NJAC All-Academic Team

PITMAN, N.J. – James McChesney, Rayhanah Ahmed, Eliza Bruncaj, and Ryan Higgins headlined a massive roster of TCNJ student-athletes who were recognized on the 2023-24 NJAC All-Academic Team, released Wednesday by the league office.

The Lions racked up 186 All-Academic Team honorees, just one off the league high.

McChesney and Ahmed were the Lions' two nominees for the All-Academic First Team, while Bruncaj and Higgins were the two nominees for the All-Academic Second Team.

Each full member institution selects one female and one male for both the First and Second All-Academic teams. The members of the First and Second All-Academic teams were honored at the annual NJAC Awards Brunch in mid-June.

McChesney (men's swimming) was named NJAC Male Athlete of the Year after wrapping up his historic career with a second national championship in the 200 freestyle. He was an 18-time All-American after securing six more such honors at nationals, where he also placed second in the 100 free and fourth in the 50 free.

Ahmed (field hockey) was a first-team NFHCA All-American and the NJAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2023, collecting first-team All-NJAC and first-team all-region honors for the third straight year. She is a three-year member of the NFHCA National Academic Squad and the NJAC All-Academic Team.

Bruncaj (women's track & field) was the Lions' second-team nominee for the second straight year. She was an All-American in the pentathlon, placing 11^th at the NCAA Indoor Championships and was an All-Metro Region performer in the 60-meter dash, long jump, and pentathlon during the indoor season as well as the 100- and 400-meter hurdles and 4x400 relay during the outdoor season. She was the NJAC champion in both the indoor 60 hurdles as well as the outdoor 100 hurdles. Bruncaj is a three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete.

Higgins (men's swimming) joins his teammate McChesney with a premier academic award after another outstanding season in which he claimed NJAC titles in the 200 back, 200 IM, and 400 IM as well as a second-place finish in the 400 IM and a fifth-place finish in the 200 back at the NCAA Championships.

To be named to the NJAC All-Academic Team, student-athletes must have attained a minimum 3.20 GPA, completed 24 class credits/been at least a sophomore in class standing, and participated only in NJAC-sponsored sports.

The full list of TCNJ's NJAC All-Academic Team honorees can be found here.