Wagner College Athletics

Member of the 2019 Northeast Conference Men's Cross Country Championship Team
Northeast Conference (NEC) Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2018, 2019)
Northeast Conference (NEC) Fall Academic Honor Roll (2019, 2018, 2017, 2016)
Northeast Conference (NEC) Fall Commissioner's Honor Roll (2019, 2018, 2017, 2016)
Northeast Conference (NEC) All-NEC Team (2018) 
Northeast Conference (NEC) All-Rookie Team (2016)

2018 (Junior Season): Ran in a total of seven meets during the 2018 season... Placed among the top-ten in six meets.. Finished second at the Monmouth University XC Tune-Up (10/19) in which he crossed the finish line at 15:27.9 at the 8K event... Placed fifth en route to earning All-NEC honors at the 2018 NEC Cross Country Championship (10/27), posting a time of 26:00.1... Competed in his third consecutive NCAA Division I Northeast Regional, clocking in with a time of 35:21.0 in the 10K race. 

2017 (Sophomore Season): Raced in five meets… Had two top-ten finishes on the season, highlighted by a first-place showing at the Hofstra University Quad (9/8), in which he crossed the finish line with a time of 16:02.3… Finished among the top-25 at the Northeast Conference (NEC) Championships (10/28), clocking in with a time of 27:19… Raced in his second straight NCAA Northeast Regional (11/10), as he shaved off close to 13 seconds off his time at last season’s performance as he checked in with a time of 34:33.7.

2016 (Freshman Season): Competed in seven of the eight meets on the season… Crossed the finish line among the top-10 in three events during the year… Posted his fastest time in a 6K meet at the Monmouth University Cross Country Kick-Off (9/3/16) with a time of 19:49.2… At the Monmouth University Invitational (9/17/16), came in tenth with a time of 28:31.4… Best finish of the season came at the NJIT Highlander Challenge (10/8/16) when he finished ninth with a time of 26:53.28… Ranked among the top-30 at the 2016 Northeast Conference (NEC) Cross Country Championships (10/29/16), crossing the finish line at 30:02.7…. Competed at the NCAA Northeast Regional (11/11/16), clocking in at 34:46.58… Ranked among the Top-100 in the University Division of the 2016 IC4A Cross Country Championships (11/19/16), finishing with a time of 27:58, which tied teammate Joseph Abbatiello. 

Before Wagner:  Attended Holy Cross Catholic Secondary in Kingston, Ontario... Competed as a member of the cross country and track and field programs under Brad Hill... As a Crusader, he was named to the Honor Roll all four years of high school... On the course, obtained gold in cross country, varsity track from OFSAA ... In his career, he has recorded 12 City Championship gold medals, while attaining six top-eight finishes at OFSAA in the 800m, 1500m, and 2000m steeplechase... Holds the school record in the 2000m steeplechase and 4x400m.... Also competed as a member of the school's basketball team, in which his team won two city championships.... Son of Joanna and Rob Besselink... Has two siblings, Mary and Sarah.... His cousin, Maria, will be joining the Seahawk women's basketball team, starting for the 2016-17 season... His uncle, Gerry, was a standout player at UConn, who served as legendary head coach Jim Calhoun's first captain in 1986-87.... His aunt, Nina, starred at St. Mary's College (CA)... Another relative, Mary-Jane Besselink-Bravakis was a standout basketball player for the University of Hartford, inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 1993 ... Intends to pursue a degrees in Business Administration at Wagner.