PITMAN – New Jersey City University student-athletes notched a then-program-record 45 Academic All-New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) selections in the 2020-21 season. This year, the Gothic Knights one-upped themselves as they reached new heights – NJCU landed an outstanding 54 student-athletes on the Academic All-NJAC squads, led by First Team selections junior Polina Agutina (Evaptoria, Ukraine/Number 6) of women's track & field and sophomore Nico Teynie (Rouen, France/Lycée Val de Seine) of men's tennis, as well as junior Giada Zorzan (Milan, Italy/Liceo dello Sport Marco Pantani) of women's tennis and senior Theo Bourghelle (Lesquin, France/LaSalle Lille) of men's tennis.
 
In order to be eligible for the Academic All-NJAC teams, a student-athlete must be a sophomore, junior or senior who has competed in a conference-sponsored sport while earning a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.20 over 24 credits at their respective institution. Freshmen and first-year transfers — with the exception of those from other NJAC schools — are not eligible. Each of the conference's 10 member institutions receive two First Team and two Second Team selections, as well.
 
The men's cross country and track & field program led the way for NJCU, nabbing 10 individual selections for the second year in a row. Baseball was right behind them with eight honorees, followed by the women's cross country and track & field and men's soccer programs and their seven selections each. The men's tennis and softball teams each picked up six Academic All-NJAC selections apiece, followed by women's volleyball with three. Men's volleyball and women's soccer each had two honorees, while men's and women's basketball each had one selection.
 
Polina Agutina (Evaptoria, Ukraine/Number 6)
A Second Team Academic All-NJAC selection in 2020-21, Agutina represented the Gothic Knights on the First Team this year. She is a two-time All-NJAC selection, placing second in the 2021 Outdoor Championships in the long jump (Second Team) and making history at the 2022 Indoor Championships this past season by winning the triple jump championship (First Team).
 
Nico Teynie (Rouen, France/Lycée Val de Seine)
Teynie, in his first season of Academic All-NJAC eligibility, was NJCU's other First Team honoree. He adds this to his two First Team All-NJAC accolades (singles and doubles), as well as being named NJCU Male Most Outstanding Athlete of the Year. He was also NJAC East Player of the Week on March 21 of this year.
 
Giada Zorzan (Milan, Italy/Liceo dello Sport Marco Pantani)
Zorzan has raked in the academic and athletic honors this season. A Second Team Academic All-NJAC selection, she had already been named to the CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) Academic All-District At-Large First Team. Zorzan also picked up First Team All-NJAC honors in both singles and doubles this season.
 
Theo Bourghelle (Lesquin, France/LaSalle Lille)
A 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team honoree and First Team All-District, Bourghelle adds this year's Second Team Academic All-NJAC honors to this year's First Team Academic All-District accolades. He was also selected First Team All-NJAC in both singles and doubles this season and was named NJCU's Male Thomas M. Gerrity Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
All of NJCU's 2021-22 Academic All-NJAC selections are listed below:
 
Men's Cross Country/Track & Field (10)
Emmanuel Chinonso Abarah (Irvington, N.J./Irvington) – Junior – Honorable Mention
Roger Campbell (Jersey City, N.J./Dickinson) – Senior – Honorable Mention
Adnan Kpodo (Irvington, N.J./Irvington) – Junior – Honorable Mention
Denilson Lopez (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) – Junior – Honorable Mention
Donald Luxama (Woodbridge, N.J./Woodbridge) – Junior – Honorable Mention
Jose Recinos (Union City, N.J./Union City) – Junior – Honorable Mention
Elvis Rosas (West New York, N.J./Memorial) – Sophomore – Honorable Mention
Topu Saha (Jersey City, N.J./William L. Dickinson) – Sophomore – Honorable Mention
Jake Sisk (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway) – Sophomore – Honorable Mention
Jaime Tlatelpa (Jersey City, N.J./University Academy Charter) – Junior – Honorable Mention
 
Baseball (8)
David Duran (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) – Sophomore – Honorable Mention
John Pudder (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) – Senior – Honorable Mention
Paul Tannucilli (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) – Senior – Honorable Mention
Jon Taylor (Englewood, N.J./Dwight Morrow) – Junior – Honorable Mention
Ricky Tuero (West New York, N.J./Memorial) – Sophomore – Honorable Mention
Jimmy Vizzoni (Hamilton, N.J./Trenton Catholic) – Junior – Honorable Mention
Ricky Voss (Eatontown, N.J./Monmouth Regional) – Senior – Honorable Mention
Stephon Waddell (Newark, N.J./Weequahic) – Junior – Honorable Mention
 
Women's Cross Country/Track & Field (7)
Polina Agutina (Evaptoria, Ukraine/Number 6) – Junior – First Team
April Gutierrez (Jersey City, N.J./Dickinson) – Senior – Honorable Mention
Jackeline Lopez (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) – Sophomore – Honorable Mention
Tiffany Ortiz (Jersey City, N.J./University Academy Charter) – Junior – Honorable Mention
Destiny Gittens (Newark, N.J./Newark Tech) – Junior – Honorable Mention
Annaliza Lagman (Jersey City, N.J./Ferris) – Senior – Honorable Mention
Shantel Worrell (Jersey City, N.J./Snyder) – Junior – Honorable Mention
 
Men's Soccer (7)
Samuel Ansah (East Orange, N.J./Newark Tech) – Senior – Honorable Mention
Julio Bernal (Paterson, N.J./John F. Kennedy) – Junior – Honorable Mention
Gabe Cruz (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) – Sophomore – Honorable Mention
Dylan Leon (Harrison, N.J./Passaic County Tech) – Sophomore – Honorable Mention
Nick Linebaugh (Linden, N.J./St. Benedict's Prep) – Senior – Honorable Mention
Peter Rosenthal (Montclair, N.J./Montclair) – Senior – Honorable Mention
Aytor Valdez (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) – Sophomore – Honorable Mention
 
Men's Tennis (6)
Nico Teynie (Rouen, France/Lycée Val de Seine) – Sophomore – First Team
Theo Bourghelle (Lesquin, France/LaSalle Lille) – Senior – Second Team
Jordi Julia (Barcelona, Spain/IES Sant Quirze del Valles) – Sophomore – Honorable Mention
Alejandro Ley (Las Palmas, Spain/I.E.S. Politécnico) – Sophomore – Honorable Mention
Gerard Loras (Tortosa, Spain/Col·legi Diocesà Sagrada Família) – Sophomore – Honorable Mention
Alex Platonov (Weehawken, N.J./Weehawken) – Senior – Honorable Mention
 
Softball (6)
Katherine Ayala (Jersey City, N.J./University Academy Charter) – Senior – Honorable Mention
Sidnie Dabbadie (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) – Sophomore – Honorable Mention
Emma Herrick (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) – Senior – Honorable Mention
Brianna Loughlin (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) – Senior – Honorable Mention
Sam Miller (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) – Sophomore – Honorable Mention
Mariah Villanueva (Jersey City, N.J./McNair Academic) – Sophomore – Honorable Mention
 
Women's Volleyball (3)
Krista Bartko (Edison, N.J./Edison) – Senior – Honorable Mention
Madeline Lopez (Elizabeth, N.J./Hudson Catholic) – Senior – Honorable Mention
Sydney Lore (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) – Sophomore – Honorable Mention
 
Men's Volleyball (2)
Kenneth Gil (North Bergen, N.J./North Bergen) – Sophomore – Honorable Mention
Aaron Mantilla (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) – Senior – Honorable Mention
 
Women's Soccer (2)
Victoria Gil (South River, N.J./South River) – Senior – Honorable Mention
Kathy Gutierrez (Jersey City, N.J./McNair Academic) – Senior – Honorable Mention
 
Men's Basketball (1)
Jayvin Irby (South Orange, N.J./The Patrick School) – Sophomore – Honorable Mention
 
Women's Basketball (1)
Janari Newsome (Newark, N.J./Technology) – Junior – Honorable Mention