Monangai and Timberg Awarded Big Ten Medal of Honor

Rutgers Athletics put a bow on the 2024-25 athletic season, announcing its year-end awards, including the recipients of the Big Ten's 111th Medal of Honor class, Chloe Timberg and Kyle Monangai. A tradition started by the conference in 1915, the Big Ten Medal of Honor is awarded to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each member institution.

Chloe Timberg: Women's Track and Field

The Doylestown, Pennsylvania, native from Central Parks West High School in Bucks County, wrapped up her illustrious career at Rutgers by taking home a silver medal in the 2025 NCAA Women's Track and Field Championships. The three-time first-team All-American set the then-NCAA meet record by vaulting 4.71 meters (15'5.5"). She graduates as a four-time Big Ten Champion, having won the outdoor championships in 2022-23 and the indoor championships in 2023-24.

Kyle Monangai: Football

Monangai graduated this past May as the second leading rusher in program history and the first Rutgers running back since Ray Rice in 2007 to garner All-American honors. Monangai piled up the awards as he plowed through defenders, earning All-Big Ten honors twice and academic All-Big Ten nods three times during his time on the banks. Perhaps most impressive, the Roseland, New Jersey native carried the ball 669 times in his Scarlet Knights career without losing possession. He will look to make an immediate impact this fall in the NFL with the Chicago Bears.

Other notable 2024-25 year-end awards:

Freshman of the year:

•Dylan Harper, Men's Basketball

•Bailee Sturgee, Women's Swimming and Diving

Sophomore of the Year

•Ian Strong, Football

•Chiara Saccomando, Rowing

Junior of the Year

•Trevor Cohen, Baseball

•Puck Winter, Field Hockey

Senior of the Year

•Kyle Monangai, Football

•Paulina Niklaus, Field Hockey

AD's Excellence Award

Awarded to New Brunswick campus student-athletes with four consecutive years of a 3.5 GPA or higher, who also earned All-America Honors or regional first-team accolades, while demonstrating leadership and character.

•Guillermina Causarano: Field Hockey

•Paulina Nicklaus: Field Hockey

•Victoria Grieder: Rowing

•Sephora Ford: Swimming and Diving