Stewart, Arnold, Taraschi, Oswald earn honors
at annual Rutgers-Camden awards banquet

CAMDEN (May 14, 2008) – Junior track and cross country star Travis Stewart (Runnemede, NJ/Triton Regional) was named Athlete of the Year and senior Traci Arnold (Pitman, NJ/Pitman) of the women’s crew program earned the Wilbur W. Wilson Scholar-Athlete Award to highlight the annual Rutgers University-Camden Athletic Awards Banquet, which was held at the school’s Campus Center here Wednesday night.

Sophomore golfer Dave Taraschi (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial) was honored with the William P. Carty Memorial Award as Most Courageous Athlete, while men’s soccer coach Tim Oswald captured the Edward C. Cialella Coach of the Year Award.

The school also handed out eight memorial awards to the athletes deemed as the Most Dedicated Players in their respective sports.

Sophomore Dana Walters (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) earned the Borda-Sheehan Memorial Award as the Most Dedicated women’s soccer player, while junior A.J. O’Malley (Westmont, NJ/Haddon Township) and sophomore Tom Collins (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) tied for Most Dedicated honors on the men’s team. Earning the Samuel Strauss Memorial Award for basketball dedication were seniors Krystal Jankowski (Somerdale, NJ/Sterling) and Tarell Robinson (Irvington, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep). The Billy Carty Memorial Award for the most dedicated baseball and softball players went to Lady Raptor senior Kathleen Dreitlein (Berkeley Heights, NJ/Governor Livingston) and Scarlet Raptor junior Dean Straga (Mullica Hill, NJ/Clearview Regional), while the Barry M. Millett Memorial Award as the Most Dedicated Golfer went to junior David Henry (Medford, NJ/Shawnee).

Rutgers-Camden also honored Most Valuable Players for all 15 varsity sports. Winning for men’s and women’s soccer were seniors Chris Amato (Stratford, NJ/Sterling) and Brittney Mancine (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape), while junior Marci Polite (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) captured the honor for volleyball, Taraschi won the award for golf and senior Monica Fleming (Collingswood, NJ/Collingswood) was named the MVP for the crew program. Basketball MVP winners were junior Bill Banks (Berlin, NJ/Eastern Regional) and freshman Karima Blackwell (Somerdale, NJ/Sterling), while Dreitlein won the honor for softball and senior Andrew Lihotz (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast) was the baseball MVP. Freshman Robin England (Haddon Township, NJ/Haddon Township) earned a pair of MVP honors, winning for both women’s cross country and women’s outdoor track and field. The women’s indoor track and field MVP was freshman Ayla Maldonado (Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown). On the men’s side, Stewart won cross country MVP honors, while senior Mike Fox (Hainesport, NJ/Rancocas Valley Regional) won for indoor track and junior Jonathan Salamon (Bridgewater, NJ/St. Joseph-Metuchen) was the outdoor track MVP.

In addition to the major awards, the MVP honors and the Most Dedicated award winners, Rutgers-Camden honored 30 seniors, including Lihotz (baseball), Robinson (men's basketball), Jankowski (women's basketball), Arnold and Fleming (crew), Fox (track/cross country), Amato and Mancine (men's and women's soccer) and Dreitlein (softball). The other honored seniors were Angelo Marchiano (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) and Shawn Park (West Berlin, NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton) from the baseball program, Imani Hafiz (Franklinville, NJ/Delsea Regional), Carmen Oyola (Hammonton, NJ/Hammonton) and Amber Parker (Pennsauken, NJ/Pennsauken) from the women's basketball team and crew team members Rachel Negro (Audubon, NJ/Paul VI), Michelle Sanchirico (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Bishop Eustace Prep) and Regina Williams (Cherry Hill, NJ/home schooled).

Other seniors from the track and cross country programs included Patrick Eigbe Jr. (Galloway, NJ/Absegami), Michael McClain (Sewell, NJ/Bishop Eustace) and Becca Taylor (Haddon Heights, NJ/Haddon Heights), while the golf team had a pair of seniors in Mike Affannato (Turnersville, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) and Justin Melendez (Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown).

In addition to Mancine, the women's soccer team featured senior Kristen Cargen (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West). The largest contingent of seniors came from the men's soccer program. Besides Amato, that team featured seniors James Fiorani (Bridgeton, NJ/Cumberland Regional), Rob Gambino (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee), Brent Grunow (Estell Manor, NJ/Buena Regional), Rodney Guishard (Mays Landing, NJ/Oakcrest), Milton Suah (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Central) and Onur Yilmaz (Giresun, Turkey/Delran). The last senior award was a posthumous honor for Pat Baldiserra (Milmay, NJ/Buena Regional), the Scarlet Raptors’ All-American midfielder who was killed in an automobile accident last summer before his senior season.

Stewart had the finest cross country season of any runner in school history on his way toward winning Athlete of the Year honors. Not only did he record five of the top seven 8K times in program history last fall – including the top four – but he also became the first Rutgers-Camden runner to ever compete in the NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships. He posted a time of 25:56 in the national meet, held at St. Olaf College in Minnesota on Nov. 17, where he finished 122nd out of 280 runners.

Stewart’s time at the national meet is the third-fastest certified 8K time in program history. In his previous two meets, he recorded the top two program times, running a record 25:38.99 at the New Jersey Athletic Conference  Championships (Oct. 27) and then lowering that mark to a 25:17.9 at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals Nov. 10. Stewart finished second overall out of 53 runners at the NJAC meet to become the first All-NJAC First Team runner in the history of the men’s program. He was 18th of 271 runners at the Mid-Atlantic Regionals.

As a sophomore in 2006, Stewart earned All-NJAC Second Team honors to become the first All-NJAC runner in program history.

Stewart, who also is a standout on the Raptors’ indoor and outdoor track teams, continued his outstanding junior year in both of those sports. During the indoor season, he earned All-NJAC First Team honors after running the leadoff leg on the distance medley team, which captured the
conference title. He also set a program record at 5,000 meters (15:09.57).

During the 2008 outdoor season, Stewart won the conference title at 10,000 meters and finished second at 5,000 meters, earning All-NJAC First Team and Second Team honors, respectively. His 5,000-meter time of 15:23.68 set the Raptors’ outdoor program record.

Stewart was the Raptors’ outdoor track MVP in 2006 and earned his third straight honor as the cross country team MVP during the 2007 fall season.

In addition to his athletic honors, Stewart was recognized for his ability in the classroom. He was named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Men’s Cross Country Team for the second straight year.

Arnold captured the Wilbur W. Wilson Scholar-Athlete award, capping her outstanding four-year career as a student-athlete. A dual Political Science and Criminal Justice major who carried a 3.849 grade-point average, Arnold was a member of the Lady Raptors' soccer team during the fall of her freshman year. She joined the crew team for the 2005 spring season and remained with that program throughout the rest of her collegiate career.

During the 2007 spring season, Arnold helped the Women’s Varsity Heavyweight Four advance to the semifinals of the Dad Vail Regatta, marking the first time in program history the Lady Raptors achieved that feat. This spring she was in the bow as the Raptors earned bronze medals in the Varsity Eight at the Murphy Cup and the Varsity Four at the Clark University Invite.

Academically, she was inducted into the 2007 National Political Science Honors Society and was named as a Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association 2007 Scholar Athlete. She was a member of the 2007 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Women’s Rowing Team and is on the ballot for that honor again this season. She also received the George Masterton Award for Excellence in Criminal Justice.

Taraschi was honored with the William P. Carty Memorial Award as Most Courageous Athlete after suffering a serious eye injury during the fall semester. He missed practically the whole season while undergoing eye treatments, and lost significant vision in his left eye. Despite his injury, he remains not only the Scarlet Raptors' top golfer, but one of the top golfers in every invitational in which Rutgers-Camden competes. He competed in only two invitationals last fall -- the first and last outings of the season -- and led the Scarlet Raptors each time with an average of 81. This spring, he was the team's top golfer in all six matches, including three outings where he was the overall medalist. He shot a season-best 73 against Richard Stockton College April 10 to tie for the sixth-lowest score in program history. Taraschi, who also holds the program record with a 69 on April 10, 2007, averaged a team-leading 76.1 this spring and was named the golf team’s MVP for the second straight year.

The Edward C. Cialella Coach of the Year honor was given to Oswald, who led his men’s soccer team to its second consecutive ECAC Metro Championship. Not only did the Raptors post a 13-7-3 record and successfully defend their title, but they did so in the wake of the tragic loss of their top player, Pat Baldiserra, who earned team MVP honors and All-American status as a junior in 2006. Rutgers-Camden earned two wins and three ties against Top 25 teams, produced four All-New Jersey Athletic Conference and four NSCAA Regional All-Americans and saw three of its players named to the 2007 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Men’s Soccer Team. One of them, senior Rodney Guishard, was named as the Performer of the Year on the Inquirer’s Academic All-Area Men’s Soccer Team.
Rutgers-Camden, which has been among the NJAC’s elite teams during Oswald's two years at the helm, has posted a 26-11-9 record over that span.

The Borda-Sheehan Memorial Award for the Most Dedicated Men’s Soccer Player was shared between a pair of teammates whose leadership, talent and work ethic set an example for the rest of the team. The qualities exhibited by co-winners O’Malley and Collins played a major role in helping the Scarlet Raptors post a 26-11-9 record and capture a pair of ECAC Division III Metro Soccer Championships over the last two years.

O’Malley, who has served as one of the Scarlet Raptors’ team captains since his sophomore season, has played everywhere from back to forward during his three years at Rutgers-Camden. O’Malley played in all 23 games during the 2007 season, adding two goals for four points. O’Malley won his first Borda-Sheehan Memorial Award as a sophomore, when he earned New Jersey Athletic Conference Academic Second Team honors. He has earned two consecutive berths on the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Men’s Soccer Team and has played an active role on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. This spring O’Malley also was recognized at the School of Business Student Honors and Service Awards Ceremony as the recipient of the Tommasso A. Borda Memorial Award, which is presented to a junior on the basis of outstanding contributions to campus activities, athletics, academics and community service.

During his two seasons at Rutgers-Camden, Collins has established himself as one of the top young marking backs in the NJAC. He started 19 of his 21 games as a sophomore last fall, helping the Scarlet Raptors post nine shutouts. During his two years with the program, Collins has played in 43 games, contributing to 19 shutouts. He also will serve as the Co-Chair of Rutgers-Camden’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee next fall.

The Borda-Sheehan Memorial Award for the Most Dedicated Women’s Soccer Player went to Walters, who has played both in the back and the midfield. Walters played in all of the Raptors’ 23 games as a sophomore, starting 17. She helped the team post a program-record 11 shutouts and earn its second straight berth in the ECAC Division III Metro Women’s Soccer Championship semifinals. A leader both on and off the field, Walters was the school’s Homecoming Queen last fall and plays an active role on Rutgers-Camden’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). In a vote of teammates, Walters was named as one of the Lady Raptors’ co-captains for the 2008 season. Over her two-year Rutgers-Camden career, Walters has played in 42 of the team’s 43 games and helped the Lady Raptors post 18 shutouts.

Henry earned the Barry M. Millett Memorial Award as the Most Dedicated Golfer. A newcomer to the Scarlet Raptors’ program this spring, Henry posted the second-best average on the team. He averaged 78.4 while playing in all six matches, including the two-day Wesley Spring Invitational. He tied for team medalist honors by shooting a 78 at the Susquehanna Invitational April 17. He finished second on the team in four of the other five invitationals, including a pair of outings in which he shot a 76 for his best score of the spring (April 10 at Richard Stockton and April 24 in the Scarlet Raptors’ own Spring Invitational).

Jankowski captured the Samuel Strauss Memorial Award as the Most Dedicated women’s basketball player.  A competitor with a fierce will to win, Jankowski’s all-around efforts helped her finish as the Lady Raptors’ team leader with 59 assists. She was second on the team in steals (44) and rebounding (6.3), and also chipped in 6.6 points per game (fifth on the team). One of the team’s captains during her senior season, Jankowski ended her four-year career 10th on the program’s all-time list with 92 games played. She was seventh with 645 career rebounds and fifth in both assists (274) and steals (186). She also scored 696 points for a 7.6 career average.

Robinson captured the Samuel Strauss Memorial Award as the Most Dedicated men’s basketball player after serving as one of the team’s co-captains during his senior season. A team leader who averaged 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds, Robinson finished second on the team with 35 steals and fourth with 29 assists. A transfer from Caldwell College, Robinson chose to pursue a Rutgers degree to follow in the footsteps of his uncle, who graduated from Rutgers-Newark. During his two seasons at Rutgers-Camden, he played in 46 games, averaging 3.5 points and 2.6 rebounds, while adding 56 assists, 50 steals and 11 blocked shots. A campus leader as well as a team leader, Robinson served as President of the Black Student Union and worked with Rutgers-Camden’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Straga earned the Billy Carty Memorial Award as the baseball team's Most Dedicated Player after serving as one of the team’s captains during his junior season. The Scarlet Raptors’ second baseman set a single-season club record by turning 28 double plays, helping Rutgers-Camden rank among the national leaders in double plays per game at 1.19. Straga, who has been with the program since 2005 and has overcome injuries which cost him the 2006 season, ranks among the program’s career leaders in at bats (263), games (93), stolen bases (22), hit by pitch (18), sacrifices (12), total chances (392), assists (183) and double plays (48) as he heads into his senior season.

Dreitlein swept both the Billy Carty Memorial Award as the softball Most Dedicated Player and won the team’s Most Valuable Player award during the fourth season of her brilliant career. The Lady Raptors’ captain, Dreitlein showed the qualities of a team player when she selflessly moved from her first base position early in the season because the team needed her to anchor the defense at shortstop. Although the move cost her any chance of breaking the program’s career record for putouts, Dreitlein made the move and played outstanding defense at her new position. She finished as the all-time program leader in HBP (14) and double plays (25), second in putouts (1,125), third in total bases (233) and runs (95), fourth in games (175), at bats (511), home runs (13), RBIs (95), tied for fourth in walks (54), fifth in hits (153) and sacrifices (15) and tied for fifth in doubles (31) and triples (5).

Amato was named the Most Valuable Player for the men’s soccer program after an outstanding season in which he started all 23 games and added two goals and seven assists for 11 points, sixth on the team in scoring. He was named to the New Jersey Athletic Conference First Team and capped his season with a pair of national honors, earning recognition on both the NSCAA All-Metro Region First Team and the d3kicks.com Metropolitan Region First Team. One of the Scarlet Raptors’ captains, Amato earned a berth on the Domino’s Classic All-Tournament Team (Aug. 31-Sept. 1) to start the season, leading to honors as the Rutgers-Camden Raptor of the Week Sept. 3. He had three major honors the week of Oct. 8, being named both the NJAC and the ECAC Div. III Metro Defensive Player of the Week and also earning a berth on the d3kicks.com Team of the Week. A transfer from Camden County College, Amato played in 46 games over two seasons for the Scarlet Raptors, starting all 46. He collected six goals, nine assists and 21 points in his two-year Raptor career, while anchoring a defense which posted 19 shutouts and led Rutgers-Camden to back-to-back ECAC Div. III Metro Men’s Soccer Championships. He also has been involved with the Rutgers-Camden Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

Mancine was named the Most Valuable Player for the women’s soccer program after anchoring the Lady Raptors’ defense in the midfield and the back during the 2007 season. The team’s captain, Mancine started all 22 of her games and finished fourth on the club in scoring with four goals and five assists for 13 points. She also helped the team post a program-record 11 shutouts and earned All-NJAC Honorable Mention for the second consecutive season. A transfer from Camden County College, where she was named to the NJCAA Division III All-American Second Team in 2004, Mancine played 62 games during her three years at Rutgers-Camden. She collected six goals and 10 assists for 22 points.

Fleming was named the Most Valuable Player with the women’s crew program after completing her fourth year with the Lady Raptors. Fleming, who demonstrated her competitive nature and leadership throughout the year while battling knee pains, was a key contributor from the 2-seat as the Raptors had a strong race in the College Fours at the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta last fall. She sat the 6-seat when the Raptors won the bronze medal in the Varsity Eight at the Murphy Cup (March 29) and was the 2-seat for the bronze medal Varsity Four at the Clark University Invite (April 6). One of the last members of the Raptors’ first varsity season in the fall of 2004, Fleming was the 6-seat when Rutgers-Camden earned the first victory in program history, winning the Women’s Frosh/Novice Eight Division III Finals at the Knecht Cup on April 17, 2005.

England packed numerous honors into her freshman season at Rutgers-Camden, including Most Valuable Player recognition for both the women’s cross country team and the women’s outdoor track program. During the fall season, England earned New Jersey Athletic Conference Women’s Cross Country Rookie Runner of the Week honors on Sept. 10 after finishing 12th out of 94 runners in her first collegiate meet. Later in the season she earned All-NJAC Second Team honors after finishing ninth out of 46 runners at the conference championships. The times she posted at the NJAC meet and at the NCAA Atlantic Regionals were two of the top four 6K clockings in program history. After a brilliant indoor season in which she earned All-NJAC Honorable Mention on the Raptors’ record-setting distance medley team and add individual program marks at 3,000 meters, 5,000 meters and the mile, England came back to win outdoor track MVP honors. During the spring she earned All-NJAC Second Team honors at 5,000 meters and also competed at 1,500 and 10,000 meters. Academically, England earned a berth on the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s 2007 NCAA Division III Women’s All-Academic Cross Country Team.

Polite, a middle hitter, earned volleyball Most Valuable Player honors for the second straight season after leading the team in kills (89), total attacks (381) and blocks (28). Her kills were the ninth-highest single-season total in program history and her blocks tied for the seventh-highest total. A two-year member of the Lady Raptors’ program, Polite was an All-NJAC Second Team performer in 2006, when she led the team with 240 kills, 51 service aces and 111 blocks.

The Most Valuable Players for the men’s and women’s indoor track programs were Fox and Maldonado. Fox ran the leadoff leg as Rutgers-Camden won the 4x800 relay at the conference championships, earning All-NJAC First Team honors. He also earned NJAC Honorable Mention in the same meet, finishing third in the mile run. Overall, he set indoor program records at 800 and 3,000 meters, in addition to running on four record-setting relays: the 4x200, 4x400, 4x800 and distance medley. The stellar winter season was part of a fine year which saw Fox earn All-NJAC Second Team honors in cross country. He captured All-NJAC First Team honors, set a program record and ran a NCAA provisional qualifying time at 800 meters during the spring track season, virtually assuring himself a berth in the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships May 22-24.  He also ran on record-setting 4x800, 4x1500 and distance medley relay teams during the outdoor season.

Maldonado ran the second leg on the Lady Raptors’ distance medley relay team which finished third at the NJAC indoor meet in program-record time, earning her all-conference honorable mention. A few days later she broke her own indoor program record at 400 meters. In addition to those events, Maldonado competed in the 200-meter dash and the long jump during the indoor season. She also ran cross country in the fall and competed in the long jump and the 200- and 400-meter dashes during the outdoor track season.

Salamon joined England as an outdoor track Most Valuable Player. Salamon was a part of three record-setting relay teams this spring. He ran the first leg on both the distance medley and the 4x1500 record-setting teams. He also ran the anchor leg on the record-setting 4x800 team. Individually, Salamon earned All-New Jersey Athletic Conference Second Team honors with a second-place finish at 1,500 meters in the NJAC championships. Salamon’s outdoor season capped a stellar year which included All-NJAC Second Team cross country honors and All-NJAC First Team honors on both the 4x800 and distance medley teams during the winter season.

Blackwell earned women’s basketball Most Valuable Player honors after a banner year in which she led the Lady Raptors in rebounding (8.5 rpg) and finished tied for the scoring lead (11.4 ppg). She was a three-time New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week (Dec. 10, Jan. 21 and Feb. 18) and also earned a berth on the all-tourney team at the Hoops for Hounds Tournament Jan. 4-5. An unselfish player who switched to center during the season to solidify the Raptors’ defense, Blackwell had her biggest game Feb. 16 at Rowan University to help the Raptors rally from a 17-point first-half deficit to a 68-65 win. She notched career highs of 30 points and 19 rebounds in that game, while also shooting 12-for-12 from the foul line to set a program mark for the most free throws in one game with a perfect shooting percentage.

Banks captured Most Valuable Player honors for the men’s basketball program after leading the team in scoring (12.8 ppg) and earning All-New Jersey Athletic Conference recognition. Banks collected a team-high 60 three-pointers to tie for the seventh-highest single-season total of treys in program history. His three-point percentage of .432 was the sixth-highest single-season mark for anybody with a minimum of 50 attempts. He was named to a pair of all-tournament teams during the season, coming at the Days Inn East Blue Jay Classic (Nov. 16-17) and the Sheraton New Year’s Tournament (Jan. 4-5). He scored 21 points at Brooklyn College Dec. 1 to pass the 1,000-point barrier for his combined careers at Camden County College and Rutgers-Camden, and finished his junior season with 1,230 points.

Lihotz, a left-handed pitcher, was named the baseball team’s Most Valuable Player after tying for the club lead with nine starts, two wins, one shutout and one save. He had a team-high three complete games and was second on the team with 55 innings pitched. His four-hit shutout over Richard Stockton College April 3 was the first shutout by a Rutgers-Camden pitcher against a conference opponent since 2004. One of the team’s captains and the Raptors’ only four-year senior, Lihotz finished his career tied for eighth in pitching appearances (35), tied for ninth in saves (2), 10th in innings (152) and 15th in wins (8). He also served as the Co-Chair of Rutgers-Camden’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.