Media & Content

• Former Seton Hall Volleyball Student-Athlete & Co-Captain

Mary

Beth Childs

• President of MBC Marketing LLC

• Former Member the Seton Hall Women’s Tennis and Men’s Golf Teams

The event feedback from studentathletes in attendance with overwhelmingly positive, with some post-survey anecdotes below:

“As a stem major, I loved hearing from someone within the medical field in particular. However, hearing about the similar shared experiences between all the panelists was incredibly encouraging and gave me more confidence in knowing the ways I can transfer and apply the skills that I have as a student athlete to my career post college, especially in ways that I did not anticipate.”

“I enjoyed how the panelists covered a wide array of fields, it allowed connections for each athlete and the specific field they are looking to go into. Thank you for what you are doing to help female student athletes here!”

SHE Can’s overall objective is to create and cultivate a community of strong, independent, and successful women who can serve as role models and build connections with our Seton Hall student-athletes. Not every interaction will, or is expected to lead to a career opportunity, but instead this community will help

guide our athletes through an impressionable and transitional time in life and in their young careers. We hope to learn your stories, and to create a platform that builds community within our department, campus, and global footprint.

Included in the SHE Can initiative will be a newsletter that will spotlight women associated with Seton Hall Athletics. Sign up for this newsletter by emailing she. can@shu.edu.

Seton Hall is seeking out interested people to help with:

• Mentor upperclassmen studentathletes through one-on-one networking

• Serve on the annual spring SHE Can Networking Panel

• Participate in a larger panel or small group, virtual discussions

• Invite a small group of student athletes to your office for morning coffee and a quick tour

SHUCADEMY AWARDS

Seton Hall Athletics hosted the 2022 SHUcademy Awards on Tuesday, April 26, the first inperson edition of the awards show since 2019. The event was held in historic Walsh Gymnasium to celebrate the best of the best in Pirates athletics for the year.

Seton Hall assistant strength & conditioning coordinator Angelo Gingerelli hosted the event, and for the first time ever, the SHUcademy Awards featured a musical guest as JayReal, the stage name of men’s basketball graduate student Jamir Harris, opened the show with his first live performance.

Women’s basketball star point guard Lauren Park-Lane was named the Junior Female Athlete of the Year after a record-setting campaign in which she set new Seton Hall and BIG EAST assists records, earned First Team All-BIG

EAST honors and was named the Metropolitan Div. I Women’s Player of the Year.

Men’s swimming & diving’s Ross Pantano was named the Junior Male Athlete of the Year. He was part of two BIG EAST Championship winning medley relay teams and was named All-BIG EAST in five events total while also swimming an NCAA B standard time in the 200 backstroke.

Volleyball outside hitter Perri Lucas was named the Sophomore Female Athlete of the Year after leading the Pirates in kills and kills per set and earning All-Tournament honors across three different nonconference tournaments that Seton Hall attended.

Men’s basketball’s Kadary Richmond was named Sophomore Male Athlete of the Year after helping the Pirates to the NCAA

Tournament with excellent play at the point guard position. He finished fourth in the BIG EAST in assists and fifth in steals.

Softball’s Taylor Hill and women’s swimming & diving’s Allie Waggoner were crowned Co-Freshman Female Athletes of the Year. Hill was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and First Team AllConference. Waggoner broke the school record in two events, the 1000 freestyle and 400 IM, and went on to post top-six finishes in the 1650 freestyle and 400 IM at the BIG EAST Championship.

Men’s swimming & diving’s Sean Vizzard garnered Male Freshman Athlete of the Year after capturing the BIG EAST Championship in the 1650 freestyle with a school-record time and earning All-BIG EAST honors in the 500 freestyle.

MOST VALUABLE PIRATE STAFF AWARD

John Moon, Cross Country Head Coach

WALTER DUKES INTEGRITY & IMPACT AWARD

Caleb Smith, Men’s Swimming & Diving

IRON PIRATE AWARD

Janae Barracato, Softball

Blaise Panzini, Baseball

PIRATE PERSEVERANCE AWARD

Alex Clyde, Baseball

Chris Lotito, Baseball

FRESHMAN SCHOLAR-ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

Matthew Bethea, Baseball

Caroline Lipton, Women’s Soccer

Molly Mitman, Softball

Chiara Pucci, Women’s Soccer

SOPHOMORE SCHOLAR-ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

Madeline Field, Women’s Swimming & Diving

Josie McCartney, Women’s Swimming & Diving

Mark Walier, Men’s Soccer

OTHER WINNERS OF THE EVENING INCLUDED:

JUNIOR SCHOLAR-ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

Torre Avitabile, Men’s Soccer

Cornelia Jerresand, Women’s Swimming & Diving

SENIOR SCHOLAR-ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

JP Marin, Men’s Soccer

Emma Newgarden, Women’s Cross Country

TEAM ACADEMIC AWARD (HIGHEST GPA)

Women’s Golf Men’s Soccer

2021-22 ACADEMIC ALL-STARS (HIGHEST GPA)

Torre Avitabile, Men’s Soccer

Nicole Bastian, Women’s Swimming & Diving

Luca Dahn, Men’s Soccer

Madeline Field, Women’s Swimming & Diving

Cornelia Jerresand, Women’s Swimming & Diving

Oliwia Kempinski, Tennis

Josie McCartney, Women’s Swimming & Diving

Emma Newgarden, Women’s Cross Country

Hannes Ronnholmen, Men’s Soccer

Mark Walier, Men’s Soccer

SPORT & SPIRITUALITY AWARD

Ben Puglessi, Men’s Swimming & Diving

BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

Shelby Smith, Softball

GAMES OF THE YEAR

Men’s basketball wins at No. 4 Michigan Women’s basketball rallies to win WNIT semifinals at Middle Tennessee State

PLAY OF THE YEAR

Mya Bembry hits game-winning jumper to lift women’s basketball over Creighton in BIG EAST quarterfinals

2022 SENIOR AWARDS BANQUET

Seton Hall Athletics celebrated its graduating senior class on May 18 with the 10th Annual Senior Awards Banquet.

The event is designed to honor the graduating class in front of their coaches, peers and family members. As is tradition, each head coach delivered remarks about their respective graduates and handed out their senior gifts. Long-time strength and conditioning coach Angelo Gingerelli served as emcee and was assisted by director of athletics Bryan Felt in handing out the major awards.

Three major awards were handed out during the marquee event. For his efforts in the pool, in the

classroom and in Seton Hall community, Caleb Smith was named 2022 Most Valuable Pirate. Smith is an All-BIG EAST swimmer and the former president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

There were co-recipients of the Senior Male Athlete of the Year Award, Jared Rhoden of men’s basketball and Gregor Tait of men’s golf.

Rhoden was named to the All-BIG EAST and All-Met First Teams and played a leading role in returning the men’s basketball team to the NCAA Tournament. He graduates as one of only 12 Pirates with over 1,200 career points and 600 rebounds. Tait was also an All-BIG

EAST First Team selection and won a share of the BIG EAST individual title with a remarkable 11-under-par performance. His third-round 65 helped lift the men’s golf team to its first BIG EAST team championship in 22 years.

Women’s basketball player Andra Espinoza-Hunter was named Senior Female Athlete of the Year. Espinoza-Hunter was a Second Team All-BIG EAST selection this year, and despite playing only 53 games in a Seton Hall uniform, she ranks third all-time with a 16.2 scoring average and seventh with 130 made three-pointers.

BLACK FIVES

In February 2022, Seton Hall Athletics and the BIG EAST Conference partnered with the Black Fives Foundation on an initiative to celebrate Black History Month by honoring Black athletes, coaches, and communities who played a critical part in America’s basketball history.

After basketball was invented in 1891, teams were often called “fives,” for their five starting players. The sport, like society, was racially segregated, and all-Black squads were called “Black fives.” From 1904, when basketball was first introduced to African Americans on a wide scale organized basis, through the racial integration of all-White professional leagues in the 1940’s, dozens of Black fives emerged and thrived while their skill, athleticism, and innovative styles of play helped shape and popularize the game to know and love today.

Black Fives flourished on the amateur, semi-professional and professional levels in cities like New York City, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Chicago, as well as in other locations with substantial African American

populations. The men and women of the Black Fives Era opened doors for generations of African American players and coaches while staging culturally rich, socially meaningful events that strengthened and inspired Black communities in the face of Jim Crow oppression.

During their first home game of the month of February, both the men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams wore the names and logo of a Black Fives team to honor these pioneers. Seton Hall also invited the University’s chamber choir to sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” prior to the game. All 11 BIG EAST schools hosted a Black Fives Night in the month of February, for a total of 22 events that helped raise awareness for this important piece of Black history.

For more information on the Black Fives, visit http://www.blackfives.org/.

ATHLETICS TIMELINE

SEPT. 3 | MSOC

AUG. 19 | WSOC

Naomi Welch scored a goal in the 80th minute and the Pirates posted their first clean sheet in a season opener since 2014 in a 1-0 win over Lafayette at Owen T. Carroll Field.

The Pirates used second half goals from Luca Dahn and Paavo Riihijarvi to defeat (RV) NC State, 3-1. Johannes Pex started the scoring in the first half, scoring his second goal is as many matches as Seton Hall improved to 2-0-1 on the young season.

SEPT. 5 | WGOLF

Margot

Bechadergue shattered Seton Hall’s par-72, three-round record with a 5-underpar, 71-68-72-211, placing fourth overall at the Nittany Lion Invitational.

SEPT. 9 | WSOC

The Pirates posted their most points in a single game since 2005 (17) in a wild 6-3 victory over Iona that featured two goals and an assist from Julia Aronov

SEPT. 12 | WSOC

Strong play by the Seton Hall backline and Grace Gordon in goal kept Lehigh off the scoreboard in the second half after an early tally by Julia Aronov in a 1-0 win against Lehigh.

AUG. 29 | WSOC

Seton Hall women’s soccer started off its season with three straight wins for the first time since 2012 following a late goal scored by Emma Ramsay in a 1-0 win at Delaware.

SEPT. 4 | VOLLEYBALL

Amanda Rachwal had 10 kills and five blocks as the Pirates swept Kent State, 3-0, to win the 2021 Fairfield Invitational.

The Pirates dropped only one set in route to victories over Fairfield, Hofstra and Kent State this weekend, claiming their first non-conference tournament since 2016.

SEPT. 6 | MSOC

The Pirates overcame a two-goal deficit in the second half to draw No. 10 Virginia Tech, 3-3. The game was a rematch of the Round of 16 affair which Seton Hall won in penalty kicks. Luca Dahn and James Boote scored seven minutes apart to pull the match level.

SEPT. 11 | MXC

SEPT. 11 | TENNIS

The Pirates cleaned up at the Siena Invitational, winning four titles. Arina Gumerova captured the A Flight singles championship and teamed with Anastasia Petrova to win the A doubles championship.

Aina Plana Ventosa won the B singles championship and Emily O’Donovan and Oliwia Kempinski captured the C doubles championship.

Five Pirates finish in the top-10, including three in the top-5, en route to a first-place finish at the Bill Fritz Invitational hosted by Rowan University. Cole Kretlow took home the top spot on the 8k course in a time of 26:46.1.

SEPT. 11 | VOLLEYBALL

Jenna Walsh collected career-highs of 11 kills and eight digs to lead the Pirates to a sweep of Columbia, 3-0, to win the Big Apple Tournament and claim its seventh straight victory. Perri Lucas and Madeline Matheny were named to the All-Tournament Team.

SEPT. 21 | MGOLF

Andres Acevedo and Wanxi Sun each shot a career-high 7-under-par to tie for fourth overall and lift the Pirates to a second-place team finish at the Hartford Hawks Invitational. Sun’s second-round 65 tied Seton Hall’s par-72 single-round record.

OCT. 1 | VOLLEYBALL

Perri Lucas had a season-high 17 kills, and both Taylor Jakubowski and Anna Holland had double-doubles as the Pirates outlasted Providence, 3-2.

OCT.

2 | MXC

The Pirates finish first out of 29 teams at the Highlander XC Challenge hosted by NJIT. Cole Kretlow paced the field of 237 runners, with Patrick Wegner and Declan Harkness also grabbing top-5 finishes.

OCT. 9 | MSWIM

Sean Vizzard wins a pair of events in his first collegiate meet, taking first place in both the 500 and 1000-yard freestyle.

SEPT. 23 | WSOC

Laura Hooper found the back of the net twice late in the second half to lead Seton Hall to a 2-1 win in its BIG EAST opener at Villanova, its first conference road win since 2011.

OCT.

2 | XC

Both the men’s and women’s teams take first place at the Highlander XC Challenge hosted by NJIT. Cole Kretlow paced the field of 237 runners on the men’s side, while Nancy Habib notched a second-place finish on the women’s side.

OCT. 9 | VOLLEYBALL

Perri Lucas had a team-high 13 kills, and Taylor Jakubowski had a double-double as the Pirates swept Butler, 3-0. For her efforts, Jakubowski was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.

OCT. 22 |

VOLLEYBALL

Emilee Turner and Perri Lucas combined for 19 kills and only two attack errors as the Pirates swept Xavier, 3-0.

OCT. 13 | MSOC

A goal in the 81st minute from Jordan Jowers broke a scoreless tie and delivered the Pirates a 1-0 road victory over DePaul.

OCT. 16 | MSOC

Andreas Nota moved into a tie for second for most shutouts in program history after a 0-0 draw at St. John’s. The clean sheet was Nota’s 13th of his career, as well as his second in as many matches.

OCT.

30 | VOLLEYBALL

Tsvetelina Ilieva, Emilee Turner and Jenna Walsh combined for 32 kills and the Pirates defeated Georgetown, 3-1.

OCT. 30 | MSWIM

The men’s swimming team claims first place in 15 out of 16 events in a dual meet victory over Monmouth. Junior Justin Oosterwyk led the Pirates with three wins on the day, including individual victories in the 100 and 200 Fly.

NOV. 13 | VOLLEYBALL

Four Pirates recorded a doubledouble and Perri Lucas erupted for a team-high 16 kills as the Pirates upset Connecticut, 3-1.

NOV. 16 | MBB

In a game 32 years in the making, Seton Hall put history to bed as it played outstanding defense and hit some huge free throws down the stretch to topple the No. 4 Michigan Wolverines in a Gavitt Tip-Off Games matchup in Ann Arbor, 67-65.

NOV. 20 | XC

Nancy Habib completed her breakout season with a 19:08 5k time at the ECAC Championship. Habib was the first Pirate to cross the finish line in all nine races on the season, including six top-25 times and three individual victories.

DEC. 9 | MBB

Behind 18 points by Jared Rhoden and stingy defense that held No. 7 Texas scoreless for 7:40 late in the second half, No. 23 Seton Hall knocked off the Longhorns, 64-60, at the Prudential Center in a BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle matchup.

DEC. 12 | MBB

Five Pirates scored in double-figures led by Bryce Aiken who had a season-high 22 points, and the No. 23 Seton Hall men’s basketball team defeated Rutgers, 77-63, on Sunday, reclaiming the Garden State Hardwood Classic trophy.

NOV. 14 |

VOLLEYBALL

NOV.

19-21 | WSWIM

NOV. 1 | MGOLF

Wenliang Xie tied for second with a 3-under-par, 71-71-71213, to lift the Pirates to the team title at the Daniel Island Invitational, their first team victory since 2017.

Perri Lucas had a team-high nine kills as the Pirates swept St. John’s, 3-0, snapping a sevenmatch losing streak to the Red Storm. For her efforts over the weekend, she was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.

The Pirates break four school records over a three-day stretch at the Patriot Invitational hosted by George Mason. Allie Waggoner broke two of the records, setting new program marks in the 400 IM and 1000 Free. Natalie Heim set a new school mark in the 100 Free, while the relay team of Heim, Leiya Istambouli, Lea Moeller and Cornelia Jerresand broke the program record in the 200 Free Relay.

NOV. 26 | WBB

Lauren Park-Lane had 19 points and nine assists, while Andra EspinozaHunter added 18 points as the Pirates outlasted Toledo, 68-63, in overtime in their Cancun Challenge finale.

DEC. 11 | WBB

The Pirates snapped Princeton’s 21-game home win streak with a 70-60 victory. Andra EspinozaHunter and Lauren Park-Lane combined for 41 points.

DEC. 19 | WBB

With only eight players and two coaches due to COVID protocols, the Pirates stunned Marquette, 69-57, in Walsh Gym. Lauren Park-Lane had 25 points and eight assists.

JAN. 16 | WBB

Lauren Park-Lane had a game-high 30 points and Andra Espinoza-Hunter recorded her 1,000th career point in the Pirates’ 62-42 victory at Providence.

FEB. 4 | MBB

Following a seasonturning victory at Georgetown on Feb. 1, the Pirates returned to Prudential Center and put forth a complete effort with five players scoring in double figures in a convincing 74-55 win over Creighton.

FEB. 8 | WGOLF

Margot Bechadergue shot a 2-over-par, 74-6975-218 to lead the Pirates at the highlycompetitive FAU Paradise Invitational. For her efforts, she was named BIG EAST Golfer of the Week for the third time during the year.

FEB. 12 | SB

The Pirates put up 12 runs at the plate while Sydney Babik throws a one-hit shutout in a win over UMass Lowell.

FEB. 18 | TENNIS

The Pirates won all three doubles matches and all six singles matches while surrendering just 19 points the entire match as they soundly defeated Binghamton, 7-0.

JAN. 8 | MBB

Kadary Richmond was unstoppable, scoring a careerhigh 27 points, 25 of which came in the second half and at one point scored 17 straight points, in No. 24 Seton Hall’s 90-87 overtime triumph over Connecticut at Prudential Center.

FEB. 2 | WBB

The Pirates set a BIG EAST singlegame record with 19 made three-pointers in a 91-62 rout of Georgetown. Andra Espinoza-Hunter had a game-high 25 points and was 7-for9 from downtown.

FEB. 5 | TENNIS

Down 3-2 late in its home opener vs. Fairfield, the Pirates rallied with a pair of thrilling singles wins to edge the Stags, 4-3. Aina Plana Ventosa trailed in her third set at No. 2 singles but came back with four straight games to tie up the overall match, and then Hiba El Khalifi sealed the win for the Pirates with a third-set win of her own.

FEB. 9 | MBB

In a physical contest that featured 42 team fouls, Jared Rhoden’s 25 points lifted Seton Hall to its third consecutive victory in a 73-71 win over No. 25 Xavier at Prudential Center.

FEB. 13 | WBB

The Pirates snapped Villanova’s ninegame win streak with a convincing 72-60 victory in Walsh Gym. Lauren Park-Lane erupted for a career-high 33 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter. Additionally, both Katie Armstrong and Sidney Cooks picked up their 1,000th career points.

FEB. 20 | SB

Seton Hall’s bats erupt for 30 runs across a doubleheader sweep of UMBC and Saint Joseph’s. In the game one victory, the Pirates set program records in runs scored (19) and margin of victory (17), while the 19 base hits tied a single-game program mark.

23

FEB. 23 | MSWIM

On day one of the BIG EAST Championships, the relay team of Ross Pantano, Gennario Conzemius, Justin Oosterwyk and Thomas Minar break the 200 Medley Relay school record. The team combined to win the race in a time of 1:27.89, besting the previous record of 1:29.08 set in 2020.

FEB. 25 | MSWIM

The team of Ross Pantano, Gennario Conzemius, Justin Oosterwyk and Ben LaClair deliver Seton Hall its second BIG EAST title in a relay event. The quartet won the 400 Medley Relay in a time of 3:15.19.

FEB. 25 | MSWIM

Justin Oosterwyk wins the 100 Fly on day three of the BIG EAST Championships, touching the wall in a personal-best time of 47.75. Oosterwyk’s win in the event marked the fourth consecutive year that a Pirate claimed victory in the event at the BIG EAST Championships.

FEB. 22 | MGOLF

Four Pirates shot under par, led by Wenliang Xie’s -4, to lift the Pirates to a fourth-place finish at the Loyola Intercollegiate. Seton Hall’s 852 is the secondlowest par-72, three-round score in program history.

FEB. 24 | WSWIM

The 200 Free Relay program record falls for the second time in three months. Josie McCartney, Natalie Heim, Leiya Istambouli and Cornelia Jerresand touch the wall in a time of 1:33.17 to break the school mark in the event which was set in November.

FEB. 26 | MSWIM

FEB. 26 | MSWIM

Sean Vizzard breaks the program record in the 1650 Free with a time of 15:08.48 to win his first individual BIG EAST Championship. Vizzard’s time shattered the previous school record which had stood for 28 years, and also was fast enough to earn an NCAA “B” qualifying time.

Ross Pantano earns an NCAA “B” standard qualifying time with his second-place finish in the 200 Back, touching the wall with a personal-best time of 1:44.32.

FEB. 26 | MBB

FEB. 22 | WBB

Sidney Cooks erupted for a career-high 35 points on 15-for20 shooting and Lauren ParkLane tied the BIG EAST record with 18 assists in Seton Hall’s 84-55 victory over Butler.

Jared Rhoden scored a career-high 30 points, Seton Hall shot 52.7 percent shooting from the field and forced 14 Xavier turnovers as the Pirates throttled the Musketeers, 82-66, in a critical road win at Cintas Center.

FEB.

| TENNIS

Arina Gumerova was named BIG EAST Female Singles Player of the Week after going 2-0 at No. 1 singles against Binghamton and Monmouth. She and Arabella Moen were named BIG EAST Female Doubles Players of the Week.

MARCH 2 | MBB

On Senior Night, Jared Rhoden scored 16 points and Kadary Richmond produced a doubledouble with 12 points and 10 assists as Seton Hall took down Georgetown, 73-68, for its fourth straight win at Prudential Center.

MARCH 5 | WBB

Mya Bembry’s baseline jumper with 2.4 seconds remaining lifted the Pirates to a thrilling 66-65 victory over third-seeded Creighton in the BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinals.

MARCH 5 | MBB

Seton Hall overcame an 11-point first-half deficit and Jared Rhoden scored 13 of his game-high 19 points in the second half as the Pirates secured a huge 65-60 road win over Creighton for their 20th win of the season at CHI Health Center Omaha.

MARCH 12 | WGOLF

All five of Seton Hall’s starters placed in the top-10 among 92 individual golfers and the team placed second at the Sacred Heart Invitational. Sarah Fouratt led the way with a fifthplace finish.

MARCH 14 | BASEBALL

Brennan O’Neill struck out nine in five-plus innings of work and Will Gale went 2-for-3 with two RBI in the Pirates’ 6-4 road win at No. 11 Florida, The Hall’s first win over a ranked team since 2018.

MARCH 22 | MGOLF

Angus O’Brien finished with a 2-under-par, 7070-74-214, to finish second among all individuals and carry the Pirates to the team title of The Big Texan, their second straight tournament win.

MARCH 3 | WBB

The Pirates landed three players on All-BIG EAST Teams, Sidney Cooks, Lauren Park-Lane and Andra EsinozaHunter. All three were also named to All-Met Teams a month later.

MARCH 8 | MGOLF

Andres Acevedo finished with an even-par, 216, to tie for seven place individually and lift the Pirates to four-stroke team victory at the Ross Collegiate Classic.

MARCH 10 | SB

Shelby Smith fired a shutout and added a three-run home run as Seton Hall defeated Providence, 8-0 in the BIG EAST opener.

MARCH 17 | WBB

The Pirates held FDU scoreless for the entire fourth quarter, outscoring them 160, in a 67-45 victory in the first round of the WNIT. Lauren Park-Lane had 29 points to lead the team.

MARCH 10 | MBB

Jamir Harris buried a deep three-pointer with 40.3 seconds remaining in the game to give Seton Hall the lead for good as the Pirates overcame a sluggish start to defeat Georgetown, 57-53, in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament at Madison Square Garden.

MARCH 24 | WBB

The Pirates rallied from a nine-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat 28-win Drexel, 78-71, in the WNIT Third Round.

Lauren Park-Lane had 29 points and 11 assists to lead the way.

MARCH 30 | TENNIS

For the second time this season, Arina Gumerova and Arabella Moen were named BIG EAST Female Doubles Players of the Week after securing wins at No. 1 doubles versus Georgetown and Villanova.

APRIL 5 | TENNIS

The tandem of Arina Gumerova and Arabella Moen won their 10th doubles match of the season together, and the Pirates had five singles wins on the day in a 6-1 road win at Wagner.

APRIL 10 | BASEBALL

Steve Grober went 3-for-4 with two RBI and Daniel Frontera earned the win out of the bullpen as two big innings offensively and six innings of scoreless relief helped Seton Hall clinch its first BIG EAST series of the season with a 10-7 victory over Xavier.

APRIL 22 | WBB

Lauren ParkLane was named All-Met Division I Player of the Year. Park-Lane, Sidney Cooks and Andra Espinoza-Hunter were also named to All-Met Teams.

APRIL 24 | BASEBALL

David Haberman went 3-for-5 and drove in three runs including a game-tying home run in the top of the seventh inning that led the Pirates to a topsy turvy 10-9 win at Creighton.

APRIL 17 | SB

MARCH 29 | WBB

The Pirates edged Columbia, 7875, in the WNIT Quarterfinals. The Hall went 20-for-20 from the free-throw line. Lauren ParkLane had 29 points and was 14-for-14 from the line alone.

MARCH

31 | WBB

The Pirates rallied from a four-point deficit with just 23 seconds left to edge Middle Tennessee State, 74-73, in the WNIT National Semifinals. Sidney Cooks had 28 points to lead the Pirates and her bucket with 2.4 seconds left was the game-winner.

APRIL 6 | BASEBALL

Led by Devin Hack who went 3-for-5 with four RBI, Seton Hall poured in a season-high 14 runs while its pitching staff allowed only three runs in a 14-3 win over Princeton at Mike Sheppard, Sr. Stadium.

Taylor Hill is named BIG EAST Player and Freshman of the Week after a huge weekend at Georgetown. Hill went 8-for-11 in the series with two home runs, 13 RBI and six extra-base hits as the Pirates took two out of three from the Hoyas.

APRIL 23 | WGOLF

Margot Bechadergue shot an even-par, 72, in her final collegiate round to lift the Pirates to a third-place finish at the BIG EAST Championship.

Seton Hall’s threeday total of 902 is its lowest ever at a BIG EAST Championship.

APRIL 25 | WBB

Lauren Park-Lane had 31 points, including the 1,000th of her career, as the Pirates defeated DePaul, the nation’s top scoring team, 9490, in Chicago. She was named BIG EAST Player of the Week for her efforts.

APRIL 25 | MGOLF

Andres Acevedo, Gregor Tait and Wenliang Xie were all named to All-BIG EAST Teams.

MAY 3 | BASEBALL

Timely hitting with the bases loaded and pitching that kept one of the top offenses in the country off balanced propelled Seton Hall to a convincing 11-2 victory over No. 24 Rutgers

MAY 11 | SB

Ashly Colonnetta and Shelby Smith are both named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team. Colonnetta finished fourth in batting during BIG EAST games at .418 and only committed one error in 56 chances at second base. Smith starred in the circle and at the plate, compiling a 3.02 ERA in 109 innings against BIG EAST foes while hitting .311 with seven home runs on the season overall.

MAY

11 | SB

Taylor Hill becomes the second Pirate to be named BIG EAST Softball Freshman of the Year. The shortstop was also named to the All-BIG EAST First Team after batting .449 with a conference-record 12 doubles during league action. Hill also garnered ECAC Rookie of the Year and NFCA All-Mideast Third Team honors.

MAY 18 | MGOLF

The 12-seeded Pirates finished eighth at the NCAA Yale Regional, its first team Regional since 2001, defeating No. 27 NC State and No. 31 Charlotte in the process. Gregor Tait and Andres Acevedo led The Hall at 1-under-par.

APRIL 27 | MGOLF

Gregor Tait tied the Pirates’ par-72, singleround record with a 7-under-par, 65, in the final round of the BIG EAST Tournament. The effort pushed him to the top of the individual leaderboard making him Seton Hall’s fourth BIG EAST individual champion.

MAY 9 | MGOLF

Seton Hall was named BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. The following month, head coach Clay White was named Northeast District Coach of the Year.

MAY 15 | BASEBALL

Mark McNelly collected three hits and Joe Cinnella allowed only two runs over five innings as Seton Hall edged Villanova, 3-2, to win the penultimate series of the season.

APRIL 27 | MGOLF

The Pirates came from behind with a remarkable 10-under-par, 278, in the final round to win their first BIG EAST Championship in 22 years. Gregor Tait, Wenliang Xie and Angus O’Brien were all under-par for the tournament.

MAY 3 | WGOLF

Margot Bechadergue was named to the All-BIG EAST Team. She ranked fourth in the BIG EAST with a 75.50 scoring average for the year.

THE PIRATE BLUE STORY

The Pirate Blue Athletic Fund is the fundraising arm of the Seton Hall Athletics and directly supports the Department and its nearly 300 studentathletes. Pirate Blue strives to embrace and engage the most dedicated Pirate fans within the Seton Hall community to further promote the passion and camaraderie that makes the University so unique.

The success that Seton Hall studentathletes have been able to achieve would not be possible without the loyal Pirate Blue members who have generously supported our 14 programs and departmental initiatives.

The past two years provided unprecedented challenges for all of us, but this year showed just how strong

our fans’ support is! The 2021-22 fiscal year was a record year for the Pirate Blue Athletic Fund, raising $5.7 million in unrestricted and capital gifts. Pirate Blue also saw a record number of donors. Over the course of the year, 3,100 individuals made an investment back into the department, which is 1,000 more than the previous year and a 30% increase.

Much of this success and increase in support came from a “return to normal” and supporting the Pirates in-person once again. In the fall, close to 350 Pirates fans were welcomed back to campus to celebrate the beginning of the men’s and women’s basketball season with the annual Beefsteak TipOff Dinner. We also saw a return to full capacity seating at Prudential Center for Pirates home basketball games, highlighted by sold-out contests versus Texas, Rutgers, and BIG EAST rivals Connecticut and Villanova. Additionally, our Donor Matching Day in the spring saw record participation. Over a 24-hour period, nearly 500 donors gifted over $350,000 to Seton Hall Athletics, setting an institutional record by 48%.

As the page turns to 2022-23, Pirate Blue has begun and will continue to raise money towards a new men’s basketball practice facility. This project

will strengthen the program’s efforts to remain a national power and an annual contender for the BIG EAST Championship.

As Always Pirate Blue is also trying to identify new Pirate Blue members who are passionate about Seton Hall Athletics and its mission to provide quality opportunities and programs that enable student-athletes to maximize their personal potential.

In addition to supporting studentathletes, there are many great benefits to becoming a member of Pirate Blue, including exclusive events and ticket opportunities, gifts and more. You can make a gift to Pirate Blue any time by visiting PirateBlue.com or by scanning the QR code on the right with your device.

Joseph Lasala ’72, Kevin Marino, Esq. ’84, Mike Nzei ’18

Nick Santos ’13 and his family in San Diego, Calif.

Shaheen Holloway ’00 and Al Frungillo

Lou Monari ’80 and Tracy Monari ’86, Kristine Dunbar ’89 and Ken Dunbar

PIRATE BLUE

Richard Dooley ’69, John Fanta ’17 Athletics Director Bryan Felt ’97 MA ‘05, Cherie Leanza ’90, Michael Leanza ’88, Severino Renna ’89

Susan Weihofen ’78, Patrick Murray ’64 MBA ’72, Jerry Alexander ’74, Jennifer Petersen ’98, Kevin Lyles ’95, Rimas Kaukenas ’00

Leon Piechta, Esq. ’74, Rosemarie Zimmerer, Robert Zimmerer ’81

Arnie Manzo ’72, Peter Kirk ’83, Louis Gittlin

Kate Moloughney ’96, Ryan Moloughney, Marybeth Regan ’81, David Smith

HEAD COACHES

BASKETBALL –MEN’S

Shaheen Holloway Head Coach

Ryan Whalen Assistant Coach

Rasheen Davis Assistant Coach

Corey Lowery Assistant Coach

Sean Crawford Director of Player Personnel

Steven Cruz Director of Basketball Operations

Kevin Lynch Coordinator of Basketball Operations

Kevin Coyle Coordinator of Basketball Operations

BASKETBALL –WOMEN’S

Anthony Bozzella Head Coach

Lauren DeFalco Associate Head Coach

Jose Rebimbas Assistant Coach

Ali Jaques Assistant Coach

Pete Cinella

Director of Player Development

Shakena Richardson Director of Basketball Operations

Kristie Guttridge

Coordinator of Basketball Operations

Mike Laughner

Coordinator of Basketball Operations

BASEBALL

Rob Sheppard Head Coach

Giuseppe Papaccio

Associate Head Coach

Jimmy Moran Pitching Coach

Ryan Ramiz

Volunteer Assistant Coach

Bobby Sheppard

Director of Baseball Operations

GOLF – MEN’S

J.T. Harper Head Coach

Ian Lagowitz Associate Head Coach

Gary Dunne Assistant Coach

GOLF – WOMEN’S

Natalie Desjardins Head Coach

SOCCER – MEN’S

Andreas Lindberg Head Coach

Jeff Matteo Assistant Coach

Edison Sanchez Assistant Coach

Paul Lancaster Volunteer Assistant Coach

SOCCER – WOMEN’S

Josh Osit Head Coach

Noelle Picone Assistant Coach

Nick Heinemann Assistant Coach

Seve Hirst Assistant Coach

Haleigh Svede

Director of Soccer Operations

SOFTBALL

Angie Churchill Head Coach

Laura Messina Assistant Coach

Emily Schaffer Assistant Coach

Jorge Solodkin

Volunteer Assistant Coach

SWIMMING & DIVING

Derek Sapp Head Coach

Andrew LeBlanc Assistant Coach

Ben Mitchell Diving Coach

Kurt Rotthoff Volunteer Assistant Coach Christian Simonelli Volunteer Assistant Coach

Joey Lacus Volunteer Assistant Coach

TENNIS

Kevin McGlynn Head Coach

Khari Linton Assistant Coach

VOLLEYBALL

Shannon Thompson Head Coach

Goodman Assistant Coach

Haley Coulter Assistant Coach

Kelsey

ANTHONY BOZZELLA Women’s Basketball

ANGIE CHURCHILL Softball

NATALIE DESJARDINS Women’s Golf

J.T. HARPER Men’s Golf

SHAHEEN HOLLOWAY Men’s Basketball

ANDREAS LINDBERG Men’s Soccer

JOHN MOON

Cross Country

KEVIN MCGLYNN Tennis

JOSH OSIT Women’s Soccer

DEREK SAPP

Swimming & Diving

ROB SHEPPARD Baseball

SHANNON THOMPSON

Volleyball

THE LATEST ATHLETICS FACILITY PROJECT

WALSH GYMNASIUM

RENOVATION

A campus icon since 1939 and home to Seton Hall’s women’s basketball and volleyball teams, historic Walsh Gymnasium received a welcomed refresh during the 2021-22 season and officially opened on Sept. 26, 2021 when the volleyball team hosted St. John’s in BIG EAST action.

With the objective being to modernize the facility while keeping its nostalgic charm, the renovation included new chairback seating on both levels, a new centerhung videoboard/scoreboard combination, new auxiliary videoboards flanking the stage, a new sound system, new championship banners celebrating Seton Hall’s history and new branding, paint, signage and paneling.

Support for the Walsh Gymnasium project and future projects is always needed. Please contact the Pirate Blue Athletic Fund at 973-275-6447 or pirateblue@shu.edu to make a gift or for more information.

CONNECT WITH THE PIRATES

Follow The Hall on Social Media!

TWITTER

@SHUBaseball

@SetonHallMBB

@SHUWBB

@SHUCrossCountry

@SHUMGolf

@SHUWGolf

@SHUWSOC

@SHUMSOC

@SHUSoftball

@SHUSwimDive

@SHU_Tennis

@SHUVolley

INSTAGRAM

@setonhall_baseball

@shupiratesmbb

@setonhallwbb

@shucrosscountry

@shumensgolf

@shu_wgolf

@shumenssoccer

@shuwsoc @shu_softball

@shuswimdive @shuwtennis @setonhallvball

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