JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University's department of intercollegiate athletics celebrated its senior class and honored multiple award winners during its 2016 athletics awards banquet on April 26. It is the second year the event has been held under its newly reintroduced format.
 
NJCU Director of Athletics Alice De Fazio served as the master of ceremonies and NJCU President Dr. Sue Henderson and Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Demond Hargrove both were among the guest speakers at the two-hour celebration held in the Gilligan Student Union Building's multipurpose room.
 
Senior power forward Chinwe Wosu (Jersey City, N.J./University Academy Charter) of the men's basketball team was the evening's top winner, taking home the prestigious Thomas M. Gerrity Scholar-Athletes of the Year award. The New Jersey Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year became the second NJCU men's basketball player to claim the honor and the first since 1991-92 in the second year of the award's existence.
 
The Presidential Academic Achievement Award, formerly known as the Gothic Knight Academic Achievement Award, was bestowed upon senior women's soccer senior goalkeeper Cassie Lubonski (Edison, N.J./Edison) and men's volleyball senior outside hitter Sheldon Coure (Redondo Beach, Calif./Redondo Union (Calif.). Lubonski claimed the award for the second straight season with a 3.99 grade point average while Coure, last year's men's Thomas M. Gerrity Scholar-Athlete of the Year, earned his first Presidential Academic Achievement Award with a 3.73 GPA.
 
The Presidential Team Academic Achievement Award went to the women's bowling team for the 11th time in the 12-year history of the award. With a 3.395 cumulative team GPA, bowling edged the women's volleyball team (3.338) for the accolade. Two other teams—women's soccer (3.118) and men's volleyball (3.080)—had GPAs better than 3.0.
 
Memorial leadership awards were presented to two student-athletes. The Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Award, presented by NJCU Athletics Hall of Famer Dave Malefsky, `78, went to sophomore forward/midfielder Laura Bustamante (Rockaway, N.J./Butler) of the women's soccer team.
 
The Dennis N. Goodson Memorial Basketball Award was bestowed upon senior shooting guard David Cole (Avenel, N.J./Colonia) of the men's basketball team, who battled through multiple knee injuries during his career to leave a mark on the program. The award was presented by retired men's basketball coaching icon Charlie Brown, `65 (M.A. `85), who coached Goodson.
 
The second annual Rising Knight Award, presented to the Gothic Knight student athlete who endured adversity and persevered to achieve academic success, was presented to senior Jeremiah Williams (Jersey City, N.J./Snyder) of the men's golf team, whose expression of genuine shock when his name was announced was one of the heart-warming moments of the evening.
 
Sarah Ambrose-Roman, `03 (New Providence, N.J.), the Executive Assistant to the Dean of the William J. Maxwell College of Arts and Sciences was chosen as the 2015-16 winner of the James J. Kearns Memorial Athletic Appreciation Award, which goes to a member of the University community for outstanding continued contributions to the NJCU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
 
For the third time, NJCU presented the Faculty Knights Award to a member of the faculty for their support and commitment to Gothic Knight student athletes. Dr. Antoinette Ellis-Williams (Newark, N.J.), a professor of Women's and Gender Studies, was this year's recipient. Women's soccer junior midfielder Kaydee Murphy (Bayonne, N.J./Holy Family Academy) spoke on behalf of her professor.
 
In a new addition to the program, the senior response came from Gothic Knight baseball all-time hits king and team captain Andrew Niech (Avenel, N.J./Colonia).
 
Throughout the evening head coaches in all 12 intercollegiate sports programs honored the 20 seniors who completed their eligibility during the 2015-16 academic year.  
The 2015-16 winners:
 
Thomas M. Gerrity Scholar-Athletes of the Year
Chinwe Wosu (Men's Basketball
 
Presidential Academic Achievement Award (individuals)
Cassie Lubonski (Women's Soccer)
Sheldon Coure (Men's Volleyball)
 
Presidential Academic Achievement Award (team)
Women's Bowling
 
Rising Knight Award
Jeremiah Williams (Men's Golf)
 
The Dennis N. Goodson Memorial Basketball Award
David Cole (Men's Basketball)
 
The Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Award
Laura Bustamante (Women's Soccer)
 
James J. Kearns Athletic Appreciation Award
Sarah Ambrose-Roman (Executive Assistant to the Dean of the William J. Maxwell College of Arts and Sciences)
 
Faculty Knights Award
Dr. Antoinette Ellis-Williams (Professor, Women's and Gender Studies)
 
Senior Student-Athletes
 
Baseball
Andrew Niech ⁴ 
                                   
Men's Basketball
David Cole ⁴     
Khalid Muhammad ⁴      
Chinwe Wosu   
 
Women's Basketball
Deseree Johnson ⁴                                
                       
Women's Bowling
Melissa Nolan
                                                           
Men's Golf
Jeremiah Williams ⁴
                       
Men's Soccer
Tyler Krychkowski ⁴       
Nicholas O'Neill ⁴          
Christopher Segovia ⁴                           
 
Women's Soccer
Cassie Lubonski
                       
Softball
Thalia Garcia ⁴
Deseree Johnson
Jayla Lee Vega
 
Men's Volleyball
Raymel Castro ⁴
Sheldon Coure
Ivan Prensa
Kendall Tribbett ⁴
Daque Wilcox ⁴
           
Women's Volleyball
Valerie Ballestas
           
⁴ denotes four-year letter-winner in that sport