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CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 3 ACADEMIC SUCCESS
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PIRATE STANDOUTS
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H.A.L.L. PROGRAM
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ATHLETICS TIMELINE
20
EVENTS 26 HEAD COACHES
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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 studentathlete centered vision that is focused on four principles:
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Compete with honor, sportsmanship and integrity, while assuring our student-athletes reach their full potential and are a source of pride for the Seton Hall University community.
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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.
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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 student-athlete 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. 2
Dear Pirates Nation, There’s no way around it. The 2019-20 Seton Hall Athletics year will forever be remembered as bittersweet and incomplete. On March 12 as people began to understand how serious the COVID-19 pandemic had become, the NCAA canceled its winter and spring championships, bringing collegiate athletics to a grinding halt. This was a gut punch. Our men’s basketball team was just days away from receiving a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament and beginning what we all thought could be a special March Madness run. Our women’s basketball team was gearing up to hear its name called for a national postseason bid for the sixth time in seven years. All of our spring sports were just starting to hit their stride. I was heartbroken for our studentathletes. For many of them, this was their last opportunity to play the sport they love. They not only relish the opportunity to play for championships, but they enjoy the journey that comes along with it: workouts and practices that help them get better, the comradery with their teammates, the travel that takes them to
places they’ve never been before. It’s all a part of the college athletics experience, and it was taken from them. I said that this past year was bittersweet because despite the unfortunate end to the athletic portion of our season, we still have plenty to be proud of and to celebrate here in this annual report. As you’ll read in the following pages, we continue to boast some of the best and the brightest in the country. Our studentathletes once again combined to deliver a record-high department cumulative grade point average, and that is in spite of having their spring semester upended and moved into remote education for the final nine weeks. Our men’s basketball team, which reached as high as No. 8 in the country, had won the BIG EAST regular season championship and was in a position to captivate fans in March. Our women’s basketball team finished the BIG EAST regular season in third place and was poised to do some damage in the WNIT. Our men’s swimming & diving team won six races at the BIG EAST Championship to continue its run as one of the best programs in the conference. Women’s golf’s No. 54 national ranking in the fall is a program-best, and the team was a
favorite to capture the spring conference championship. All of our continued success in the classroom and on the field gives us hope for 2020-21. There is still much uncertain about this world right now, but whenever we return to active competition, I am certain that we will be once again celebrating great accomplishments in next year’s annual report. No matter what happens this upcoming year, please know that your support of our student-athletes and this department is vital to our success. We need every fan, alumnus(a) and donor to remain engaged with us. Our mission as always is to provide the best possible studentathlete experience and maximize their potential in preparation for life after college. We cannot do that without you, Pirates Nation. GO PIRATES!
Bryan Felt Director of Athletics & Recreation
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CHAMPIONS OF THE BIG EAST The 2019-20 Seton Hall men’s basketball team is a champion of the BIG EAST Conference. No one or thing, not even the COVID-19 pandemic, can ever take that away from this group of Pirates. Yes, Pirates Nation laments what could have been. Led by the incredible Myles Powell, this Seton Hall squad seemed capable of anything. The team was a leading contender to win the BIG EAST Tournament title; it was assured of having a top-three seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in decades and with it a likely firstround date in Albany, N.Y. Dreams of a second weekend and beyond did not seem like dreams anymore; they seemed like reality. But while the global pandemic may have crushed Seton Hall’s NCAA Tournament run, Pirates fans should not look back at what could have been but what, in fact, was done. 4
This group of Pirates accomplished things no Seton Hall team had done in decades. This team earned a top-10 national ranking for the first time since 2000; it defeated three top-10 teams for only the fourth time in program history; it won seven BIG EAST road games for the first time in its history; its 10-game winning streak from Dec. 19 to Jan. 29 tied for the ninth-longest win streak in school history and was the longest since 1993; and the Pirates won a share of the BIG EAST regular season championship for the first time since 1993. A lot of people wrote this team off in mid-December at 6-4 with Myles Powell and Sandro Mamukelashvili out with injuries heading into a game against No. 7 Maryland. But behind Quincy McKnight’s inspiring performance on both ends of the floor, the short-handed Pirates
toppled the Terrapins, 52-48. That win began the 10-game run that catapulted the team into the conversation for a deep NCAA Tournament run. And the 10-game run was filled with fun moments. Powell returned from his injury to drop 27 points on a stunned DePaul team to open BIG EAST play. Shavar Reynolds, Jr., locked down All-American Markus Howard on defense, and the Pirates held the potent Marquette offense to only 55 points in a home win. In the same week, Powell helped lead a massive comeback at Hinkle Fieldhouse to defeat No. 5 Butler and then overcome a 13-point deficit at Madison Square Garden to beat St. John’s while scoring his 2,000th career point in the process. Romaro Gill had his coming-out party the entire month of January, punctuated by a
17-point, eight-block performance in a win over Providence. When the calendar turned to February, there were more thrilling days that will live forever. Powell and Mamukelashvili put a 26-year curse to bed when they led the Pirates to a road win at No. 10 Villanova, the program’s first since 1994. Mamukelashvili played hero when he connected on a buzzerbeating tip-in (on a fantastic pass from McKnight) with 0.6 seconds remaining in regulation to push The Hall past No. 21 Butler, with his father at the game visiting
from overseas, no less. Then Powell and Mamukelashvili led an offensive explosion at Marquette with a combined 54 points while the Pirates finished with 13 made threes in an 88-79 win, which was Seton Hall’s 13th conference victory. The next day, that 13th victory proved to be enough to clinch Seton Hall a share of its first BIG EAST regular season championship in 27 years.
deep into March/April this 201920 squad could have gone, fans should relish in remembering the emotions, the hard work, the big moments, the epic wins and the 13 student-athletes who made the journey five months of exhilaration.
Powell put it simply, “The way we got to look at it is we still won a championship.” Champions indeed.
It’s often said that it’s about the journey, not the destination, and in this case, it rings true. While Pirates Nation will never know how 5
ACADEMIC SUCCESS Cumulative GPA for all student-athletes is now
3.464,
once again the highest it has ever been 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.
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229 student-athletes were named to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team for the 2019-20 academic year (88% of student-athletes)
Dean’s List FALL 2019
163 students
(59% of all student-athletes) SPRING 2020
157 students
(60% of all student-athletes)
BASEBALL
WOMEN’S GOLF
• E arned NCAA National Recognition for academic excellence by ranking in the top ten percent for Academic Progress Rating (APR)
• Maddie Sager, Sammie Staudt and Lizzie Win were named Birdies Women’s Golf Coaches’ Association (WGCA) All-America Scholars
• E arned the American Baseball Coaches Association Team Academic Excellence Award
• Earned NCAA National Recognition for academic excellence by ranking in the top ten percent for Academic Progress Rating (APR)
MEN’S BASKETBALL • R omaro Gill was a BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award winner • I ke Obiagu was Seton Hall’s BIG EAST Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year nominee • R omaro Gill, Takal Molson, Ike Obiagu, Myles Powell and Shavar Reynolds were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court • E arned the National Association of Basketball Coaches Team Academic Excellence Award
MAY 2020
7 Summa Cum Laude 14 Magna Cum Laude 8 Cum Laude
45 senior student-athletes earned the academic merit award, graduating with at least a 3.2 cumulative grade-point average
Chi Alpha Sigma – National College Athlete Honor Society Seton Hall inducted its 11th class (34 students) during an annual ceremony. Eligibility requires student-athletes to maintain a minimum 3.4 cumulative gradepoint average through their junior and senior years
• Steven Catudal was Seton Hall’s ECAC Scholar Athlete of the Year • Andreas Nota was a BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award nominee
WOMEN’S SOCCER • Siobhan McGovern was a BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award nominee
SWIMMING & DIVING WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Senior studentathletes graduating with Honors
MEN’S SOCCER
• A lexis Lewis was Seton Hall’s BIG EAST Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year nominee • A lexis Lewis was a BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award nominee
• L iam Cosgrove and Grace Endersby were BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award nominees • W omen’s Swimming & Diving earned NCAA National Recognition for academic excellence by ranking in the top ten percent for Academic Progress Rating (APR)
CROSS COUNTRY
• Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving were named Scholar All-America Teams by the College Swimming Coaches’ Association of America
• C ristina Fernandez and Grant Tokarski were BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award nominees
• Josh Tosoni was named to the CSCAA Scholar All-All-America second team, the program’s first-ever Scholar All-American
• C ristina Fernandez was named one of only five university Student Servant leader Award recipients
SOFTBALL
• C ristina Fernandez and Meghan Vizzard were named a Servant Leader Scholars • W omen’s team earned NCAA National Recognition for academic excellence by ranking in the top ten percent for Academic Progress Rating (APR)
• M arisa Pla was named a Servant Leader Scholar
TENNIS • Michal Matson was nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year
MEN’S GOLF • A lex Chalk, Deven Ramachandran and Gregor Tait were named Cleveland Golf/ Srixon All-America Scholars • E arned NCAA National Recognition for academic excellence by ranking in the top ten percent for Academic Progress Rating (APR) • N amed an All-Academic Team by the GCAA, and received the President’s Special Recognition with a GPA of 3.5 or better
• Anniek Jansen was Seton Hall’s ECAC Scholar Athlete of the Year • Hiba El Khalifi, Minja Gligic, Anniek Jansen, Hermehr Kaur, Aina Plana Ventosa and Melody Taal were named Women’s Tennis 2020 ITA Scholars • Earned the 2020 ITA All-Academic Team Award
VOLLEYBALL • Madison Salkowski was a BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award nominee • Earned the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association Team Academic Award for the 2019-2020 academic year • Earned NCAA National Recognition for academic excellence by ranking in the top ten percent for Academic Progress Rating (APR)
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BIG EAST ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
BASEBALL Jace Baqui Tyler Burham Alex Clyde Christian Del Castillo Mark Diaz Blake Espinal Mike Esposito David Festa William Gale Steve Grober
ANNIEK JANSEN
Aaron Groller David Haberman Devin Hack Thomas Holdorf Connor Hood Aurelio Licata Jonathan Luders John Martinez Reed Mascolo Ryan McLinskey Alex Nicolosi Brennan O’Neill Blaize Panzini Cole Patten Nick Payero
KAT MATTHYS
Niko Piccolo Staus Pokrovsky Corey Sawyer Tyler ShedlerMcAvoy
BASKETBALL – WOMEN’S
GOLF - WOMEN’S
SOFTBALL
Alexia Allesch
Sarah Fouratt
Miranda Arruda
Mia Kness
Hailey Arteaga
Kailah Harris
Carolina Ronchel Salas
Janae Barracato
McKenna Hofschild
Maddie Sager
Payton Beaver
Mya Jackson
Sammie Staudt
Reganne Camp
Lizzie Win
Gabby Ciancio
Femi Funeus
Jocelyn Jones Alexis Lewis Lauren Park-Lane Jasmine Smith
CROSS COUNTRY – MEN’S Brandin Affrunti Justin Allone Asa Bloom Declan Harkness Cole Kretlow Ryan McNeilly Nicholas Minikel Sirish Modhagala Gediyon Prince Jesse Southard Grant Tokarski Patrick Wagner Andrew Walde Daniel Washburn Jacob Wozar
Collin Sheehan
CROSS COUNTRY – WOMEN’S
Bobby Sheppard
Danielle Becker
Chris Shine Noah Thompson Matt Toke Hunter Waldis
Arianna Braccio Brittany Dycha Sam Dyer Cristina Fernandez Amanda Ferrara
SAMMIE STAUDT
BASKETBALL – MEN’S
Lauren Ginefra
Asiah Avent
Olivia Hernandez
Darnell Brodie Myles Cale Romaro Gill Sandro Mamukelashvili Quincy McKnight Takal Molson Ike Obiagu Myles Powell Shavar Reynolds, Jr. Jared Rhoden Tyrese Samuel
STEVEN CATUDAL
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Nancy Habib Emily Hernandez Emma Newgarden Rica Ongsiako Meghan Vizzard Kassi Yocco
GOLF – MEN’S Andres Acevedo James Bosworth Alex Chalk Ian Lee Alex McAuley
Ashly Colonnetta
SOCCER - MEN’S Torbjorn Alseth Vittorio Argeri Torre Avitabile Isac Barbosa James Boote Andrea Borg Steven Catudal Cyrus Darvish Peter Dobrijevic Jose Facusse Nolan Fierro Chase Hutson Hugo Keller Denis Kelmendi Camil Koreichi Owen Krisak JP Marin Oscar Navarp Andreas Nota Eden O’Leary Alex Pozesky Hannes Ronnholmen Ferdinand Solberg CJ Tibbling Nate Tremonti
SOCCER – WOMEN’S Marissa Aniolowski Emily Arellano Dani Brinckman Dani Camilleri Emily Caza Claudia D’Angelo Marisa DiFonso Lauren DiPietro Izzy Engel Atley Fortney Dayvonna Gill Cassy Harrigan Laura Hooper Lizzy Kirk Sydney Kulenguski
Peter Tyler Po
Siobhan McGovern
Deven Ramachandran
Alyssa Reszkowski
Hunter Ramee Gregor Tait
Emma Ramsay
Grace Dawson Nicole Gravagna Kelsey Gumm Kat Matthys Darby Pandolfo Emily Pena Marisa Pla Shelby Smith Taylor Soanes Mo Sobel Jaden Tate Kiana Tate Ally Taylor Jordan Tressler
SWIMMING & DIVING – WOMEN’S Madeleine Bachand Jill Calocino Clara Capone Sierra Cripps Jordan Decker Heidi Dickson Ashley Diekemper Emily Donham Grace Endersby Abigail Graham Theresa Hutton Taylor Jackson Cornelia Jerresand Savannah Kennedy Amanda Kilgallon Lexi Kolodgie Marianne Molloy Taylor Patnode Sarah Pilecki Genevieve Ross
Abby Wingo
Elizabeth Sargent
SWIMMING & DIVING - MEN’S
Gabby Van Tassell
Jonathan Bar-Eli Gennarino Conzemius Liam Cosgrove Conor Dunne Joe Gibson Kyle Haflich Sam Hendrix Joe Iannelli Tyler Kauth Henry Keegan Christian Kopecki Ben LaClair Tim Lynch Anthony Melchore Thomas Minar Justin Oosgterwyk Ross Pantano Walker Parra Ben Puglessi Thomas Staes Josh Tosoni Joe West
Julie Stankiewicz Amelia Wootton
TENNIS Hiba El Khalifi Minja Gligic Anniek Jansen Hermehr Kaur Aina Plana Ventosa Melody Taal
VOLLEYBALL Maggie Cvelbar Eden Dolezal Hayley Gasser Jennifer Giron Reagan Hopp Reece Koehler Raygan Murray Amanda Rachwal Grace Rosenberg Madison Salkowski Elizabeth Sottung Emilee Turner Julia Wilkins
FERNANDEZ RECEIVES STUDENT SERVANT LEADER AWARD
Cross country runner Cristina Fernandez (Parsippany, N.J.) was named one of only five Seton Hall University-wide recipients of its 2020 Student Servant Leader Awards. The purpose of the Student Servant Leader Awards is to honor students who exemplify the ideals of servant leadership, both on and off campus. The Awards Committee reviewed a record number of nominations for generous servant leaders. Servant leaders are those whose leadership consists of serving the needs of others — not service to others in addition to leadership, but service that is part and parcel of leadership. Athletically, Fernandez has been a dedicated member of the women’s cross country team for three years in South Orange, serving as team captain last year. The rising senior competed in all eight meets in 2019, concluding the season by taking fourth overall and helping the team to a victory at the ECAC Championship on Nov. 23.
Her return to the course was a great success after losing her entire 2018 campaign to injury. On the course, she undoubtedly makes her team better, but off the course, Fernandez is doing her part to make the world better. A Biology major, she founded a non-profit group on campus dedicated to providing access to medicine, education and development for low income families. As president of MEDLIFE at Seton Hall, she has participated in international medical service trips to Ecuador and Peru where she has assisted impoverished communities and set up mobile medical clinics. Additionally, Fernandez has raised funds for various clean water initiatives for villages across South America. Fernandez has been a tireless community champion while establishing herself as one of the true academics on campus. An Academic All-BIG EAST selection, she is a member of the Alpha Epsilon Delta
National Pre-Medical Honor Society and the Chi Alpha Sigma National Student Athlete Honor Society. A regular Dean’s List member, she has maintained an impressive 3.95 grade point average during her first three years in South Orange. Fernandez joins Seton Hall students Thomas Cadmus, Veronica Cervone, Darby DeBonis and Cecelia Pateman as 2020 Student Servant Leader Award recipients.
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2019 - 2020
ALL BIG EAST & ADDITIONAL HONORS
LIAM COSGROVE
JORDAN DECKER
DESIREE ELMORE
JOE GIBSON
Men’s Swimming
Women’s Swimming
Women’s Swimming
Women’s Basketball
Men’s Swimming
ROMARO GILL
ABIGAIL GRAHAM
SAM HENDRIX
MYA JACKSON
CORNELIA JERRESAND
Men’s Basketball
Women’s Swimming
Men’s Swimming
Women’s Basketball
Women’s Swimming
BEN LACLAIR
SANDRO MAMUKELASHVILI
CARLTON MCKENZIE
QUINCY MCKNIGHT
THOMAS MINAR
Men’s Swimming
Men’s Basketball
Men’s Soccer
Men’s Basketball
Men’s Swimming
ROSS PANTANO
TAYLOR PATNODE
MYLES POWELL
BEN PUGLESSI
SHADEEN SAMUELS
Men’s Swimming
Women’s Swimming
Men’s Basketball
CALEB SMITH
JULIE STANKIEWICZ
JOSH TOSONI
Men’s Swimming
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SIERRA CRIPPS
Women’s Swimming
Men’s Swimming
Men’s Swimming
Women’s Basketball
MEN’S BASKETBALL Romaro Gill Senior St. Thomas, Jamaica • BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year • BIG EAST Most Improved Player • All-Met First Team • NABC All-District Sandro Mamukelashvili Junior Tbilisi, Georgia • All-Met Third team Quincy McKnight Senior Bridgeport, Conn. • All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention • All-Met First Team Myles Powell Senior Trenton, N.J. • Consensus All-America First Team • Jerry West Award National Shooting Guard of the Year Recipient • BIG EAST Player of the Year • Haggerty Award Recipient • USBWA District II Player of the Year • All-BIG EAST First Team • All-Met First Team WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Desiree Elmore Junior Hartford, Conn. • All-Met Third Team Mya Jackson Freshman Wilmington, Ohio • All-BIG EAST Freshman Team Shadeen Samuels Senior Ossining, N.Y. • All-BIG EAST Second Team • All-Met First Team • Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year • Citizen Naismith Trophy Watch List • Cheryl Miller Award Watch List MEN’S SOCCER Carlton McKenzie Senior Birmingham, England • All-BIG EAST Second Team
MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING Liam Cosgrove Junior Sea Girt, N.J. • 100M Fly BIG EAST Champion • All-BIG EAST 100 Fly 200 Medley Relay 400 Medley Relay Joe Gibson Junior Chicago, Ill. • 200M Medley Relay BIG EAST Champion • All-BIG EAST 200 Fly 200 Free Relay 400 Free Relay 800 Free Relay Sam Hendrix Senior Hillsborough, N.J. • 200M Medley Relay BIG EAST Champion • All-BIG EAST 200 Free Relay 200 Medley Relay Ben LaClair Sophomore Belchertown, Mass. • 200M Freestyle BIG EAST Champion • 200M Medley Relay BIG EAST Champion • All-BIG EAST 100 Free 200 Free 500 Free 200 Free Relay 400 Free Relay 800 Free Relay 400 Medley Relay Thomas Minar Freshman Oxford, Conn. • 50M Freestyle BIG EAST Champion • 200M Medley Relay BIG EAST Champion • All-BIG EAST 50 Free 100 Free 200 Free Relay 400 Free Relay 800 Free Relay Ross Pantano Freshman Bennington, Neb. • All-BIG EAST 200 Back 200 Medley Relay 400 Medley Relay
Ben Puglessi Sophomore Ada, Mich. • All-BIG EAST 400 Free Relay Caleb Smith Sophomore Charlottesville, Va. • All-BIG EAST 800 Free Relay Josh Tosoni Senior Arnold, Md. • 100M Breaststroke BIG EAST Champion • 200M Breaststroke BIG EAST Champion • All-BIG EAST 100 Breast 200 Breast 200 Medley Relay 400 Medley Relay WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING Sierra Cripps Freshman Seymour, Conn. • All-BIG EAST 100 Fly 200 Fly Jordan Decker Senior Mason, Ohio • All-BIG EAST 200 Free Relay Abigail Graham Freshman Edmonton, Alberta • All-BIG EAST 200 Free Relay Cornelia Jerresand Freshman Taeby, Sweden • All-BIG EAST 200 Free Relay Taylor Patnode Freshman Saratoga Springs, N.Y. • All-BIG EAST 200 Free Relay Julie Stankiewicz Junior Metuchen, N.J. • All-BIG EAST 200 Free Relay
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PIRATE STANDOUTS
MYLES POWELL “
Not only has he scored all these points, not only has he won all these games, he has been the face of this University…his legacy will be remembered around here a long time. I hope that Seton Hall students and fans cherished the opportunity to watch him play in real time.” - JERRY CARINO, GANNETT NEW JERSEY
To say it succinctly, there has never been a Myles Powell here before at Seton Hall and there may never be another one. He scored 2,252 career points. He drained 348 career three-pointers. He helped the Pirates win 84 games, their first NCAA Tournament win in over a decade and the program’s first BIG EAST regular season championship since 1993. He made time for Pirates Nation. There were postgame autographs and selfies. There were sneaker giveaways. There were hospital visits to generate much-needed smiles. There was the now-famous autograph session on the University green; a planned one-hour session turned into two hours and 45 minutes because he felt a responsibility to make each and every fan happy. He made his family proud by coming back for his senior year to become the first in his family to earn a college degree. He graduated this past May with his bachelor’s degree in social and behavioral sciences and did so with a cumulative grade point average above 3.2. And specifically, in 2019-20, Powell was the driving force behind Seton Hall men’s basketball’s ascent into the
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national championship conversation. His leadership, his drive and his pure ability helped the Pirates win 21 games, reach as high as No. 8 in the national rankings, sustain a 10-game midseason winning streak, win a share of the BIG EAST regular season crown and position themselves for a top-four NCAA Tournament seed in a favorable location. Powell’s epic season was recognized appropriately with the most honors any men’s basketball student-athlete has ever received at The Hall. He was named an All-American by 11 different outlets and became the program’s first NCAA consensus first-team All-American since 1953. He was the program’s first BIG EAST Player of the Year recipient since 1993, he is the program’s first-ever twotime Haggerty Award Metropolitan Player of the Year and he was named the Jerry West National Shooting Guard of the Year, only the second Pirate ever to capture a national player of the year award. Every drive to the basket. Every long three. Every big smile. Every pose for the camera. Every big moment. Pirates Nation, we hope you enjoyed the voyage with an all-time great.
She was coming off of a sophomore season that saw her hit a team-high 10 home runs and 24 RBI. Poised for a breakout campaign, the Rosharon, Texas native was only one long ball away from matching her 2019 total through only 24 games. She finished the season leading the team in nearly every offensive category; a .364 batting average, 28 hits, nine home runs, 22 RBI, 23 runs scored and a ridiculous .792 slugging percentage.
BAYLEE ALLENDER
Against Big 10 foes Penn State and Rutgers, Allender went 3-for7 with five RBI. She set a careerhigh with four hits in the Pirates’ win over Sacred Heart on Feb. 29. Allender registered eight multi-hit games six multi-RBI games and drove in 11 runs over the final four games of the season.
The story of Romaro Gill could one day be better told in a storybook. He came to the United States from Jamaica as a 7’2” basketball prospect who had never participated in organized basketball entering his first season in junior college. Today, he holds a degree in social and behavioral sciences from Seton Hall, where he became one of the top centers in college basketball as a senior and a servant leader off the court. It’s not an understatement to say that “Ro”, as he is affectionately known, is one of the great studentathlete stories in the history of Seton Hall Athletics.
ROMARO GILL
Gill’s senior campaign was nothing short of remarkable. After starting in only three games and being hampered by an ankle injury as a junior, Gill jumped levels on both ends of the floor. He was named the BIG EAST’s Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player and was the conference’s blocks champion with 3.2 per game, which also ranked third in the nation. Despite not having the opportunity to play in postseason, Gill’s 95 blocks ranked fourth in a single season in program history.
At first base, Allender committed only two errors in 185 chances as she finished with a .989 fielding percentage. She started and played in all 24 games and was 2-for-2 on the base paths. What statistics don’t account for is leadership, and Allender was developing into a forerunner for the program on the field, in the cages and in the weight room. Her burgeoning leadership qualities played a big part in her being named Softball StudentAthlete of the Year at this year’s SHUCademy Awards.
PIRATE STANDOUTS
In a year full of what-could-havebeens, Baylee Allender’s 2020 season stands out.
What’s the good news for fans after this shortened season? We’ll get another full season from Allender in 2021. And if her 2020 numbers are any indication, expect her to lead the Pirates offensively once again as a senior.
In the second game of the season, Gill registered his first career doubledouble and double-figure scoring game with a 10-point, 10-rebound performance in a win over Stony Brook. Gill went on to score in double digits 10 times in 2019-20, including a run of six consecutive double figure scoring games during Seton Hall 10-game win streak. His two most complete efforts of the year came in back-to-back games, when he had 14 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks in a win at St. John’s and then posted 17 points, eight blocks and six boards in a home win over Providence. Gill’s impressive athletic accomplishments can be easily matched by what he has done as a leader off the court. He was heavily involved with the StudentAthlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) at Seton Hall. His involvement led to an invitation to the NCAA’s headquarters in Indianapolis where he represented the Pirates and the BIG EAST at the annual NCAA National SAAC meeting. Gill was also on the SAAC Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee, where he offered his advice on current legislation and subjects of interest in his sport for the NCAA. He was named the BIG EAST Sport Excellence Award winner for men’s basketball.
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PIRATE STANDOUTS
While Seton Hall’s standout senior class garnered much of the attention last year, the top Pirate golfer was actually a junior. A native of Venetia, Pa., Mia Kness broke Seton Hall’s single-year record with an all-time low 74.15 scoring average. A competitor in all seven tournaments before the year was abruptly shortened in March due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Kness led The Hall and ranked second in the BIG EAST Conference in scoring average. Twice named BIG EAST Women’s Golfer of the Week, she recorded three-top 10 finishes and two top-5 efforts.
MIA KNESS
Among her impressive efforts, she twice shot under par for the tournament. She closed the fall season with a career-best 2-under-par, 68-72-74-214, at the Idle Hour Collegiate, tying Seton Hall’s par-72, three-round record low score. Kness then opened the spring season with a secondplace finish at the FAU Winter Warmup with a 1-under-par, 7370-72-215.
Since arriving in South Orange two years ago, Carlton McKenzie has been the offensive spark the Seton Hall men’s soccer program needed. A transfer from Tyler Junior College, he has played in a total of 27 matches during his junior and senior years and been a force on the pitch. Originally from Birmingham, England, McKenzie made an immediate impact with the Pirates during his junior year. His three goals, seven points, 18 shots on goal and 47 shots overall, all ranked second-most for Seton Hall. Two of McKenzie three goals were game-winners, including a clutch tally in the 84th minute at Central Connecticut State.
CARLTON MCKENZIE 14
As a senior, McKenzie took his game to another level. This time, he led The Hall with five goals and tied for the team lead with 11 points. McKenzie’s first tally of the year came in a big 1-0 victory over Creighton at Owen T. Carroll Field on Oct. 4. His best effort of the season however, was during
Kness’ single-round highlight of the year may be a record will stand for a long time. In the first round of the Delaware Lady Blue Hen Invitational on Oct. 19, Kness fired a 7-under-par, 65, setting the Seton Hall records for lowest par-72 round and most strokes under par. Kness enters her senior year as the all-time Seton Hall career leader with a 75.24 stroke average. The 2018 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year is one of only two golfers in Seton Hall history to win two tournament individual titles. She ranks sixth in program history in both top-10 and top-5 finishes. Kness’ seven career sub-par rounds rank third-most ever at Seton Hall, and her three career sub-par tournaments are already the most in program history. For her efforts this year, Kness was named Seton Hall’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year.
the campaign’s penultimate match. Amidst an arduous playoff drive, McKenzie scored both of Seton Hall’s goals to earn three clutch points in a 2-1 road victory at Marquette. His goal, three minutes into overtime, and from a difficult angle, propelled The Hall to its first victory at Marquette since 2006. As a result, McKenzie was named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week. McKenzie completed his impressive senior year ranked in the top-10 of six offensive categories in the BIG EAST Conference. For his many efforts, McKenzie was named to the AllBIG EAST Second Team. A leader in the classroom, McKenzie is also a member of the BIG EAST All-Academic Team.
As a junior, Samuels was named the BIG EAST Conference’s Most Improved Player and won the league’s scoring title with an impressive 20.3 points per game among conference games. Her efforts vaulted her onto the national stage with an expectation of big things to come for her senior year.
SHADEEN SAMUELS
Going into the 2019-20 season, Samuels was named BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year. She was added to the Citizen Naismith Trophy Watch List, which recognizes the top players in the country, and the Chery Miller Award Watch List, which honors the top small forwards in the nation. Additionally, she was added to the USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List and ESPNW named her one of the Top-25 Best Players in the Nation.
It’s one thing to win an event at the BIG EAST Swimming & Diving Championship. To be the best among your conference peers on one day that culminates the year’s long training is special. But to be the best of the best for three years (nearly four) running? That is something to always remember. Josh Tosoni has graduated Seton Hall as the school’s best-ever in the breaststroke. He holds the Pirates’ top times in both the 100 (53.96) and 200 breaststroke (1:57.90) events, and is a five-time BIG EAST Champion, sweeping the 100 and 200 breast in his sophomore year in 2018 and in his senior year in 2020. In fact, Tosoni has never finished a BIG EAST Championship breaststroke event below second place; in eight tries, he’s won five gold and three silver.
JOSH TOSONI
Tosoni swept the 200 breaststroke BIG EAST Championship in each of the last three years, steadily lowering his record-setting time through the process from 1:59.41 in his sophomore year win to the new program-record 1:57.90 that he set at the 2020 championship event. And he was a fraction of a second away from sweeping the 200 breast all four years; his 2:00.45 as a freshman was a shade slower than the champion’s 1:59.88.
Despite a preseason injury that slowed her start to the season, and a mid-season injury that caused her to miss three games, Samuels emerged as a force again on the court. She was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll four times and led the Pirates with 14.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Her .558 field goal percentage was the top mark in the conference. In the end, for a second straight year, Samuels earned All-BIG EAST honors and All-Met First Team status.
PIRATE STANDOUTS
With great performances come great rewards. As a result of a historic junior season, Shadeen Samuels saw a cavalcade of preseason awards and honors heading into 2019-20. Although her senior campaign was hampered by injury, she again showed the same excellence that has established her as one of Seton Hall’s all-time greats.
A well-rounded student-athlete, Samuels is an All-Academic BIG EAST selection, and was named a Senior CLASS Award Candidate, recognizing student-athletes with notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. Samuels graduated from Seton Hall ranked 12th on the program’s all-time scoring list with 1,270 career points and 10th with 763 career rebounds.
Tosoni steadily improved his 100 breast time through the years as well, beginning at 55.73 and ending at 53.96 at the 2020 BIG EAST Championship, when he not only won the conference title but set the new school record that had stood for over 10 years. His 2020 time was only one second off the BIG EAST’s all-time best mark. A 14-time All-BIG EAST selection for finishing in the top three at conference championship events (both individual and relay), Tosoni will also forever be known for helping Seton Hall win its first two BIG EAST team championships in 2017 and 2018. He totaled eight top-three finishes in those two championship events to score major points for The Hall towards the team standings. Tosoni swam his way to the top of the BIG EAST Conference for multiple years, a feat that will not soon be forgotten.
15
THE STUDENT-ATHLETE EXPERIENCE
H.A.L.L. PROGRAM A staple of the Seton Hall student-athlete 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 2019-20. With an emphasis on leadership development, career development, community enrichment, student-athlete welfare enhancement, and spiritual development, student-athletes are able to participate in all five components throughout their time at Seton Hall. 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 while also providing the student-athletes the opportunity to continue to achieve greatness in and away from athletics.
COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT AND CONTINUING TO GIVE BACK While the COVID-19 Pandemic impacted many of the larger community enrichment efforts that typically will take place during the spring semester, the student-athletes made sure to do their part during the 2019-2020 academic year. The fall is typically a time of the year for the student-athletes to invest heavily in community efforts as they partnered with the town of South Orange for a yearly play day for the children of the community. In addition, tackling food insecurities throughout New Jersey remains a point of emphasis as well with volunteer partnerships with America’s Grow-A-Row and the Pierre Toussaint Food Pantry in Newark, NJ. The spring provided an opportunity for the student-athletes to give back to the community during the COVID-19 Pandemic by participating in several food and water donations for those in their local communities who were having a difficult time. The Pirates contributed in full force during this difficult time for the world as since they were back home, they were able to give back to their local communities where they live and grew up in. Overall, Seton Hall Athletics student-athletes finished ranked 11th out of all division I athletics departments in overall community service hours and participation by HelperHelper, a volunteer management software that is an official partner of the NCAA. The Pirates logged over 1,500 hours during the school year and have the unique distinction of having each and every studentathlete participate in some form of community enrichment. Additionally, two programs stood out amongst the national ranks as both the men’s soccer (6th) and the men’s swimming & diving (7th) teams finished ranked in the top-10 nationally when compared to programs across division I. The Pirates continue to reinforce the universityled Servant Leadership core principle!
LEADERSHIP PROGRAMMING & STANDOUT
CAREER DEVELOPMENT & STUDENTATHLETE WELFARE PROGRAMMING
The Student-Athlete Leadership Academy continued its evolution in developing studentathlete leaders in athletics, the classroom, and in the community. Student-athletes participated in the academy after an extensive application process. The curriculum included text-based discussions, leadership personality assessments, and an administrative leaders panel where the student-athletes were able to learn first-hand a best-practices approach on leadership.
In addition to a continued record growth in community outreach participation from studentathletes, they also went through significant trainings throughout the year that focused on career development and overall student-athlete welfare.
This year’s text was titled ‘The Truth About Leadership’ and was written by James Kouzes and Barry Posner. Each student-athlete read the text on their own and participated in several Socratic seminar-based conversations designed to take what they learned in the text and use it directly on their teams.
• The growth of the ‘SHE Can’ Women’s Leadership Series
Moreover, senior men’s basketball studentathlete, Romaro Gill, was involved on two national leadership committees. In addition to serving on the institutional S.A.A.C. (StudentAthlete Advisory Committee) with 27 other student-athletes, he also was one of only two men’s basketball student-athletes on the Men’s Basketball Oversite Committee and one of 32 student-athletes to be a member of the Division I National S.A.A.C.
These events included the following educational seminars and training events: • The Patrick Murray & Mary Ann Pfaff Murray Leadership Forum for Student-Athletes
• 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 • Implementation of the One Love Relationship Violence Prevention Curriculum • Stress Relief and Management Seminars with The Wellness Center • Mental Health Education Seminars • Sports Wagering and Gambling Prevention Rules Education • Implementation of the NCAA-sponsored “MyPlaybook: The Freshman Experience” • Drugs and Alcohol education designed to show the negative impacts on an athlete’s body
16
THE STUDENT-ATHLETE EXPERIENCE
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 ninth annual Patrick M. and Mary Ann Pfaff Murray Leadership Forum for StudentAthletes on Feb. 6, 2020, welcoming a trio of distinguished professionals and Seton Hall University graduates to Bethany Hall for a careeroriented discussion and networking opportunity.
Throughout the evening, the panelists shared insight and advice derived from their own experiences and their respective paths to becoming leaders in their fields. But rather than simply be a lecture to the student-athletes, the event offered the opportunity for student-athletes to participate in an open dialogue with the panelists. Topics included:
Those invited to participate were:
• L eadership skills for millennials compared to other generations
• R ichard Giuditta, Managing Shareholder, Bevan, Mosca & Giuditta P.C.
• T he benefits of being a student-athlete and how it impacts life in the workforce
• Working your way up the corporate ladder
• J ennifer Lowney, Head of Corporate Communications, Citi Group
• W hat it takes to obtain success in leadership positions
• T om Weatherall, Vice President for Development, Make-A-Wish Foundation, New Jersey
• How to network in today’s fast-paced world
• G lenn Horine, a sports industry strategist and entrepreneur currently leading the North America Sports Practice for SRiCheyenne, a global executive search boutique, moderated the evening.
In addition to the event’s question and answer session, there was also a reception held in the Bethany Hall lobby, where student-athletes were afforded the opportunity to have one-on-one conversation with each of the speakers. One of the many professional development initiatives H.A.L.L. Program calendar, the forum was open to student-athletes of all classes and saw all 14 varsity teams represented. The Leadership Forum was re-named in September 2015 in honor of Pat ‘64, MBA ‘72 and Mary Ann Murray, who generously made a gift to the Pirate Blue Athletic Fund in support of the event.
• How technology shapes today’s workforce • L earning from mistakes and becoming better because of them • Changing jobs and careers midlife • How to be adaptable in today’s workplace • Being knowledgeable about current events
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PIRATES IN THE COMMUNITY
Seton Hall student-athletes with South Orange Village President Sheena Collum at the conclusion of South Orange Play Day
Andres Acevedo, junior, and Peter Tyler Po, sophomore, assisting freshmen move into campus during Freshman Move-In Day in August of 2019
Student-athletes and staff with Sister Linda Klaiss after delivering 18 Thanksgiving baskets to the Pierre Toussaint Food Pantry in Newark, NJ.
Senior Michal Matson, and freshmen Eden O’Leary & James Boote helping collect toys in December that were later donated to Team Walker.
Members of the tennis team playing some casual street tennis with local children during South Orange Play Day
Senior women’s soccer standout, Siobhan McGovern spending time with students at the Write-On Sports Camp
Through the H.A.L.L. Program, below are some of the major organizations and initiatives that the student-athletes collaborated with: • R ead Across America Celebrating Dr. Seuss’ Birthday
• T he Steve Nash Foundation: Growing Health in Kids
• P en Pal Program with St. Francis Xavier in Newark, NJ
• F uel Up to Play 60 – American Dairy Association
• S eton Hall Campus Ministry & Varsity Catholic
• S outh Orange & Maplewood Townships
• Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer
• America’s Grow-A-Row
• South Orange Play Day
• I t’s On Us National campaign to stop sexual violence
• Reading with the Pirates
• S outh Orange & Maplewood Public Schools
• E ssex County Public Schools • C OVID-19 Pandemic Relief Efforts • C OVID-19 Emergency Food Response 18
• T he Pierre Toussaint Food Pantry in Newark, NJ • O ur Lady of Sorrows in South Orange, NJ
• The One Love Foundation • S t. Barnabas Hospital in Livingston, NJ • N ewark Beth Israel Hospital in Newark, NJ • Write On Sports
• Habitat for Humanity • T he MORE Foundation Group • D evereaux Advanced Behavioral Health • H urricane Relief Fundraisers for the victims of Hurricanes and Natural Disasters
Freshmen men’s soccer student-athletes, Eden O’Leary & Denis Kelmendi, participating in the Orange Community Summit in October of 2019
Seniors, Josh Tosoni & Kat Matthys, with Associate Athletics Director, Roberto Sasso, after a day of harvesting vegetables for local families. Josh & Kat participated in this activity all four years.
Members of the baseball team with a family at the annual South Orange Play Day
The Seton Hall men’s soccer team after a soccer skills clinic with all participants in August of 2019
Members of the volleyball team with their Thanksgiving basket that was later donated to the Pierre Toussaint Food Pantry in Newark, NJ
Men’s Cross Country student-athletes Jesse Southard, senior, and Daniel Washburn, freshman, volunteering to harvest vegetables through America’s Grow-A-Row in September of 2019
Freshmen, James & John Loeffel, delivering water during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Student-athletes being recognized at a men’s basketball game for earning recognition on the BIG EAST All-Academic Team during the 2018-19 school year
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2019 - 2020
ATHLETICS TIMELINE SEPT. 14 | XC
OCT. 4 | MSOC
Seton Hall won both the men’s and women’s NYIT Invitationals. Arianna Braccio won the individual women’s title as three Pirates finished in the top five. John Loeffel took second place overall on the men’s side, while teammate Cole Kretlow placed third.
Carlton McKenzie netted the only goal of the game in Seton Hall’s 1-0 victory over Creighton. For the shutout, Love Frederiksson was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week and Andreas Nota earned an Honor Roll nod.
SEPT. 21 | VOLLEYBALL AUG. 29 | WSOC Alyssa Reszkowski broke a scoreless tie with a goal in the 81st minute as the Pirates earned their first victory of the season in their home opener, 1-0, over Lafayette.
The Pirates downed George Mason in four sets for their second win of the GMU Invitational. Emilee Turner and Amanda Rachwal had careerhighs in kills. Rachwal was named to the All-Tournament Team.
AUG. 30 | MSOC
SEPT. 22 | WGOLF
Stephen Elias scored a hat trick in his first career game as a Pirate in Seton Hall’s 6-0 victory over CCSU in the seasonopener. For his efforts, he was named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week.
Maddie Sager and Sarah Fouratt tied for the individual title at the Nittany Lion Invitational with a new Seton Hall par-72, three-round record of a 2-under-par, 214. The golfers were named BIG EAST CoGolfers of the Week for their efforts.
SEPT. 28 | WGOLF Seton Hall fired a program record 5-under-par, 283, in the opening round of the Princeton Invitational fueled by Sammie Staudt’s career-best 4-under-par, 68.
OCT. 17 | WGOLF Seton Hall registered a program-low GolfStat national ranking of 54.
OCT. 10 | BASKETBALL For only the second time in BIG EAST history, Seton Hall claimed both the men’s and women’s Preseason BIG EAST Players of the Year. Myles Powell earned the honor on the men’s side, while Shadeen Samuels was the women’s selection.
OCT. 3 | MXC
OCT. 5 | WXC
The Hall placed third out of 31 teams at the NJIT Highlander XC Challenge. Brandin Affrunti led The Hall at 18th overall.
The Pirates earned a firstplace finish at the NJIT Highlander XC Challenge. Kassi Yocco led The Hall and placed fourth overall.
SEPT. 17 | MGOLF In only his second collegiate tournament, Wenliang Xie won the individual title at the Hartford Hawks Invitational with a remarkable 10-underpar, 70-67-69-206. For his efforts, he was named BIG EAST Golfer of the Week. 20
SEPT. 29 | WGOLF The Pirates won the team title at the Princeton Invitational with a new par-72, two-round record of a 1-under-par, 575. Sammie Staudt tied for second among 80 individual golfers and was named BIG EAST Golfer of the Week.
NOV. 23 | MXC Seton Hall claimed second place at the IC4A Coaches’ Race. Cole Kretlow was the top Pirate performer, finishing fifth overall.
NOV. 23 | WXC Seton Hall won the team title at the ECAC Coaches’ Race, while Kassi Yocco claimed the individual title. Arianna Braccio came in second overall.
OCT. 26 | MSOC Eden O’Leary scored in the 76th minute to help the Pirates secure a 1-1 draw against No. 4 St. John’s.
JAN. 3 | WBB
DEC. 19 | MBB Behind a smothering defense that held No. 7 Maryland to 26.9 percent shooting from the floor, the Pirates upset the Terrapins, 52-48, to capture a signature non-conference victory. Quincy McKnight led The Hall with 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
Shadeen Samuels became the 22nd player in program history to reach the 1,000-point mark for her career
JAN. 12 | MSWIM
NOV. 23 | WSWIM
DEC. 29 | WBB
Sierra Cripps set a new school record in the 200 butterfly (2:00.02) with a fantastic second-place performance at the prestigious Patriot Invitational.
Barbara Johnson drilled a game-winning three-pointer with 29 seconds remaining as Seton Hall stunned Butler, 67-62 in Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Pirates trailed by as many as 15 points with under a minute remaining in the third quarter.
The Pirates earned first-place finishes in all 13 events as they put up an impressive 177-64 win over Fairfield on the road. Joe Gibson led The Hall with victories in the 200 IM and 400 freestyle.
NOV. 29 | WBB
OCT. 31 | WSOC Two of Seton Hall’s three seniors —Marissa Aniolowski and Siobhan McGovern – scored goals on Senior Night in a 4-1 BIG EAST victory over Providence.
NOV. 11 | MSOC
Trailing by six points entering the fourth quarter, Seton Hall rallied to edge Vanderbilt, 69-65, behind a game-high 24 points by Alexis Lewis in the finale of the Junkanoo Jam.
Carlton McKenzie was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team.
NOV. 2 | MSOC Seton Hall earned three huge points with its first road victory at Marquette since 2006. Carlton McKenzie scored both goals in the 2-1 win, including the game-winner only three minutes into overtime.
DEC. 31 | WBB Mya Jackson erupted for a career-high 25 points on the strength of 7-for-9 shooting from three-point range in Seton Hall’s rout at Xavier.
JAN. 15 | MBB NOV. 24 | VOLLEYBALL After dropping its first two sets, Seton Hall rallied to stun Georgetown for a five-set victory in D.C. in the 2019 season finale. It’s the first time the Pirates have rallied from down two sets since 2016.
For the third time in the last four seasons, the Pirates erased a double-digit, second-half deficit at No. 5 Butler, this time ending the game on a 13-4 run to come away with the 78-70 victory. Myles Powell finished with a game-high 29 points.
21
2019 - 2020
FEB. 15 | BASEBALL Alex Clyde went 2-for-5 with four RBI and Connor Hood hit a three-run double in Seton Hall’s 10-2 win over Illinois.
FEB. 23 | SOFTBALL
JAN. 29 | MBB
Jaden Tate hit two home runs and Baylee Allender hit a solo shot in the Pirates’ 4-3 win over Iona at the Chanticleer Showdown.
With a 64-57 win over DePaul, the Pirates captured their 10th straight win, their longest winning streak in over 25 years, and became only the 12th BIG EAST team in league history to start the conference schedule 8-0.
JAN. 18 | MBB Myles Powell scored his 2,000th career point to open the second half at St. John’s, becoming just the fifth Pirate to ever do so. He scored 23 of his game-high 29 points in the second half, sparking the Pirates to overcome a 13-point halftime deficit and win, 82-79.
FEB. 7 | WBB
FEB. 8 | MBB
Alexis Lewis scored a careerhigh 28 points and was 6-for-7 from three-point range as Seton Hall downed Marquette, 72-60.
Seton Hall ended a 26-year drought, winning at Villanova for the first time since 1994 with a 70-64 victory over the No. 10 Wildcats.
FEB. 23 | MGOLF All five Seton Hall golfers shot under par in the second round of the Loyola Intercollegiate. Andres Acevedo, Gregor Tait and Peter Tyler Po all shot a 71, Alex Chalk fired a 70, and Wenliang Xie led the way with a 69.
FEB. 19 | MBB
JAN. 19 | WBB Both Shadeen Samuels and Alexis Lewis reached the 20-point mark and The Hall ran out to a 46-7 lead to begin the game in its 97-55 rout of Providence on MLK Weekend.
FEB. 1 | TENNIS Three Pirates cruised to straight-set victories as Seton Hall opened the spring season with a convincing 4-0 win over Binghamton. Hiba El Khalifi lost only two games in her sweep at No. 4 singles.
22
FEB. 2 | WBB Trailing by nine points entering the fourth quarter, The Hall rallied to edge Villanova, 65-63, on a put back by Shadeen Samuels off a missed free-throw with two seconds remaining.
FEB. 14 | SOFTBALL Darby Pandolfo hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the top of the seventh that put Seton Hall ahead, 6-5, in its win over San Diego at the Golden State Classic.
Sandro Mamukelashvili received an inbound pass from Quincy McKnight with 0.6 seconds left on the clock, and in one motion, he hit the gamewinning buzzerbeater to lift Seton Hall over No. 21 Butler, 74-72.
FEB. 27 | WSWIM Julie Stankiewicz set a new school record in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:52.41 and finished second in the event at the BIG EAST Championship to score the Pirates a lot of points.
FEB. 27 | MSWIM Thomas Minar immediately made his presence known at his first BIG EAST Championship, winning the 50 freestyle with a time of 20.41 to earn the moniker “fastest swimmer in the BIG EAST.”
MARCH 9 | MBB After a season no one had expected, Romaro Gill was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player. He finished the season third in the nation in blocks and won the conference’s blocks and field goal percentage titles.
FEB. 28 | MSWIM The Pirates won three events and set three new team records on the penultimate day of the BIG EAST Championship. Claiming conference titles were Liam Cosgrove in the 100 butterfly, Ben LaClair in the 200 freestyle and Josh Tosoni in the 100 breaststroke.
MARCH 1 | TENNIS Minja Gligic’s comeback win at No. 1 singles clinched Seton Hall’s 4-3 victory over Charleston. Gligic had lost the first set in a tiebreaker before rebounding to take the next two sets, 6-4, 6-4. The Pirates also dominated at doubles, winning all three matches.
FEB. 28 | BASEBALL Ryan McLinskey struck out six batters and Seton Hall jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning in its 6-3 win over USC in Los Angeles.
Seton Hall connected on 13 threepointers and the duo of Myles Powell and Sandro Mamukelashvili combined to score 54 points as the Pirates defeated Marquette in Milwaukee, 88-79. One day later, The Hall earned a share of the BIG EAST regular season championship, the program’s first since 1993.
FEB. 29 | MSWIM Josh Tosoni capped his decorated four-year Pirates career by winning the BIG EAST 200 breaststroke in a new program record time, helping Seton Hall finish third at the conference championship.
After an incredible senior year leading Seton Hall to a championship, Myles Powell was named BIG EAST Player of the Year, the program’s third all-time player of the year honor and first since 1993.
MARCH 3 | TENNIS The Pirates won 11 out of 15 sets on the day in a convincing 6-1 victory over Sacred Heart to secure a winning Spring Break trip. Three Pirates posted straightset victories, including Anniek Jansen at No. 6 singles.
MARCH 11 | BASEBALL Seton Hall throttled Fairleigh Dickinson, 13-3, in the inaugural contest at Mike Sheppard, Sr. Stadium at Owen T. Carroll Field.
MARCH 4 | WBB
MARCH 12
Shadeen Samuels was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team, while teammate Mya Jackson earned All-Freshman Team recognition.
Following the NCAA’s cancellation of its winter and spring championships, the BIG EAST announced the cancellation of the 2020 spring season due to COVID-19 concerns.
MARCH 4 | SWIM FEB. 29 | MBB
MARCH 11 | MBB
Fifteen Pirates, including nine men and six women, were named All-BIG EAST after their strong performances at the conference championship. Ben LaClair finished tied for the most accolades in the BIG EAST with seven All-Conference performances.
MARCH 7 | SOFTBALL Seton Hall registered a run-rule victory over Penn State, 10-2, and beat Florida A&M, 11-6, at the Clearwater Spring Break Invitational.
MARCH 24 | MBB Myles Powell was declared a Consensus First-Team All-American by the NCAA, the program’s first since 1953. In total, Powell was named All-America by 11 different organizations. Two weeks later, he was named the recipient of the 2020 Jerry West National Shooting Guard of the Year Award..
MARCH 7 | WBB Seton Hall made 16 three-pointers in its victory over Butler in the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Championship, a new single-game record for the program, and only one shy of the BIG EAST Tournament record.
APRIL 21 | MBB Myles Powell captured his second straight Haggerty Metropolitan Player of the Year Award as the top player in the region, headlining four total All-Met selections.
23
THE SHUCADEMY AWARDS
With the COVID-19 pandemic preventing Seton Hall Athletics from gathering together to celebrate the end of the year, the department moved its 2020 SHUcademy Awards to the virtual space. The department handed out awards to all 14 of its varsity squads via Twitter and Instagram. Seton Hall named senior men’s basketball All-American Myles Powell its Male Athlete of the Year after a season of the ages that saw him become the program’s first NCAA consensus first-team All-American since 1953 and win the Jerry West National Shooting Guard of the Year Award. The winner of Female Athlete of the Year was women’s golf junior Mia Kness, who led the team and ranked second in the BIG EAST Conference with a 74.15 scoring average for the year before the global pandemic canceled the rest of the spring season that would have had the Pirates as the frontrunners for the BIG EAST Championship. Other winners on the evening included:
BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETES OF THE YEAR Romaro Gill, Men’s Basketball Haylee Gasser, Volleyball
SPORT & SPIRITUALITY AWARD Noah Thompson, Baseball
FRESHMAN SCHOLAR-ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
Raygan Murray, Volleyball Torre Avitabile & Hugo Keller, Men’s Soccer Walker Parra, Men’s Swimming & Diving
SOPHOMORE SCHOLARATHLETES OF THE YEAR Kelsey Gumm, Softball JP Marin, Men’s Soccer
JUNIOR SCHOLAR-ATHLETES OF THE YEAR Olivia Hernandez, Women’s Cross Country Andreas Nota, Men’s Soccer
SENIOR SCHOLAR-ATHLETES OF THE YEAR Steven Catudal, Men’s Soccer Anniek Jansen, Tennis
TEAM ACADEMIC AWARD (HIGHEST GPA) Men’s Golf Women’s Golf
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2019-20 ACADEMIC ALLSTARS (HIGHEST GPA)
Steven Catudal, Men’s Soccer Cristina Fernandez, Women’s Cross Country Atley Fortney, Women’s Soccer Kelsey Gumm, Softball Olivia Hernandez, Women’s Cross Country Anniek Jansen, Tennis Lizzy Kirk, Women’s Soccer Kat Matthys, Softball Emma Newgarden, Women’s Cross Country Alyssa Reszkowski, Women’s Soccer
PIRATE PERSEVERANCE AWARD
Grace Endersby, Women’s Swimming & Diving Kat Matthys, Softball
IRON PIRATE AWARD
Romaro Gill, Men’s Basketball Michal Matson, Tennis
TEAMMATES OF THE YEAR
Baseball - Tyler Shedler McAvoy Men’s Basketball - Ike Obiagu Women’s Basketball - Alexia Allesch Men’s Cross Country - Ryan McNeilly Women’s Cross Country - Kassi Yocco Men’s Golf - Alex McAuley
Women’s Golf - Lizzie Win Men’s Soccer - Oscar Navarp Women’s Soccer - Izzy Engel Softball - Kat Matthys Men’s Swimming & Diving - Tyler Kauth Women’s Swimming & Diving Gabby Van Tassell Tennis - Melody Taal Volleyball - Amanda Rachwal
TEAM ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
Baseball - Casey Dana Men’s Basketball - Myles Powell Women’s Basketball - Alexis Lewis Men’s Cross Country - Cole Kretlow Women’s Cross Country - Kassi Yocco Men’s Golf - Alex Chalk
Women’s Golf - Maddie Sager Men’s Soccer - Carlton McKenzie Women’s Soccer - Melissa Aniolowski Softball - Baylee Allender Men’s Swimming & Diving - Josh Tosoni Women’s Swimming & Diving - Julie Stankiewicz Tennis - Minja Gligic Volleyball - Haylee Gasser
MOST VALUABLE PIRATES Kat Matthys, Softball Michal Matson, Tennis
THE
PIRATE BLUE STORY
The Pirate Blue Athletic Fund is the fundraising arm of the Seton Hall Department of Athletics and directly supports the department and its student-athletes. 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 student-athletes have been able to achieve would not be possible without the loyal Pirate Blue members who have generously supported the programs. The enthusiasm that Pirate Blue members have for Seton Hall student-athletes is reflected in the outpouring of encouragement and donations that they have made even during a global pandemic. Once again, funds raised by Pirate Blue played a major role in facility upgrades within the athletics department in 2019-20, most notably the transformation of Owen T. Carroll Field into a stadium equipped with new amenities for Seton Hall’s baseball, men’s soccer and women’s soccer programs and their fans. As Pirate Blue turns the page to 2020-21, the focus is on raising funds to go towards a new men’s basketball practice facility, which will strengthen the program’s efforts to remain a national power and an annual contender for the BIG EAST Championship. This practice facility would be located within the Richie Regan Recreation Center and would include a main court with side courts, locker rooms and coaches’ offices, a film room and a strength & conditioning center. Pirate Blue is also still fundraising for Walsh Gymnasium renovation that will begin in Spring 2021. The project, which includes new seating, a new videoboard, a new court floor and new baskets, will help modernize the facility and deliver a better experience for both the women’s basketball and volleyball programs and their fans. 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 student-athletes, 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.
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PIRATE BLUE EVENTS
The Dill Family
President Dr. Joseph Nyre, Baseball Head Coach Rob Sheppard ’92/MBA ’96, Phyllis Sheppard, Men’s Soccer Head Coach Andreas Lindberg, Danielle Camilleri ’21, Women’s Soccer Head Coach Ciara Crinion, Athletics Director Bryan Felt ’97/MA ’05
Ann Szipszky ‘86/MAE ‘13
Barbara Johnson ’20, Barbara Murray, Jocelyn Jones
The Fetterly Family, Myles Cale ’21, Sandro Mamukelashvilli ’21
Country Club Services Courtside Club at the SHU vs. Villanova game
Baseball Alumni at Mike Sheppard, Sr. Field Ribbon Cutting
Tracy Monari ’86/MAE ’87, Sandro Mamukelasvilli ’21, Myles Cale ’21, Lou Monari MBA ’80
2019 Pirate Blue Beefsteak Tip-off Dinner
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Romaro Gill ’20 with young Pirates fans
The Sheppard Family at Mike Sheppard, Sr. Field Ribbon Cutting
Athletics Director Bryan Felt ’97/MA ’05, Myles Powell ’20, Tara Felt ’98/MA ’04
PIRATE BLUE EVENTS
Hank D’Alessandro ’85, Bob Fetterly, MBB Assistant Coach Tony Skinn
Myles Powell ’20, Rose Marie Deehan
Members of the Cheer team at 2019 Beefsteak Tip-off Dinner
Rita Marino MAE ’94, Kevin Marino JD ’84
Shadeen Samuels ’20 at the 2019 Beefsteak Tip-off Dinner
President Dr. Joseph Nyre at the 2019 Beefsteak Tip-off Dinner
Quincy McKnight ’20 and the Payne Family
Frank Tracey ’75, Tom Kober ’75, Baseball Head Coach Rob Sheppard ’92/MBA ’96, Marty Caffrey ’74, Rick Sposta ’75, Rico Bellini ’75
Ryan Sullivan ’13, Baseball Head Coach Rob Sheppard ’92/MBA ’96, Jon Prosinski ‘13/MSPA ’16, Scott Kalamar ’13, Jeff Prosinski
Hunter Waldis ’21, Rich Scheid ’94, Rob Tumulo ’90, Dave Gagliano ’89, Billy Reddick ’92, Baseball Head Coach Rob Sheppard ’92/MBA ’96, Tyler Shedler-McAvoy ’20
Sordoni Construction Co and Baseball Head Coach Rob Sheppard ’92/MBA ’96
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NEWEST FACILITY ENHANCEMENT
MIKE SHEPPARD, SR. STADIUM
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Still in its infancy since reopening last fall, there have already been some memorable moments at the newly renovated Mike Sheppard, Sr. Stadium at Owen T. Carroll Field.
the first baseball game on campus since 2018, the Pirates scored 10 runs in the first two innings on its way to a 13-3 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on March 11.
Men’s soccer handed Creighton its first BIG EAST loss of the season with a 1-0 victory on Oct. 4, 2019. Two seniors scored on senior night as women’s soccer toppled Providence, 4-1, on Oct. 31, 2019. In
Another memorable moment occurred on March 10, when a ribbon cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the completed renovation of the facility. Speakers at the event included university president Dr.
Joseph E. Nyre, director of athletics & recreation Bryan Felt, head baseball coach Rob Sheppard and women’s soccer student-athlete Dani Camilleri. Father John Dennehy did the honors of blessing the facility.
“This is truly a special day” said Felt. “While the facility will undoubtedly be enjoyed by thousands of Pirates fans each year, there is one group that I know
is incredibly excited for this day to have arrived: our Seton Hall student-athletes. They now have a premier facility to match their passion and commitment to Seton Hall athletics.� The facility has been drastically enhanced with the fan and studentathlete experience in mind. Updates include permanent restrooms,
chairbacks for the baseball and soccer seating areas, enclosed press boxes, new Field Turf and new, standardized baseball dugouts which are similar to those at the professional level. Also, a brick façade was constructed that encloses the baseball diamond, giving it a true ballpark aesthetic. On Dec. 5, 2019, it was announced that the baseball field would be
named in honor of Mike Sheppard, Sr., a Seton Hall University studentathlete, coach and professor for more than 60 years who passed away on April 6, 2019. In his 31 years as head baseball coach, Sheppard, Sr. won 998 games, led the Pirates to 12 NCAA Regionals and two College World Series and coached eight first-round draft picks.
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IN DEVELOPMENT The COVID-19 outbreak forced a hold on the planned renovations to historic Walsh Gymnasium, but the plans are still fully moving forward with enhancements to begin in the summer of 2021. A campus icon since 1939 and home to the Seton Hall basketball and volleyball programs, Walsh Gym will be upgraded and modernized, while keeping its nostalgic charm. Enhancements will include chairback seating on both levels, new scoreboards and sound, as well as new branding, paint and paneling. Support for this, and future Pride and Excellence Capital 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.
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PURCHASE ORIGINAL WALSH GYM CHAIRS Now is your chance to own a piece of history. The Seton Hall Department of Athletics has opened registration to purchase original historic Walsh Gymnasium chairs, chair-backs and seats! Part of your purchase will be tax deductible and thus considered a contribution to the Pirate Blue Athletic Fund. Chairs are on sale now with limited quantities available! These could be a great holiday gift for loyal Pirates fans! Please reach out to the Pirate Blue Office directly at (973) 275-6447 for more information.
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HEAD COACHES ALLISON YAEGER Volleyball
ANDREAS LINDBERG Men’s Soccer
ANTHONY BOZZELLA Women’s Basketball
BASKETBALL – MEN’S
BASEBALL
SOCCER – WOMEN’S
Rob Sheppard Head Coach
Ciara Crinion Head Coach
Mark Pappas Assistant Coach
Allison Saucier Assistant Coach
Pat Pinkman Assistant Coach
Alex Mendolia Assistant Coach
Duane Woodward Assistant Coach
Michael Scimanico Volunteer Assistant Coach
SOFTBALL
Kyle Smyth Director of Basketball Operations
Bruin Campbell Director of Baseball Operations
Ketarah DeVries Assistant Coach
Kevin Lynch Coordinator of Basketball Operations
CROSS COUNTRY
Charlie Butler Coordinator of Basketball Operations
Anselm LeBourne Volunteer Assistant Coach
Brandon Hall Graduate Assistant
GOLF – MEN’S
Derek Sapp Head Coach
Clay White Head Coach
Andrew Le Blanc Assistant Coach
Ian Lagowitz Associate Head Coach
Sean Piacante Diving Coach
Kevin Willard Head Coach Grant Billmeier Assistant Coach Tony Skinn Assistant Coach
BASKETBALL – WOMEN’S Anthony Bozzella Head Coach Lauren DeFalco Assistant Coach CIARA CRINION Women’s Soccer
CLAY WHITE Men’s Golf
DEREK SAPP Swimming & Diving
Marissa Flagg Assistant Coach Jose Rebimbas Assistant Coach Pete Cinella Director of Player Development Shaaliyah Lyons Director of Basketball Operations
JOHN MOON Cross Country
KEVIN MCGLYNN Tennis
KEVIN WILLARD Men’s Basketball
Ka-Deidre Simmons Coordinator of Basketball Operations
John Moon Head Coach
JT Harper Volunteer Assistant Coach GOLF – WOMEN’S Natalie Desjardins Head Coach Jackie Mullens Assistant Coach SOCCER – MEN’S Andreas Lindberg Head Coach Jeff Matteo Assistant Coach Ali Simmons Assistant Coach Dan Solli Volunteer Assistant Coach
NATALIE DESJARDINS Women’s Golf
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PAIGE SMITH Softball
ROB SHEPPARD Baseball
Paige Smith Head Coach
Heather Bergman Assistant Coach Lauren Atlas Volunteer Assistant Coach SWIMMING & DIVING
Kurt Rotthoff Volunteer Assistant Coach Gabby Signorelli Volunteer Assistant Coach Joey Lacus Volunteer Assistant Coach TENNIS Kevin McGlynn Head Coach James Enzler Assistant Coach VOLLEYBALL Allison Yaeger Head Coach Simone Asque Assistant Coach Chris Weathers Assistant Coach
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On November 15, 2019, the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions announced that it approved a negotiated resolution jointly submitted by Seton Hall University and the NCAA enforcement staff, which had determined that phone calls by a former men’s basketball associate head coach to the mother of a prospect were in violation of NCAA Bylaw 13.1.1.3. Through Negotiated Resolution, it was determined that the Seton Hall men’s basketball program would be placed on probation from November 15, 2019 to November 14, 2022. The probation does not include a ban on postseason. A detailed list of other penalties and the full public negotiated resolution is available online at SHUPirates.com.
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