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2017-18 Highlights Video

Interviews on the Red Carpet

NEWARK, NJ—NJIT Athletics recognized the contributions and accomplishments of over 340 student-athletes on its 19 varsity teams for the 2017-18 season at the athletic awards banquet on Wednesday, May 2, on campus inside the Wellness and Events Center.

The athletic sports banquet and awards ceremony was a fun-filled night designed to honor the NJIT Highlander teams for all of their hard work on and off the field during the 2017-18 athletic year.

Most Outstanding Player by sport awards along with Athletic Training, Best Dressed and Best Game Face Awards, Community Service, Highlander Academic and Senior Awards were given out over the course of the evening. 

There was also sport videos featuring the 2017-18 NJIT Highlander student-athletes in action.
 
The evening was capped with the announcements of the 2017-18 Male and Female Athletes of the Year, as well as the Male and Female Newcomers of the Year.

Senior men's soccer player Mamadou Guirassy was honored as Male Athlete of the Year, while women's fencer Julia Garcia, was named Female Athlete of the Year.

Men's Volleyball Alvaro Gimeno earned Male Newcomer of the Year and women's soccer Yasmeen Malik was honored as Female Newcomer of the Year.

Community Service Award: Men's and Women's Cross Country & Track and Field

Fan of the Year: Terry McGuckin

Joseph M. Fitzgerald Memorial Award (junior w/ highest GPA): Reilly Walsh (MBB) and Shannon Turner (W Track and Field)

Male Athlete of the Year | Mamadou Guirassy
Guirassy capped off his record setting season as the senior was drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 Major Soccer League SuperDraft by the Portland Timbers.

He became the first NJIT athlete to earn Senior CLASS Award recognition during his senior campaign.

The 6-foot- 1 forward from Paris, France completed his four-year collegiate career at NJIT earning: NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Golden Book Award for most goals in the nation, ASUN Player of the Year, ASUN first-team honors, Division I All-Southeast Region first-team and Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division I Men's Soccer first-team.

He concludes his career at NJIT as the Division I all-time leading scorer and point leader. His 26 goals ranks first in the Division I era and tied for fifth all-time while his 58 points ranks first in the D1 era and eighth all-time.

His 16 goals and 34 points in 2017 is an NJIT Division I single season record.
 

Female Athlete of the Year | Julia Garcia
Garcia recorded a 12th place finish at the 2018 NCAA Championships, earning All-American honors for the second time in her career at NJIT.

A four-year member of the NJIT women's fencing team, she has been named to the Dean's List every semester and has held a 4.0 GPA in five-out- of-seven semesters at NJIT.

The senior from Madrid, Spain, is a Business Management major, with a concentration in Finance and minor in Web and Information Systems.

She is the Founder and President of the NJIT Investment Club, instrumental in getting the business school to acquire and use the Bloomberg Finance terminals, launched a student-managed investment fund and is a member of the CFA Research Challenge NJIT Team.
 

Male Newcomer of the Year | Alvaro Gimeno
Gimeno, who joined the Highlander squad in January 2018, capped off his first season at NJIT as EIVA Newcomer of the Year and first-team honoree.

He earned EIVA Player of the Week once this season and ranks second in the EIVA in kills (313), points (381.5) and service aces (45), third in points per set (4.02) and fifth in kills per set (3.29).

He joined the Highlanders in January 2018, combining for 16 double-digit matches in kills, including a career-high 20 vs. Saint Francis U on March 3.
 

Female Newcomer of the Year | Yasmeen Malik
Malik, one of three Highlanders to start all 17 matches in her first season at NJIT was named to the ASUN Conference All-Freshmen team.

The hard-nosed defender was instrumental on the back line for NJIT as the team posted a program-record seven shutouts.

She registered her first collegiate goal against Lafayette on August 23.