Athletics
Athletics
Soccer Team Flamengo Thankful for Stockton’s ‘Magic Grass’
The president of CR Flamengo, the most popular soccer team in Brazil, reached down and touched the grass field at Stockton University’s G. Larry James Stadium.
“We joked with the people here. They said that this is the magic grass, the grama mágica,” Luiz Eduardo Baptista said during a visit on June 22. “And since superstition is a part of football, it’s worked really well for us so far, so let’s keep it that way.”
Flamengo has been one of the biggest success stories of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, winning both of its games in Philadelphia to become the first team to win its group and clinch a spot in the knockout round. All while the Rubro Negro (the Red and Black) practiced at Stockton’s Galloway Township campus from June 12-23.
Flamengo selected Stockton in large part due to its Bermuda grass field, installed by Hammonton’s Tuckahoe Turf Farm, which also installed the grass at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia for the tournament. Flamengo defeated Esperance Sportive de Tunis 2-0 on June 16 and Chelsea FC 3-1 on June 20, 2025. The team played its last game of the first round against Major League Soccer’s LAFC on June 24, in Orlando, Florida.
“I think we developed an unbelievable partnership with Flamengo,” said Jeff Haines, Stockton’s associate director of Athletics and Recreation.
“The thing that stood out for me is that their coach (Filipe Luís) and their administration and logistics manager (Gabriel Skinner) were very respectful of Stockton’s field, very respectful of our staff and the University,” Haines said. “They were very appreciative of all the time and effort that we gave to them. They wanted to go somewhere where they felt welcomed, and they liked the fact that no one was hounding them for autographs and photos.”
Haines, who was instrumental in bringing the team to Stockton, thanked his co-workers in Athletics and the University’s police department and grounds crew for creating a safe and welcoming environment for Flamengo.
Kass Finishes Sixth & Earns Third All-America Nod at Indoor Championships
Stockton junior Kayla Kass of Bayonne became an All-American for the third time in her career by finishing sixth in the final of the 800-meter run at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships. Kass qualified as a USTFCCCA First Team All-American by finishing in the top eight.
Kass broke her own school record with a time of 2:10.71. The junior sat in sixth place through the first 400 meters but dropped to eighth at the 600-meter mark. Kass then moved back into sixth by running the last 200 meters in 34.44 seconds, which was the third fastest final lap out of eight runners in the race.
The sixth-place finish tied the best ever by a Stockton female in a track event at the NCAA Championships. Alicia Belko (3,000-meter steeplechase) and Cassandra Hrusko (1,500 meters) each finished sixth in their event at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Kass has now qualified for All-American status three times (2024–25 indoor 800m, 2024 outdoor 800m), becoming the fourth Osprey woman to earn at least three All-American honors in track and field (joining Kim Marino, Lisa Shepherd and Chelsea Vaughan), and the first to do so in running events.
Stockton Records Best Finish Ever at NCAA Cross-Country Regionals
The men’s cross-country team recorded the program’s best finish ever at an NCAA regional meet, placing sixth out of 26 squads in the NCAA Region V (Metro) race. Running on their home course, three Ospreys finished in the top 50 out of 186 runners.
Erik Ackerman earned a berth in the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships by placing 10th with a time of 25:07.1 for 8K, the second-best of his Stockton career. Ackerman became Stockton’s third two-time male NCAA qualifier, joining Randy Wetzel (2000, 2002) and Abad Akhtar (2009-10).
Josh Corsentino finished 44th with a time of 26:27.0, followed by Dan Squicciarini just over a second later in a personal-best 26:28.3 for 46th place.
Dalton Culleny also produced a personal best by running 26:56.7 for 60th place. Culleny finished strong, moving up seven spots in the last 1.7 kilometers. Freshman Dan Mine rounded out Stockton’s five scoring runners in 72nd place with a time of 27:17.9.
Tramp Becomes Stockton’s First Softball All-American
Stockton senior Nerina Tramp made history by becoming the University’s first softball All-American with her selection to the NFCA All-America Third Team by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Stockton Athletics now has at least one All-American in 14 of its 19 intercollegiate sports.
The All-America honor capped a senior year in which Tramp was named NJAC Pitcher of the Year, NFCA Region IV First Team, NJAC First Team and College Sports Communicators Academic All-District, as well as a two-time NJAC Pitcher of the Week. She led the Ospreys to a 26-15 record and a tie for third place in the NJAC standings.
Tramp was one of the top pitchers in the nation this spring, ranking in the top 30 in NCAA Division III in eight categories. She finished third in WHIP (0.74), sixth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (9.19), 11th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.34), 14th in complete games (20), 16th in ERA (1.23), 17th in shutouts (7) and walks allowed per seven innings (0.82), and 29th in strikeouts (147).
Tramp led the NJAC in strikeouts and opponents’ batting average (.174), tied for the league lead in innings pitched (137) and ranked third in ERA and fourth in wins (14). Her seven shutouts equaled the second-highest total in program history, while her 14 wins tied for fourth and her 147 strikeouts ranked fifth.
Tramp concluded her outstanding career ranked second in Stockton history in strikeouts (454), wins (46) and ERA (1.53); third in innings pitched (442.1); tied for third in shutouts (16); and sixth in appearances (81).
Stockton Athletics Inducts Hall of Fame Class of 2024
Stockton Athletics inducted its Hall of Fame Class of 2024 at a banquet held in the Campus Center Event Room on Oct. 18, 2024. The inductees were softball player Joey Afflitto ’12, track & field and cross country runners Alicia Belko ’17 and Cassandra Hrusko ’17, and men’s soccer coach Tim Lenahan ’83.
Approximately 150 people attended the dinner, which was part of Stockton’s University Weekend celebration. The ceremony was the 13th for the Stockton Athletics Hall of Fame, which was founded in 2010 and now includes 52 individuals and seven Osprey teams.
Belko was the first honoree to the podium following an introduction by Jayson Resch, head men’s track & field and cross country coach. She is the only cross country All-American in Stockton history and earned All-America status in the 3,000-meter steeplechase during the 2017 outdoor track & field season.
Afflitto was introduced by her Stockton coach, Val Julien. “Feeling blessed is an understatement,” Afflitto said regarding the emotions of the night. The two-time NFCA All-Region and three-time NJAC All-Conference player added, “Stockton softball has forever changed my life.”
Hrusko was introduced by Resch after dinner and mentioned several meaningful connections. She was coached in high school by Resch’s father, Thomas, who was in attendance. Hrusko also received the Tara Barker Scholarship, named for the Hall of Fame softball player who passed away from cancer, and she met Barker’s parents at the banquet.
Lenahan, the final inductee of the night, was introduced by Jeff Haines, associate athletic director, who was hired by Lenahan as an assistant men’s soccer coach at Stockton and later succeeded him as head coach of the Ospreys.
Lenahan was a three-time NJAC Coach of the Year at Stockton, his alma mater. He went on to win two Patriot League titles as head coach at Lafayette College and record nine NCAA Tournament berths in 20 seasons at Northwestern University.
He called Stockton’s 3-0 victory at Rowan in the 1995 NCAA Tournament the most special win of his career. The triumph was Stockton’s first-ever over the rival Profs. “Stockton means so much to me,” Lenahan said. “No matter where I went in the country, I’ve always been just a Division III guy from Stockton.”
Roura Named NJAC Goaltender of the Year; Four Voted All-Conference
Erika Roura
Four Stockton field hockey players received NJAC postseason honors for the 2024 season. The group led the Ospreys to a 10-9 record and an NJAC Tournament berth.
Junior Erika Roura was selected NJAC Goaltender of the Year, becoming the third player in program history to earn the award, joining Emily Gilligan (2018) and Caitlin Nolan (2005).
Roura was also voted NJAC First Team along with junior Kirsten Bailey and seniors Carlee Thompson and Ameera Bilgrami. Bailey and Thompson collected First Team recognition for the second straight year, while Bilgrami and Roura earned their first career all-conference honors.
Roura had an outstanding first season at Stockton after transferring from Ramapo. She posted a 1.85 goals-against average, which ranked fourth in the NJAC, and a .770 save percentage, second in the league. Her five shutouts ranked fourth in the conference and tied for the second-highest single-season total in Stockton history.
Nitti Breaks Hit Record
Jordan Nitti etched his name atop Stockton’s baseball record book April 10, 2025, becoming the program’s all-time hits leader during an NJAC doubleheader split against The College of New Jersey at Trenton Thunder Ballpark.
Nitti, a senior from Hamilton, tallied his 193rd career hit in the nightcap, surpassing the previous record of 192 set by Matt Allen (2007-10). Nitti entered the day with 190 hits and recorded three across the two games.
Stockton opened the twin bill with a 4-2 victory before falling 12-4 in the second game. Despite the loss, Nitti provided a highlight, tying the hits record with a single in the second inning and breaking it with another base hit in the fourth.
Stockton AD Berich Appointed to NCAA Division III Management Council
Tony Berich
Tony Berich, executive director of Athletics and Campus Recreation, was appointed to serve on the NCAA Division III Management Council. Berich’s appointment followed the NCAA Convention, which took place in Nashville from Jan. 14–17.
The Management Council reports directly to the Presidents Council and oversees the implementation of policies adopted by the association’s Board of Governors and Division III Presidents Council. The body consists of 21 Division III athletic administrators and two student-athletes.
Berich’s term on the Management Council runs through January 2028. He joins Russell Rogers, assistant vice president and director of Athletics and Recreation at Stevens Institute of Technology, as representatives from New Jersey institutions.
Berich, now in his fourth year leading Stockton’s Office of Athletics and Campus Recreation, brings 28 years of experience in college athletics, including 17 years as an athletic director.
He previously served on the NCAA Division II Golf Committee (2006–08), the NCAA Division III Golf Committee (2012–16), including two years as national chair (2014–16), and the NCAA Division III Rowing Committee (2022–24).
Men’s Rowing Team Finishes Fall Season with Historic Weekend
The Stockton men’s rowing team capped its 2024 fall season with a historic performance at two regattas last November.
The club brought home its first gold medal in program history at the Philadelphia Frostbite Regatta, winning the Novice 4 race over NCAA Division I schools in Binghamton, Maryland, Stony Brook and Lafayette. Stockton also earned two second-place finishes and a third-place result.
The 16-member team followed that success with a gold-medal sweep of all four collegiate events at the Bill Braxton Memorial Regatta. One of those victories came in the regatta’s most prestigious race — the Men’s Collegiate Varsity 4 — to claim the Bill Braxton Memorial Cup. Both regattas were held at Mercer County Park in West Windsor.
“I’m very proud of our athletes and the time, dedication and work that they put in,” Coach Joe Maguire said. “Their success is really a payoff for all the effort they’ve given. It’s great to see them overcome so many obstacles to have a successful weekend like this.”
Three months earlier, Christopher Faas had never stepped into a rowing shell.
“I had no idea how to row, where to put my oar, what I was supposed to do,” said the first-year member of the Novice 4 boat that won twice that weekend. “But it’s like natural instinct now.”
Faas, along with Matthew Hough, Vincent Perno, Trenton Holden, and Steve Coyle, won the Novice 4 race at the Frostbite Regatta in 7 minutes, 55.72 seconds — nearly 15 seconds ahead of second-place Binghamton. The same crew went on to defeat Binghamton again at the Bill Braxton Regatta in 8 minutes, 3.72 seconds.
Faas, a former Freehold Boro High School football player, said he was looking for a way to feed his competitive drive when he arrived at Stockton. After his first fall rowing season, he’s hooked.
