Top 16 Moments of 2016 Video 

Staten Island, NY – 2016 was another stellar year for the Seahawks including the addition of new sports, several conference championships, and triumphs over nationally ranked programs. Take a look back at the top moments of the year as we celebrate 2016 and look ahead to 2017.
 
16) Installation of the new turf at Hameline Field
The new turf at Hameline Field was finished on the eve of the Green and White's football and women's soccer teams' return for training camps in preparation of the 2016 season. The replacement of the turf is part of the Wagner College Stadium Expansion Project, which is set to provide more space for all of Wagner's 22 athletic programs.

Football boasted a 4-2 (6-5 overall) record on the resurfaced field, ending its season with a 31-24 win over NEC Champions, Saint Francis (Pa.). The Seahawks also landed five players on the All-NEC First Team as well as three on the Second Team. Meanwhile, women's soccer captain Megan Fritz capped off her senior season being voted to the 2016 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District™ Team.  
 
15) Introduction of Women's Fencing and Men's Water Polo
The Wagner athletic department now sponsors 22 athletic teams after adding women's fencing and men's water polo for the 2016-17 school year. Men's water polo had a memorable first year, finishing in fifth place in the newly instated Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference. In its first year of existence, the rookie team defeated all three local New York City programs including a nationally-ranked No. 18 St. Francis Brooklyn on September 18 and boasted two All-Conference players, Ciaran Wolohan (Manly, Australia / St. Aloysius [Golden West College]) and Oscar Nomura (Irvine, CA / Irvine).
 
In the midst of its rookie season, the women's fencing program has also seen early success. Freshman Rebecca Errickson (Annandale, NJ / North Hunterdon) became the first Wagner fencer to ever compete at a collegiate tournament, as she finished 13^th in the Temple Open foil competition on October 29. The Green & White have one competition left, the Fairleigh Dickinson Invitational on February 11 before NCAA Regionals begin on March 3.
 
14) Fritz and Boyd Named to the 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-District Team
Women's soccer senior captain Megan Fritz (Cape Coral, FL / Mariner) capped off her final season as a Seahawk being named to the 2016 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District™ Team. The midfielder led the Green & White in goals and points, scoring five goals in 18 games, while also finishing fourth in the conference in goals. Additionally, Fritz sat among the top ten in the NEC in points, goals per game, and points per game. In the classroom, the Florida native holds a 3.95 GPA in Business Administration and was named the NEC's Women's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2015 along with a spot on the NEC Commissioner's Honor Roll (3.75 GPA or higher) in every semester on Grymes Hill.
 
Sophomore Charlton Boyd (Shreveport, LA / Loyola College Prep) earned a spot on the Academic All-District Men's At-Large Team (District 1), joining nine student-athletes from the district, while being the lone tennis player to make the team. On the court last spring, Boyd posted a team-leading 16-6 overall record and a 5-2 mark in NEC matches, earning All-NEC Second Team honors at the conclusion of the season. Off the court, Boyd has maintained a 4.0 GPA studying Government & Politics while serving as President of Wagner's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).  
 
13) McMenamin Brothers make NCAA history
Mike McMenamin, Patrick McMenamin, and William McMenamin (Longport, NJ / St. Augustine Prep) made Division I lacrosse history on March 8, 2016 as the first set of three brothers to score in a single game. The brothers, who hail from Longport, NJ each scored a goal in the Green & White's 7-6 triumph over Virginia Military Institute. For good measure, the trio accomplished the feat again on March 26, accounting for seven of the Seahawks' 10 goals in a 10-8 victory over NJIT.
 
12) Andrew Bailey Records Six Saves For The Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim
Former Seahawk standout Andrew Bailey closed out the 2016 MLB season with six saves for the Angels. His first save for the organization came on September 4 in a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners, marking his first save since 2013. After posting a 2.38 ERA in 12 appearances, the Angels re-signed the right-handed relief pitcher to a one-year contract.
 
11) Julian Stanford Makes The New York Jets Starting Lineup
Former Wagner football outside linebacker Julian Stanford opened the 2016 NFL season on the active roster of the New York Jets. A First-Team All-NEC selection in 2011, the former Seahawk earned his first start of his Jets career against the Cleveland Browns on October 30 after recording a career-high seven tackles in the team's 24-16 home win over the Baltimore Ravens.
 
10) Ruta Becomes The First Seahawk To Play For The Staten Island Yankees
2016 Wagner graduate Ben Ruta became the first Wagner baseball alumnus to play for the local Staten Island Yankees after being drafted in the 30^th round of the 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the New York Yankees organization. The rookie played 13 games for the Pulaski Yankees before being promoted to play in the Richmond County Bank Ballpark, home of both the Staten Island Yankees and the Wagner Seahawks. The outfielder registered his first RBI on July 14 in his first-ever single-A game against the Hudson Valley Renegades.
 
9) McMenemy Competes In The Rio Olympic Games
Swimming & diving's Dorian McMenemy (Northborough, MA / Algonquin Regional) represented the Dominican Republic in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. In her second Olympic Games, the sophomore competed in the preliminary heats of the 50m freestyle, an event she owns the Dominican Republic national record in.
 
8) Prihoda Becomes First Softball Freshman In Ten Years To Earn First-Team All-NEC
Freshman utility Karen Prihoda (Hamilton Square, NJ / The Lawrenceville School) was voted First-Team All-NEC, becoming the first Seahawk rookie to earn First-Team All-League honors in a decade. While starting all 49 games at second base this season, the left-handed hitting Prihoda led the Green & White in three major offensive statistical categories – batting average (.353), which ranked fourth overall in the NEC, base hits (55), which ranked fifth, as well as on-base percentage (.392). In NEC play, Prihoda batted a robust .388 while defensively, carrying a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in conference games, successfully handling 58 chances on 31 putouts and 27 assists.
 
7) Harris Named NEC Cross Country Freshman of the Year
Liam Harris (Cork, Ireland / Kent School) became the second Seahawk program history to garner NEC Freshman of the Year honors. The rookie notched a third place finish at the 2016 NEC Championship, boasting a time of 27:21.4. The Cork, Ireland neophyte was the Seahawks' top finisher in six of seven meets that he competed in, which included the most recent NCAA Division I Northeast Regionals, in which he placed 44th out of 245 runners.
 
6) Men's Basketball Stuns No. 18 UConn In Its Season Opener
The defending NEC Regular Season champions opened up their 2016-17 season with a 67-58 victory over then No. 18 UConn. The only lead of the game for the Huskies was 2-0 with 19:23 left in the first half. The Seahawks controlled the remainder of contest behind 15 points and nine rebounds from redshirt senior forward Mike Aaman (Hazlet, NJ / Raritan [Rhode Island]) as well as 15 points from junior guard Romone Saunders (Temple Hills, MD / Potomac [Mt. Zion Prep]). Wagner handed the Huskies their first loss in a home opener at Gampel Pavilion as UConn came in 27-0 in such games.
 
5) Lucia Named NEC Female Student-Athlete of the Year
Recently graduated women's swimming & diving standout Amanda Lucia (Easthampton, MA / Easthampton) was named NEC Female Student-Athlete of the Year as well as nominated for the NCAA's prestigious Woman of the Year Award. In the pool, Lucia won both the 200-yard butterfly and 400-yard IM at the 2016 NEC Championships and added a second place finish in the 100-yard butterfly. She currently holds the NEC record in both individual medley events and compiled four straight NEC titles in the 400. Outside the pool, Lucia graduated cum laude with a3.55 GPA as a nursing major. Additionally, she was one of two swimmers who co-founded the local chapter of "Love Your Melon," an organization that raises awareness about Children's Cancer and looks to provide children who are fighting cancer with comfortable and warm hats.
 
4) Men's Golf Claims First-Ever NEC Championship
The Seahawks claimed their first-ever NEC title on May 1, 2016, outlasting Bryant on the second hold of a playoff. Freshman Lucas Moreno (Bogota, Colombia / Gimnasio Campestre) led the Green & White with a three-round score of 214 (-2), good enough to tie for a third place finish. The rookie's performance led him to be named NEC Rookie of the Year, while sixth year head coach Christopher Fourman was tabbed Coach of the Year. The Seahawks' victory sent them to Albuquerque, New Mexico where they competed in the 2016 NCAA Men's Golf Regional at The Championship Golf Course of the University of New Mexico from May 16-18.
 
3) Men's Hoops Advances To The Second Round of the NIT
The Wagner men's basketball program secured its first-ever postseason win after defeating Atlantic 10 member, St. Bonaventure 79-75 in the first round of the 2016 National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Then sophomore Romone Saunders came off the bench to lead the Green & White to victory over the No. 1-seeded Bonnies with 21 points. Big East member Creighton eliminated the Seahawks in the second round, winning 87-54 despite 13 points from then junior Michael Carey (Nassau, Bahamas / Lamar Consolidated [San Jacinto College]).
 
2) Women's Lacrosse Named NEC Champions
After losing to Bryant in the league title game each of the last two seasons, the No. 2 Seahawks defeated the Bulldogs 11-7 to claim their first-ever NEC Championship. The Green & White was led by senior attacker Tori McGrath (Delmar, NY / Bethlehem Central), who was named tournament MVP, and fellow senior goalie Katie Ferraro (Owings Mill, MD / McDonogh), who turned away 12 shots. In winning its first league title, Wagner earned an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Division I Championship where they faced the University of Pennsylvania in the first round. In its 10^th straight NCAA appearance, Penn snapped the Seahawks seven-game winning streak with a 17-7 victory.
 
1) Women's Water Polo Wins Third Consecutive MAAC Championship
The Seahawks defeated Marist College 8-5 for the third year in row to capture their third straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship. Five Seahawks scored throughout the contest as the Green & White qualified for the 2016 NCAA Women's Water Polo tournament. Despite falling 7-4 to San Diego State in the opening round, the three-time MAAC Champions checked in at No. 18 on the Collegiate Water Polo Association's (CWPA) Final Top 20 Poll. Furthermore, senior Jess Lundgren (Queensland, Australia / Mountain Creek) was named MAAC Offensive Player of the Year and sixth year head coach Chris Radmonovich was selected as the league's Coach of the Year.

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