19 minute read
PIRATE STANDOUTS
ANNIEK JANSEN
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KAT MATTHYS
SAMMIE STAUDT
BASEBALL
Jace Baqui Tyler Burham Alex Clyde Christian Del Castillo Mark Diaz Blake Espinal Mike Esposito David Festa William Gale Steve Grober 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 Niko Piccolo Staus Pokrovsky Corey Sawyer Tyler ShedlerMcAvoy Collin Sheehan Bobby Sheppard Chris Shine Noah Thompson Matt Toke Hunter Waldis
BASKETBALL – MEN’S
Asiah Avent Darnell Brodie Myles Cale Romaro Gill Sandro Mamukelashvili Quincy McKnight Takal Molson Ike Obiagu Myles Powell Shavar Reynolds, Jr. Jared Rhoden Tyrese Samuel
BASKETBALL – WOMEN’S
Alexia Allesch Femi Funeus Kailah Harris McKenna Hofschild Mya Jackson 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
CROSS COUNTRY – WOMEN’S
Danielle Becker Arianna Braccio Brittany Dycha Sam Dyer Cristina Fernandez Amanda Ferrara Lauren Ginefra Nancy Habib Olivia Hernandez Emily Hernandez Emma Newgarden Rica Ongsiako Meghan Vizzard Kassi Yocco
GOLF – MEN’S
Andres Acevedo James Bosworth Alex Chalk Ian Lee Alex McAuley Peter Tyler Po Deven Ramachandran Hunter Ramee Gregor Tait
GOLF - WOMEN’S
Sarah Fouratt Mia Kness Carolina Ronchel Salas Maddie Sager Sammie Staudt Lizzie Win
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 Siobhan McGovern Emma Ramsay Alyssa Reszkowski
SOFTBALL
Miranda Arruda Hailey Arteaga Janae Barracato Payton Beaver Reganne Camp Gabby Ciancio Ashly Colonnetta 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 Abby Wingo
SWIMMING & DIVING - MEN’S
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
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 Elizabeth Sargent Julie Stankiewicz Gabby Van Tassell 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.
2019 - 2020 ALL BIG EAST
& ADDITIONAL HONORS
LIAM COSGROVE Men’s Swimming
ROMARO GILL Men’s Basketball
BEN LACLAIR Men’s Swimming
ROSS PANTANO Men’s Swimming
CALEB SMITH Men’s Swimming SIERRA CRIPPS Women’s Swimming JORDAN DECKER
ABIGAIL GRAHAM Women’s Swimming SANDRO Men’s Basketball TAYLOR PATNODE Women’s Swimming JULIE Women’s Swimming Women’s Swimming SAM HENDRIX
MAMUKELASHVILI Men’s Swimming CARLTON MCKENZIE
Men’s Soccer MYLES POWELL
STANKIEWICZ Men’s Basketball JOSH TOSONI Men’s Swimming DESIREE ELMORE Women’s Basketball
MYA JACKSON Women’s Basketball
QUINCY MCKNIGHT Men’s Basketball
BEN PUGLESSI Men’s Swimming JOE GIBSON Men’s Swimming
CORNELIA JERRESAND Women’s Swimming
THOMAS MINAR Men’s Swimming
SHADEEN SAMUELS Women’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
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
Sam Hendrix
Ben LaClair
Champion • All-BIG EAST 100 Free 200 Free 500 Free 200 Free Relay 400 Free Relay 800 Free Relay 400 Medley Relay
Thomas Minar
Ross Pantano
Freshman Bennington, Neb. • All-BIG EAST 200 Back 200 Medley Relay 400 Medley Relay
Ben Puglessi
Caleb Smith
Josh Tosoni
Senior Arnold, Md. • 100M Breaststroke BIG EAST
Champion • 200M Breaststroke BIG EAST
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
Cornelia Jerresand
Taylor Patnode
Julie Stankiewicz
MYLES POWELL
- 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. 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.
BAYLEE ALLENDER
ROMARO GILL
In a year full of what-could-havebeens, Baylee Allender’s 2020 season stands out.
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.
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. 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.
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.
MIA KNESS
CARLTON MCKENZIE
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.
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, 73- 70-72-215. 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. 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.
SHADEEN SAMUELS
JOSH TOSONI
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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
