EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com)...New Jersey City University held its 2010 Commencement ceremonies on Wednesday, May 12 at the IZOD Center and among the 1,512 undergraduate and graduate students to receive their degrees were 29 former Gothic Knight student-athletes, including several who were among the best to ever play their sport at the University.
Overall, 14 athletics programs offered at NJCU had at least one graduate and three of the graduates served as assistant coaches of their former programs during the 2009-10 season.
Three-time First-Team All-New Jersey Athletic Conference standout men's soccer forward CRISTIAN ACUNA (East Newark, NJ/Harrison), the 2007 NJAC Offensive Player of the Year as a junior, and a current assistant coach with the program, was among the NJCU graduates, earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Professional Studies. Acuna had one of the greatest careers of any NJCU soccer star, finishing his four seasons for the Gothic Knights as the school's all-time leader in assists (35), second all-time in points (107) and third in total goals (36).
EBONY BARNES (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth), the 2008-09 NJAC Women's Indoor Track and Field Most Outstanding Female Track Athlete of the Year graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. Barnes was among the most decorated track athletes in school history, completing her career as a five-time First-Team All-American between the indoor and outdoor seasons.
KEVIN RODGERS (Clifton, NJ/Clifton), who just completed his first season as assistant men's volleyball coach at NJCU in 2010, was one of the top players in program history. Rodgers, who earned a degree in Business Administration/Marketing, was an All-NECVA Metro Division performer during his career and one of only two players in program history to have more than 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs. He is No. 2 in school history with 1,297 kills and third in digs with 1,014.
Also graduating from the men's volleyball team was all-time great setter MAURICE WASHINGTON (Orlando, FL/Edgewater (FL). Washington officially graduated in 2009. He was a four-year team captain and a First-Team All-NECVA conference selection, while achieving all-time program records with 4,631 assists and 200 service aces. He also was a former NJCU student body president with the Student Government Organization.
GLORINELL PEREZ (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) and SARAH TORRES (Elizabeth, NJ/Science), who were both standout sophomores in the Fall of 2005 when the Gothic Knights won their first NJAC women's volleyball championship, and LYANELLY NEGRON (Union, NJ/Union), a rookie on the NJAC championship squad, were among the graduates. Perez is NJCU's all-time leader with 2073 digs and third in career aces with 234. Negron is third on the all-time digs list with 1,348 and Torres, who served as an assistant coach in 2009, is fourth in school history with 961 kills.
Former First-Team All-NJAC center midfielder JOHAN GONZALEZ (Clifton, NJ/Clifton), the previous school record holder with 31 assists also graduated.
Other standout All-NJAC student-athletes who became alumni include goalkeeper BRUCE NEVES (Newark, NJ/Hudson Catholic) and forward MARCELO CARPIO (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) from the men's soccer team, women's soccer defender JESSICA IRIZARRY (Perth Amboy, NJ/Perth Amboy), softball pitcher/first baseman LACEY SKOWRONSKI (Bayonne, NJ/Holy Family Academy) and men's basketball forward MARQUES HILL (Hillside, NJ/Hillside).
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
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2010 NJCU GRADUATING STUDENT-ATHLETES (29)
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FIRST NAME
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LAST NAME
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SPORT
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Hometown
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Cristhian
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Acuna
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Men's Soccer
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East Newark, NJ
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Whitney
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Awaru
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Women's Cross Country/Indoor/Outdoor Track and Field
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Fort Lee, NJ
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Ebony
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Barnes
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Women's Cross Country/Indoor/Outdoor Track and Field
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Elizabeth, NJ
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Marcelo
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Carpio *
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Men's Soccer
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Clifton, NJ
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Jennifer
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Carvalho
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Women's Volleyball
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Rahway, NJ
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Anthony
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Castagna
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Men's Indoor/Outdoor Track and Field
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Jersey City, NJ
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Natashia
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Clackley *
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Women's Basketball
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Long Branch, NJ
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Andrea
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Delucrezia
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Softball
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Belleville, NJ
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Gregory
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Epstein
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Men's Soccer
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Monroe Township, NJ
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Miguel
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Fontán
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Men's Soccer
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Lyndhurst, NJ
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Julio
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Garcia *
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Men's Soccer
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West New York, NJ
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Johan
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Gonzalez
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Men's Soccer
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Clifton, NJ
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Christen
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Hall
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Softball
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East Rutherford, NJ
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Marques
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Hill
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Men's Basketball
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Hillside, NJ
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Kyle
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Ingram
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Men's Basketball
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Sicklerville, NJ
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Jessica
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Irizarry
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Women's Soccer
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Perth Amboy, NJ
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Melissa
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Loo
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Women's Volleyball
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Rutherford, NJ
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Anthony
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Mackow
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Baseball
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Bayonne, NJ
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David
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Miranda
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Men's Cross Country/Indoor/Outdoor Track and Field
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Jersey City, NJ
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Lyanelly
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Negron
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Women's Volleyball
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Union, NJ
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Bruce
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Neves *
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Men's Soccer
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Newark, NJ
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Glorinell
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Perez
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Women's Volleyball
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Elizabeth, NJ
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Kevin
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Rodgers
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Men's Volleyball
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Clifton, NJ
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Leroy
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Sequeira
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Men's Soccer
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Newark, NJ
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Lacey
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Skowronski *
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Softball
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Bayonne, NJ
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Vanessa
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Solares
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Softball
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Palisades Park, NJ
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Sarah
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Torres
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Women's Volleyball
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Elizabeth, NJ
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Maurice
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Washington *
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Men's Volleyball
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Orlando, FL
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Chris
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Williams
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Baseball
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Carteret, NJ
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* = Class of 2009; honored at 2010 Commencement
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