A Rising Power
In the Big Ten

Ashley Canty, Gabrielle Farquharson, ND Kamari Talley

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Ashley Canty, top, garnered NJAC’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Year. Gabrielle Farquharson, right, has qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials. And Kamari Talley, left, was named the NJAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year.

Photography: 
Nick Romanenko; Scott R. Galvin

In a season like no other in its 99-year history, the Scarlet Knights men’s lacrosse team made it to the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament, losing to number-three Maryland, 14–8. The team, which went 11-5 overall and was undefeated at home (for only the fifth time), was led by Scott Bieda RBS’16 and junior Jules Heningburg, who were named First Team All-Big Ten. Bieda was also the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Adam Charalambides the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, head coach Brian Brecht the Big Ten Coach of the Year, and Zack Sikora ENG’16 an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten.

The Maryland Terrapins, ranked number one, also beat the Scarlet Knights women’s lacrosse team, 19–9, in the Big Ten semifinals, after Rutgers had gone 6-12 during the regular season.

Fast Company

The 2016 Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships saw titles for Scarlet Knights track and field athletes. In a repeat performance, Gabrielle Farquharson SAS’15, SSW’16 won the 200m event; Big Ten Indoor Track Athlete and Freshman of the Year Izaiah Brown took the 400m; and graduate student Corey Crawford, named to his third First Team All-American, won the long jump.

Farquharson qualified for the  U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials after taking first place in the long jump at the Seminole Invitational  in April—tops in the Big Ten and nationally this year (she later finished third at the Big Ten Championships in this event). At the Penn Relays, she also broke her own 100m record, one of four she holds at Rutgers. For her efforts, Rutgers bestowed two prominent athlete of the year awards upon Farquharson, who, among other honors, was a four-time All-American, most valuable player, and team  captain.

Mat Finish

In its most successful season, the Scarlet Knights wrestling team sent all 10 weight classes to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Championships for the first time and took fifth place at the 2016 Big Ten Championships. Red-shirt junior Anthony Ashnault became Rutgers’ first Big Ten Champion. Rutgers, 16-5, closed the season ranked number 10 and had two All-Americans (Ashnault and Anthony Perrotti SAS’16).

Threepeat at
Rutgers–Newark

Achieving its third 20-win season in the last four years, Rutgers University–Newark men’s basketball, 20-8, made it to the conference semifinals. During the season, three Scarlet Raiders reached 1,000 points: forwards senior David Azoroh and Jordan McDaniel NCAS’16 and guard John Snow NCAS’16.

Rutgers–Newark women’s track and field senior Ashley Canty, record-holder in the shot put and weight throw, was named 2016 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Indoor Field Athlete of the Year.

With multiple winning streaks and victories over nationally ranked opponents, the sixth-ranked Rutgers–Newark men’s volleyball team, 24-4, appeared in their conference title game and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III Championships. Kevin McCandless NCAS’16 became the first player in Rutgers–Newark history to receive the NCAA’s ELITE 90 award, which recognizes outstanding student- athletes.

Basketball Rebounds
At Rutgers–Camden

Rutgers University–Camden women’s basketball had its best season in 13 years, going 15-11, and was led by guard/forward Kamari Talley CCAS’16, who, among other honors, was the NJAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year. Talley registered 20 double-doubles in 23 games and achieved a single-game program record of 30 rebounds.

Building a Winner

The R Big Ten Build targeted campaign to raise $100 million to build or upgrade athletic facilities for the Scarlet Knights teams got off to a great start when all the head coaches of the Big Ten squads and many athletic administrators at Rutgers University–New Brunswick followed the lead of athletic director Patrick E. Hobbs and made a donation.