May 16, 2025
RUTGERS PREP INSPIRING OUTCOMES
Dellapietro Field
Upper Gym
Softball and Baseball Fields
THE R.P.ESPYS
MAY 16, 2025
WELCOME
Ryan Klipstein Director of Athletic and Community Programming
HALL OF FAME
Anthony Brocoto ‘14
Nan Blecker P ‘99
DINNER
AWARDS
Team Honors
MVP and Coaches Awards
Scholar Athletes
JUNIOR COACHES’ CUP AWARDS
CLOSING
Steve Loy Head of School
RUTGERS PREP GREETING
It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to The Third Annual R.P.ESPYS.
We are very pleased to take this opportunity to celebrate the achievements of all our dedicated 2024-2025 student-athletes.
Thank you all!
This Celebration marks 73 years of honoring our student-athletes which began with The Sports Dinner, a tradition that was started by our late Athletic Director Richard “Oke” O’Connell, who invited athletes and their fathers to his fraternity house for a celebration.
The tradition continues with this Sports Awards Celebration which honors every Upper School student-athlete who has represented Rutgers Prep during the Fall, Winter, and Spring seasons.
We hope that you enjoy today’s celebration as we honor our current student-athletes and induct 1 special alumnus and 1 special RPS athletics supporter into the Rutgers Preparatory School Athletic Hall of Fame.
WELCOME TO RUTGERS PREPARATORY SCHOOL’S SPORTS
AWARDS CELEBRATION:
Steven A. Loy Head of School
Joseph E. Chodl Upper School Principal
Jennifer Bautista-Burk
Graig Domanski
Upper School Assistant Principals
Ryan Klipstein Director of Athletic and Community Programming
Larry Santowasso Director of Athletics
Mary Coyle Klinger Director of Complaince
Michael Lamb Assistant Director of Athletics
Susan Paterson
Tim Seminerio Athletic Trainers
Distinguished Coaches
Upper School Athletes
PAVER CAMPAIGN
ARGONAUT LEGACY PATH
Join alumni, parents, faculty and friends in supporting Rutgers Prep athletics by personalizing a paver in the Argonaut Legacy Path. Your inscription will forever connect you to the athletic community at Rutgers Prep.
The Path and Ramallo Pavilion is a gathering place and welcoming entrance to the Dellapietro Field. The renovation of this space created a landscaped plaza, a sheltered area for relief from rain and sun, restroom facilities, and a pleasant environment for campus enjoyment.
Our paver campaign provides a unique opportunity to support the enhancement and additions to Rutgers Prep athletic facilities while dedicating an inscription:
• Honor your favorite Argonaut athlete
• Memorialize a loved one
• Recognize a coach or team member
• Pay tribute to a special athletic event
• Celebrate a specific team
• Share an inspirational quote
Reserve your paver by contacting Susan Gantz at 732-545-5600, extension 222 –via email at gantz@rutgersprep.org – or by visiting the Rutgers Prep website.
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARDS
RUTGERS PREPARATORY SCHOOL
IS A PROUD MEMBER OF
• National Girls and Women in Sports – NGAWS
• New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association – NJSIAA
• Somerset County Interscholastic Athletic Association – SCIAA
• Skyland Conference
• New Jersey Independent School Athletic Association – NJISAA
RUTGERS PREP IS HONORED TO HAVE THE FOLLOWING STUDENT-ATHLETES RECOGNIZED AS SCHOLAR-ATHLETES FOR THEIR WORK IN THE CLASSROOM, IN THE ATHLETIC ARENA, AND BEYOND.
NGAWS Scholar Athlete
ELLIE ROBERTSON
NJSIAA Scholar Athlete
ZACHARY MORRISON
SCIAA Scholar Athletes
ADDISON HALPERN
CHRIS PATEL
Skyland Scholar Athletes
MYLES PARKER
ARIANNA PEART
NJISAA Scholar Athlete Nominees
MACLAINE PRIESING
BRIELLE BAKER
RUTGERS PREP ANNUAL AWARDS
RON JACKOWITZ SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
In 1956-1957, Dick O’Connell coached a great basketball player at Rutgers Prep, Ron Jackowitz. He went on to star at Upsala College where he had a great college career and met his future wife Jackie Christiansen. While at Upsala, Jackowitz found working with young players on their basketball skills in the recreation leagues and at O’Connell’s summer camp very rewarding.
Six months after graduating from Upsala in June 1961, Jackowitz was drafted into the army and sent to Fort Dix in New Jersey where he played on the base’s Armed Forces League basketball team. He was then sent to Fort Hood in Texas as a recreation specialist to work with young drafted soldiers and the children of army personnel, where he also enjoyed working with young people in basketball, at the swimming pool, and other recreational areas.
After his time in the army, Jackowitz visited O’Connell at Rutgers Prep. O’Connell remembered Jackowitz’s playing days at Rutgers Prep - getting RPS the lead in the first half and then scoring less in the second half while passing to his teammates for them to score. Jackowitz wound up the top scorer in Middlesex County and the leader in assists. He truly was a sportsman and a good teammate which were very important to him. Now, the Ron Jackowitz Sportsmanship Award is presented annually to a member of the boys basketball team who displays those great traits.
PEGEEN O’CONNELL SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Some years ago, Pegeen O’Connell was asked if she had been an athlete when she was young. She replied that there were no sports for girls at Atlantic City High School, but that no one had cheered at as many games as she had at Rutgers Prep. Retired athletic director Dick O’Connell related that his late wife Pegeen attended more than half the games that he coached at Rutgers Prep and most of the home games of their four children, all graduates of Rutgers Preparatory School.
Some years ago Ron Jackowitz suggested to O’Connell that Rutgers Prep needed a sportsmanship award whose recipient would be a member of the Rutgers Prep girls basketball team. He agreed to fund the award if it was presented in honor of Pegeen. The Pegeen O’Connell Sportsmanship Award is now presented annually at the Sports Awards Celebration.
JACK MORTON AWARD
This award, given to the most improved swimmer, was started in 1970 by Jack Morton, father of Mac Morton, who held the 50 free record at Rutgers Prep from 1970 until a couple of years ago when it was broken by Kevin Hong. Mac was the most valuable player each of his four years on the RPS swimming team.
ROBERT DOUGHERTY IRONMAN AWARD
The Robert Dougherty Ironman Award is given in memory of Robert Dougherty, a teacher, a coach, and a friend of Rutgers Preparatory School, who died in 2002 after a courageous battle with cancer. The Ironman recipient is a member of the wrestling team who demonstrates courage, toughness, determination, and honor – all qualities that Bob instilled in all of his wrestlers.
JUNIOR COACHES’ CUP AWARDS
The Junior Coaches’ Cup Awards are presented annually to a male and a female student-athlete in the junior class who have had a significant positive impact on the overall athletic program at Rutgers Preparatory School. The recipients of the Coaches' Cup, as selected by the varsity head coaches, have demonstrated distinguished athletic achievement, leadership, and sportsmanship in their chosen sports at Rutgers Prep.
12-LETTER AWARDS
Twelve-Letter Awards are presented annually to those student-athletes in the Rutgers Prep senior class who have earned a varsity letter during the fall, winter, and spring seasons of each of his/her four years at Rutgers Preparatory School.
THE RAYMOND HAYES McGOVERN PRIZE
The Raymond Hayes McGovern Prize is awarded annually to the outstanding scholar athlete, who embodies the highest standards of leadership and character. It celebrates success in academics and athletics. This prize is presented at Honors Convocation.
RUTGERS PREP TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
CONGRATULATIONS TO:
FALL SEASON
GIRLS SOCCER
NJISAA State Championship
Skyland Conference Division Champions
Somerset County Champions
Non-Public B South Sectional Champions
Non-Public B State Champions
VOLLEYBALL
Non-Public B South Sectional Champions
WINTER SEASON
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Skyland Conference Division Champions
SPRING SEASON
BASEBALL
Skyland Conference Division
BOYS TENNIS
Skyland Conference Division
COACHES
FALL
CROSS COUNTRY
Philomena Loy
Dave Wise
Mark Nastus
Liz Mulvey
Alyssa Applebaum
Ben Hawkins
SOCCER
BOYS
Joe Laureti
Roger Krikorian
Greg Taggart
Nick Cruz
GIRLS
Jim Buchanan
David Byrne
Eric Halpern
Matt Beaglehole
GIRLS TENNIS
Courtney Smith
Gary Miller
Jon Dungo
VOLLEYBALL
Gary Preston
Leah Hansford
Katerina Culhane
Daa’iyah Harris
WINTER
BASKETBALL
BOYS
Matt Bloom
Will Abrams
Hamzah Ghani
Dante Walker
GIRLS
Mary Klinger
Michelle Sharp
Daa’iyah Harris
SWIMMING
Brogan Lee
Kevin Hong
Patria Sullivan
Charlie Dragon
WRESTLING
Mike Lamb
Elliot Simon
Derrick Laurion
SPRING
BASEBALL
Larry Santowasso
Mark Nastus
Dave Hameier
Phil Biondolillo
Pete D’Agostino
GOLF
Geoff Loose
Rob Kuchar
Mark Tyree LACROSSE
BOYS
Ryan Klipstein
David Klipstein
Jason Kokoszka
Bill Tharp
GIRLS
Liz Mulvey
Emily Hopkins
Julianna Lupo
SOFTBALL
Carli Perruso
Derrick Laurion
Sherree Hoskins BOYS TENNIS
Courtney Smith
Gary Miller
Jon Dungo