Rutgers Athletics Announces Special Award Winners

Rutgers Athletics Announces Special Award Winners

Sep 29 | Field Hockey, General, Men's Lacrosse, Men's Track & Field, Women's Basketball, Women's Lacrosse, Women's Rowing, Women's Soccer, Wrestling

Coursen Award, Headley-Singer Award, Werblin Award and AD's Excellence Award Bestowed

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers Athletics is pleased to announce its postseason award winners for the 2020-21 academic year. Twenty-seven student-athletes from across nine sports were eligible for recognition this year as a result of their performance both in competition and in the classroom.

Recipients of the Coursen Award, Werblin Award, Headley-Singer Award, and Athletic Director's Excellence Award, as well as the descriptions of each accolade, are all listed below. The winners will be formally recognized with an on-field recognition at the Rutgers vs. Wisconsin football game on Saturday, November 6.

Coursen Award: Awarded annually to a member of the most recent graduating class who, throughout his career at the University, demonstrated the following characteristics: has participated in the intercollegiate athletics program and proved himself to be an athlete of outstanding ability, and has shown determination, courage, modesty and self-discipline and who, with unselfish devotion to his teammates and generous fairness to his opponents, has represented Rutgers University to the highest of standards.

Received by: Adam Charalambides and Kieran Mullins

Headley-Singer Award: Awarded annually to a member of the most recent graduating class who, throughout her career at the University, demonstrated the following characteristics: has participated in the intercollegiate athletics program and proved herself to be an athlete of outstanding ability, and who has shown determination, courage, modesty, and self-discipline, and who, with unselfish devotion to her teammates and generous fairness to her opponents, has represented Rutgers University to the highest of standards.

Received by: Gianna Glatz

Werblin Award: Awarded to a male or female student-athlete who, either as an individual or member of a team, received national recognition or has won a national championship during the most recent academic year.

Received by: Adam Charalambides, Gianna Glatz, Amirah Ali, Connor Kirst, Colin Kirst, Jaryd Jean-Felix, Ethan Rall, Shane Knobloch, David Sprock, Milena Redlingshoefer, Katie Larmour, Perry Christie, Taj Burgess, Meghan Ball, Cassidy Spilis, John Poznanski, Sebastian Rivera, Jackson Turley, Luisa Neerschulte, Emma Hopkins, Emily Mahaffy, Olivia Maxton, Femke Paulis, Arella Guirantes, A'nan Bridgett

Athletic Director's Excellence Award: Awarded to a student-athlete who attended Rutgers University - New Brunswick for at least four semesters, accumulated a 3.5 or higher GPA throughout the academic year, earned All-America honors or regional first-team accolades during the specific year and demonstrated leadership and character.

Received by: Gabby Provenzano, Cassidy Spilis, Meghan Ball, Katie Larmour, Milena Redlingshoefer, David Sprock, Gianna Glatz

Adam Charalambides (Men's Lacrosse): Coursen Award, Werblin Award
Charalambides finished a prolific career 'On the Banks' as one of Rutgers' all-time leading scorers, finishing his collegiate days with 149 goals (second all-time at Rutgers) and 201 career points (fifth all-time at Rutgers). His single season outputs include the third, fourth and seventh most goals all-time in a season in RU history. The Georgetown, Ontario native was named an All-American in 2021, is a two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection and was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2016. The has also excelled academically, as a three-time Scholar All-American, six-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.

Kieran Mullins (Men's Lacrosse): Coursen Award
Mullins recently complete a stellar career at RU, excelling both on and off the field. The Islip, N.Y. native finished his career with 230 points, the second most all-time in Rutgers' history. His 127 career goals (seventh all-time) and 103 career assists (sixth all-time) made him one of just two players in RU history with 100+ goals and 100+ assists. Mullins earned the prestigious Big Ten Medal of Honor and Wayne Duke Award, and was also a Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship recipient and member of Chi Alpha Sigma, the National Collegiate Honor Society. A three-time All-Big Ten selection, he was an All-American and Werblin Award winner in 2019. Mullins was a four-time academic All-Big Ten selection and four-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, and was twice named a Scholar All-American and Senior CLASS Award finalist.

Gianna Glatz (Field Hockey): Headley-Singer Award, Werblin Award, AD's Excellence Award
Glatz has proven herself as one of the top goalkeepers in collegiate field hockey. The 2021 Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient was named First Team All-America last season, her second career All-American accolade. The 2021 Regional Player of the year and three-time All-Region selection is a three-time First Team All-Big Ten selection. The Medford, N.J. native is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. In her career, she holds a 1.50 goals-against-average, .733 save percentage and has made 304 saves, ranking fifth all-time at RU in goals-against-average and seventh in saves.

Connor Kirst (Men's Lacrosse): Werblin Award
Connor Kirst excelled in his lone season for the Scarlet Knights as a graduate transfer, putting together a Third Team All-American season. A native of Bernardsville, N.J., he was named a First Team All-Big Ten selection after posting 37 goals and 16 assists for 53 points. A first round draft pick (seventh overall) by the PLL's Whipsnakes, Kirst posted multiple goals in 11 games including five tallies in the two NCAA Tournament games. A preseason All-American, Kirst validated that selection with an impact campaign where he placed top-five in the league in goals and points while also collecting 30 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers.

Colin Kirst (Men's Lacrosse): Werblin Award
Colin Kirst proved to be one of the top goalkeepers in the nation in his first season as a Scarlet Knight, earning Third Team All-American, First Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten Specialist of the Year accolades. The Bernardsville, N.J. native posted a 10.77 goals-against-average while notching double-digit saves in 12 of 13 games. He also collected 37 ground balls (second on the team) and had six caused turnovers. Kirst excelled in the NCAA Tournament, making 17 saves and holding Lehigh to five goals in a first round win, then stopping 16 shots against No. 1 UNC. He also was selected to play in the USILA's Senior All-Star Game.

Jaryd Jean-Felix (Men's Lacrosse): Werblin Award
Jaryd Jean-Felix excelled on defense for the Scarlet Knights this season. The Cumming, Ga. native was named All-American and Second Team All-Big Ten, one of just three close defensemen recognized by the league. Jean-Felix set career-high with 20 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers (second on the team). Jean-Felix keyed a great defense performance in two NCAA Tournament games, including holding No. 8 seed Lehigh to a season-low five goals in an NCAA Tournament victory, then holding the nation's top offense to five goals below their season average in the NCAA Quarterfinals. Behind his efforts, Rutgers' was second in the Big Ten in scoring defense this season at 11.15 goals allowed per game.

Ethan Rall (Men's Lacrosse): Werblin Award
Ethan Rall excelled as Rutgers' top long-stick midfielder en route to All-American honors. The Islip, N.Y. native was named Second Team All-Big Ten, the lone long-stick midfielder in the league to be recognized as all-conference. Rall had a career-high 26 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers, while posting one goal and one assist. He led the team in caused turnovers and was third in ground balls. He earned weekly honors from the Big Ten and the USILA over the course of the season.

Shane Knobloch (Men's Lacrosse): Werblin Award
Shane Knobloch had a breakthrough debut campaign 'On the Banks', as the freshman scored 16 goals and added five assists for 21 points en route to being named All-American and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. The Moorestown, N.J. native started his collegiate campaign hot with goals in his first seven games including nine tallies in his first three games. Also a midseason All-American selection by Inside Lacrosse, the midfielder had seven multi-point games overall. Knobloch is the first Rutgers lacrosse freshman to be named an All-American since Greg Havalchak in 2003.

David Sprock (Men's Lacrosse): Werblin Award, AD's Excellence Award
David Sprock was Rutgers' top-scoring midfielder and was named All-American. The Dallas, Texas native posted 17 goals, 10 assists and 27 points, all of which ranked fourth on the team. A preseason All-Big Ten selection, Sprock posted four multi-goal games, including two goals in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals against North Carolina, and hat two hat tricks on the season. He also had six ground balls and two caused turnovers.

Milena Redlingshoefer (Field Hockey): Werblin Award, AD's Excellence Award
Milena Redlingshoefer posted an All-American season last season, earning Third Team honors. She was also named First Team All-Region and Second Team All-Big Ten after leading the team with six goals and five assists for a team-best 17 points. In her career, the Munich, Germany native has 11 goals and 19 assists, is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten and two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.

Katie Larmour (Field Hockey): Werblin Award, AD's Excellence Award
Katie Larmour was a First Team All-American last season, also earning First Team All- Big Ten and First Team All-Region honors, posting two goals and a team-best seven assists. It was her second First Team All-Big Ten honor and third career All-Region recognition. The product of Belfast, Northern Ireland has 17 goals and 154 assists for 48 career points in 72 career games at RU (69 starts). She is a three-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.

Arella Guirantes (Women's Basketball): Werblin Award
One of the most decorated and prolific student-athletes in Rutgers women's basketball history, Guirantes was selected in the second round of the 2021 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. The Bellport, New York native scored 1,676 career points in college and is a two-time All-American and three-time All-Big Ten selection. Her final season "On the Banks" featured prominent national watch lists: A finalist for the Senior CLASS Award, the Hall of Fame Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard Award, and the Dawn Staley Award, and a semifinalist for the Wooden Award and Wade Trophy for National Player of the Year, and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.

Luisa Neerschulte, Emma Hopkins, Emily Mahaffy, Olivia Maxton, Femke Paulis (Women's Rowing): Werblin Award
Luisa Neerschulte was named First Team All-America, Emma Hopkins and Emily Mahaffy earned Second Team All-America, and Olivia Maxton and Femke Paulis were selected as All-America honorable mentions for their performance in the Rutgers Varsity 8 boat that finished fifth in country at the 2021 NCAA Championships after racing in the program's first-ever grand final at the national regatta. The RU Varsity 8 also won its first-ever Big Ten medal in 2021, placing runner-up at the conference regatta in less than a second behind the gold medal. The squad won two Big Ten Boat of the Week awards and finished first in all its races in 2021 outside its NCAA Championships run, the slim setback to Michigan at the Big Ten Championships and a miniscule 0.6-second margin behind No. 4 Virginia at the Big Ten Invitational.

Amirah Ali (Women's Soccer): Werblin Award
Ali, a four-time All-Big Ten and All-Region selection, became the first three-time All-American in Rutgers women's soccer history. In 2020-21, Ali was named a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy Award for the second straight season after posting a team-high 15 points (7g, 1a). The Voorhees, New Jersey, native earned First Team All-Big Ten, First Team All-Region, and First Team All-American honors, as well as being named a finalist for the Senior Class Award. She was bestowed the United Soccer Coaches College Player Award of Distinction, honoring quality performance on the field, team leadership, sportsmanship and community support. The 2017 Big Ten Freshman of the Year continues to climb the Rutgers career charts, ranking first in golden goals (9), second in game winning goals (15), fourth in points (87), fourth in goals (35), and ninth in assists (17). The criminal justice major is an Academic All-Big Ten recipient.

Taj Burgess (Men's Track and Field): Werblin Award
Burgess claimed All-America honors at the both the 2020-21 NCAA Indoor Championships and 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 400m. The Jersey City, New Jersey, native is a three-time All-American honoree in the outdoor 400m, as well as two-time in the indoor 400m. At the 2020-21 Big Ten Indoor Championships, Burgess claimed a bronze medal in the 400m, adding to a silver medal in the event in 2018. He also contributed to a new outdoor 4x100m school record in 2020-21. The group finished first with a time of 39.80, shattering the previous record of 40.22 registered in 2004.

A'nan Bridgett (Men's Track and Field): Werblin Award
A two-time NCAA Outdoor Regional Qualifier in the long jump, Bridgett recorded a mark of 7.58m (24' 10.5") in the event. The Princeton Junction, New Jersey native, finished 12th in the field to claim his first All-America honors with a Second Team nod. He also contributed to a new outdoor 4x100m school record in 2020-21. The group finished first with a time of 39.80, shattering the previous record of 40.22 registered in 2004. Bridgett is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient.

Perry Christie at 2021 Big Ten Track Outdoor Championships - 5/15/2021

Perry Christie (Men's Track and Field): Werblin Award
Christie captured the Big Ten Indoor title in the high jump in 2020-21, clearing a height of 2.18m (7' 1.75") to outpace the second-place jumper by two and three-quarter inches. The USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region Field Athlete of the Year went on to earn All-America honors at the 2020-21 NCAA Indoor Championships, becoming a Second All-American in the event. Christie, who owns the school record in the event at 2.23m, added a gold medal to his bronze finish in the high jump at the 2020 Big Ten Indoor Championships. Christie earned the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award and two All-Big Ten accolades from the conference.

Gabby Provenzano (Women's Soccer): AD's Excellence Award
Provenzano claimed All-Big Ten and All-Region First Team in 2020-21. The two-time captain led Rutgers to its second straight Big Ten Tournament semifinal, being named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team. The defender aided RU in holding all 15 opponents to single-digit shots on goal and seven shutouts on the year, contributing a goal and an assist as well. The Sergeantsville, New Jersey, native earned the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award for the program. The sport management major was tabbed a Scholar All-American Second Team and Scholar All-Region First Team honoree. Provenzano was inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society.

Sebastian Rivera (Wrestling): Werblin Award

Rivera wrapped up his first year with the Scarlet Knights with his third All-America honor after he also finished fourth at this year's NCAA Championships. The two-time Big Ten Champion finished 12-3 during the abbreviated 2021 campaign and led the Scarlet Knights with a perfect 4-0 mark and team-high 15 points in dual action. Rivera has produced 84 victories during his collegiate career.

John Poznanski (Wrestling): Werblin Award

Poznanski went 11-4 in his first collegiate season en route to All-America laurels and a third-place finish at the 2021 Big Ten Championships. Poznanski became the highest true freshman finisher at the national tournament in program history and helped RU secure two NCAA Championship semifinalists for the second consecutive national tournament. The Colonia, New Jersey, native finished with an 8-3 mark against ranked foes and a 3-1 record in dual action.

Jackson Turley (Wrestling): Werblin Award

Turley wrestled himself into the starting lineup at the end of the 2021 season and earned an at-large selection to the 2021 NCAA Championships. After an opening-round loss at NCAAs, Turley collected four-consecutive victories to lock up All-America laurels at 174 pounds. As the No. 26 seed, his run to the podium included upsets over the No. 6, 9, 17 and 23 seeds at the national tournament.

Cassidy Spilis (Women's Lacrosse): Werblin Award, AD's Excellence Award

An IWLCA All-American, Inside Lacrosse All-American, first team all-region and 2021 Tewaaraton Award watch list member, Spilis finished first on the team in goals (49) and second in points (52), draw controls (65) and caused turnovers (27) in 16 games during the spring campaign. The 2021 First Team All-Big Ten selection finished fourth in the conference with 3.06 goals per game and secured a career-high nine goals in Rutgers' semifinal loss to No. 2 Northwestern en route to IWLCA Player of the Week accolades.

Meghan Ball (Women's Lacrosse): Werblin Award, AD's Excellence Award

An Inside Lacrosse All-American, all-region pick and 2021 Tewaaraton Award watch list member, Ball finished fourth in the Big Ten in draw controls (75) and caused turnovers (27) and led the team in draw controls, caused turnovers and ground balls (35). Ball – a First Team All-Big Ten selection – secured a program single-game record 13 draw controls in RU's win over Drexel in the first round of the NCAA.