Winning is contagious. From ranked wins and tight conference battles to spring sports getting underway and football news off the field, it was a packed week across the Banks — with an even busier slate ahead.
Here’s a clean look at what happened over the past week and what’s coming up next for Rutgers.
Wrestling Secures Program-Defining Win
Rutgers wrestling produced the defining moment of the week at Jersey Mike’s Arena, taking down No. 6 Minnesota in a 23–15 dual victory. The win showcased the Scarlet Knights’ depth and composure in high-leverage
matches as postseason seeding comes into view.
The Knights secured a 6-4 match split, beginning with No. 28 Ayden Smith (125) upsetting 2024 All-American No. 10 Jore Volk. No. 16 Lenny Pinto (174) and No. 27 Dylan Shawver (133) contributed bonus points, and No. 29 Andrew Clark (149) and No. 29 Anthony White (165) both secured decisions over top-20 opponents in the 6-4 match split against Minnesota.
With Rutgers up 17-12 with two matches left, No. 16 Remy Cotton (197) pinned No. 25 Gavin Nelson in overtime to secure the Scarlet Knights’ first win over the Golden Gophers since joining the Big Ten. The win is the program’s biggest in the past decade.
Diving Stands Out At Platform Invitational
At the Rutgers Platform Invitational on Saturday morning, Scarlet Knights divers turned in eye-catching performances, including a career-best score from Katerina Hoffman of 292.70 that placed her sixth all-time in program history.
Bailee Sturgill was second on the day, scoring a 280.70, while Gianna Lawrence took fourth with a 238.65. Rutgers diving ranked eighth nationally in the most recent US PDCA Coaches Poll on December 22nd. This was the final competition for RU before the Big Ten Championships, which will be held at the University of Minnesota from Feb. 18-21.
Gymnastics Upsets #24 Maryland
Rutgers gymnastics posted a season-high score of 196.175 to secure an upset of No. 24 Maryland on the road Saturday night. The Knights set or tied a season high in all four events, including back-to-back scores of 49+ on floor and beam to close out the meet.
Senior captain Gabrielle Dildy provided a stellar all-around performance with a 39.425, leading in all four categories: vault, floor, beam, and bars. Other key performers were Eliot Goldschmidt on bars, Vivienne Larsen and Rachael Riley on vault, Emily Leese on floor, and Delaney Adrian on beam.
Rutgers will next take on Iowa at home on Saturday, which is set for a 2 PM start at Jersey Mike’s Arena.
Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse Fall To Army
#18 men’s lacrosse narrowly fell to #12 Army in their home opener on Saturday afternoon inside the Busch bubble opposite SHI Stadium. Rutgers was led by Colin Kurdyla with a hat trick, the eighth of his career. Colin Zeller and Greyson Vorgang each had a pair of goals, while Shane Murphy and Kasey Mongillo also scored a goal each.
Rutgers started with a 2-0 lead and led 7-5 at halftime, but the Black Knights outscored RU 6-2 after the break, rallying down 9-8 to score the final two goals of the game. Goalkeeper Cardin Stoller and Army goalkeeper Sean Byrne each made 12 saves in a battle between a pair of goalkeepers who were All-Americans last season.
The Scarlet Knights had a pair of award winners, with Stoller named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List, given annually to the National Player of the Year Award. Stoller was one of 50 to make the initial watch list. Dylan Groff was named the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Week, as he limited Army forward Hill Plunkett to just 18% shooting and forced three turnovers. Plunkett had been the Patriot League Player of the Week, scoring five goals for the Black Knights the week prior.
Similarly, Rutgers women’s lacrosse fell to #21 Army on Friday evening in the bubble. Sophomore Caroline Ling scored a career-high five goals, including a hat trick in the first half. Senior Lily Dixon tallied five points on three assists and two helpers, while freshmen Annalise Messina and Kate Theofield contributed two goals apiece.
Senior Katie Buck won a game-high eight draw controls, becoming the 11th player in program history to secure 100 for her career. Sophomore Charlee Thomas scooped up three ground balls and caused a turnover. Rutgers led 5-2 at the end of the first quarter before Army scored five straight to take a 7-5 lead, leading 9-8 at halftime.
In the second half, the Black Knights were dominant, outscoring Rutgers 4-1 in the third quarter before a goal by Samantha Swanovich closed the margin to three. Army then went on a 5-1 scoring run to put the game out of reach, even as the Scarlet Knights scored late goals to close the margin back to five.
Women’s lacrosse next heads to Delaware to face the Blue Hens on Friday at 5 PM, while men’s lacrosse travels to Stony Brook on Saturday at 12 PM.
Basketball Continues To Struggle
Both basketball programs continued navigating the grind of February conference play.
The men returned from a difficult West Coast trip and dropped a home game to No. 9 Nebraska, giving up 15 points due to turnovers. After a competitive start, Rutgers fell behind 41-27 at halftime, and the Cornhuskers pushed their lead to 19 early in the second half. Although the final margin was 80-68, the Knights could not seriously threaten Nebraska for the rest of the game.
Tariq Francis, who was put in the starting lineup for today’s game, was once again the leading scorer for Rutgers with 16 points and five assists on the day. Buchanan Jr. had a solid game as well, scoring 10 points and grabbing 5 rebounds, while Powers is coming into his own, as he had 14 points and two rebounds in this game after scoring 18 against UCLA.
Meanwhile, the women fell to Minnesota in a hard-fought battle that was not fully decided until the fourth quarter. Rutgers led at halftime 25-22, with strong shooting from Nene Ndiaye, but strong performances from Sophie Hart, Mara Braun, and Tori McKinney put the Gophers in front, and they would not relinquish their lead.
Ndiaye had a standout performance, tying her career-high with 26 points, while Zachara Perkins had 18 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Unfortunately, Rutgers could not get significant contributions from anyone else on its roster, resulting in another loss.
Both programs will have some time off, as women’s basketball travels to Purdue on Saturday at 12 PM, while men’s basketball will host Maryland on Sunday at 12 PM. The men’s program will recognize its second Knights of Honor class when it inducts Scarlet Knight legends Kelvin Troy (’81), Roy Hinson (’83), and John Battle (’85) this weekend.
Track and Field Shines At Home Meet
Rutgers track and field athletes hosted the Scarlet Knights Open at the Nike Track & Field Center at the Armory on Friday. The Scarlet Knights turned in strong performances throughout, led by pole vaulter Brian O’Sullivan, who secured the school record with a cleared height of 1.63m (18′ 5.5″), while his brother Kevin finished second with a height of 5.33m (17′ 5.75″).
There were three field wins on the men’s side while the women’s team secured eight total wins. Charlee Crawford led a 1-2-3 finish in the women’s 400, while several other women won events on the track and inside the oval. Rutgers will split squads, with some members going to the Tyson Invitational at the University of Arkansas from Feb 13-14, while others attend the Valentine Invitational at Boston University on February 13th.
Softball Secures Milestone Win
Rutgers softball earned one of the more impressive results of the week, defeating Notre Dame 6-4 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic — the program’s first win over the Irish since 2012. Timely hitting and clutch execution made it an early-season statement, with sophomore Addie Osborne batting in five of the six runs for the Knights, including a two-run home run and a bases-loaded clearing double.
Rutgers improved to 3-2 on the young season, as they defeated NC Central, South Alabama, and the Fighting Irish while falling to #4 Tennessee and Southeastern Louisiana in the Leadoff Classic. Sophomore Kelsey Hoesktra was named the Big Ten Softball Pitcher Of The Week for securing a no-hitter against NC State with nine strikeouts, also pitching four scoreless innings versus South Alabama in the 11-3 six-inning run-rule win.
This weekend, the Scarlet Knights will be in Starkville, Mississippi, for The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial Tournament. They are set to play #21 Mississippi State and Murray State twice, along with North Texas, from Friday to Sunday.
Football Makes Important Defensive Hires
Away from competition, Rutgers football made news with developments to its defensive coaching staff, signaling adjustments on that side of the ball as the program prepares for spring practices and the 2026 season.
After hiring South Dakota head coach Travis Johansen to the long-vacant defensive coordinator position, the Scarlet Knights hired former Drake head coach Joe Woodley as an assistant coach, Drake defensive coordinator Adam Cox as safeties coach, and South Dakota cornerbacks coach Eric Finney as Rutgers’ CB coach.
For more on those hires, please check out our articles and podcast episodes covering all the latest!
Gotterup Captures Another PGA Tour Win
Rutgers men’s golf alum Chris Gotterup outdueled Hideki Matsuyama to capture the WM Phoenix Open on Sunday, securing his second PGA Tour win of the young season and the fourth of his career.
Gotterup forced a playoff with a jaw-dropping finish, birdieing five of his final six holes in regulation before draining another birdie on the extra hole to seal the victory. The triumph gave him two wins in his last three starts.
Since 2024, Gotterup’s four PGA Tour victories trail only Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler among all golfers nationwide. He also became the first multi-time winner on Tour this season, continuing a blistering stretch on golf’s biggest stage. With the win, Gotterup climbed to No. 5 in the world rankings.
Meanwhile, Rutgers men’s golf opened its spring slate with a strong performance at the Palmas del Mar Collegiate, placing fifth at the Flamboyan Course in Humacao. Sophomore Argyle Downes paced the Scarlet Knights with a third-place individual finish, while freshman Lucas Politano tied for 12th in a field of more than 80 golfers.
The Week Ahead (Feb. 9–15)
Several Rutgers programs are back in action this week:
- Track & Field athletes split between the Tyson and Valentine Invitationals (Feb. 13)
- Baseball opens its season on the road at College of Charleston (Feb. 13)
- Men’s Lacrosse travels to Stony Brook (Feb. 14)
- Women’s Lacrosse visits Delaware (Feb. 13)
- Gymnastics hosts Iowa (Feb. 14)
- Women’s Basketball visits Purdue (Feb. 14)
- Men’s Basketball hosts Maryland (Feb. 15)
With winter sports in full conference grind, spring teams getting underway, and football already shaping its offseason, Rutgers athletics is hitting one of its busiest stretches of the year — with meaningful action happening nearly every day across the Banks.
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