CAMDEN, N.J. (July 1, 2021) – Rutgers University-Camden softball catcher Alexis Davis (Delanco, NJ/Riverside) and men's soccer/tennis dual athlete Jose Vargas (San Jose, Costa Rica/Bound Brook), a pair of seniors, were honored on the New Jersey Athletic Conference Academic First Team when the NJAC released its 2020-21 academic teams today.
 
The duo led a total of 65 Scarlet Raptors honored on the NJAC First, Second and Honorable Mention academic teams. Earning NJAC Academic Second Team honors were another pair of seniors in softball first baseman Marissa Beebe (Barrington, NJ/Haddon Heights) and men's tennis player Shariq Khan (Atlantic City, NJ/Atlantic City).
 

A record-total of 1,236 student-athletes earned NJAC Academic honors for the 2020-21 scholastic year, with the First and Second Team selections (one female and one male apiece) being selected by each of the conference's 10 full-time institutions. To be eligible for the team, an athlete must have reached at least sophomore academic status, compete in a conference-sponsored sport and have achieved a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.20.
 
In addition to its First and Second Team selections, Rutgers-Camden saw a total of 61 athletes achieve NJAC Academic Honorable Mention.
 
A dual Accounting and Finance major, Davis completed her third season with the Rutgers-Camden softball team this spring, hitting .225, while starting 16 of her 18 games. An outstanding defensive catcher, she finished second on the team with 80 putouts and was fifth on the squad with eight assists. For her Rutgers-Camden career, she started 51 of her 53 games and finished eighth on the program's list for fielding percentage among all players with 200 or more total chances (.98269). She was 14th in career putouts (262).
 
Davis, who played her first collegiate season at NJAC rival William Paterson University before transferring to Rutgers-Camden, was a perennial fixture on the Rutgers-Camden Athletic Director's Honor Roll and Dean's List. Prior to earning NJAC Academic First Team honors this year, she captured NJAC Academic Honorable Mention during the 2019-20 scholastic year.

 
Vargas, a three-year member of both the men's soccer and tennis teams, was a Business Management/International Business major who minored in Leadership Studies. He served as the tennis team captain and was named that program's Most Dedicated Player during the 2018-19 season. He also was a back on the soccer team.
 
A Dean's List student every semester, Vargas earned numerous berths on the Rutgers-Camden Athletic Director's Honor Roll, while also capturing several berths on conference academic squads. Prior to being named to the NJAC Academic First Team this year, he earned NJAC Academic Honorable Mention for both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 scholastic years. He also earned Great Northeast Athletic Conference Academic All-Conference during the 2018-19 scholastic year when Rutgers-Camden's tennis team was a member of that conference.
 
Like Davis, Beebe also was an outstanding student-athlete in softball during her three years with Rutgers-Camden after starting her collegiate career at Ursinus College.

 

Beebe compiled a .287 career batting average at Rutgers-Camden while starting all 59 of her games. She hit two home runs and collected 22 runs and 17 RBIs during her Scarlet Raptor career, while ranking among the top defensive players in program history. Beebe's fielding percentage (.98583) ranks fourth among all Rutgers-Camden players with at least 200 total chances. She ranks 10th in putouts (342) and is tied for 10th with 10 double plays.
 
This spring, Beebe hit .254 with one home run, while tying for the club lead with seven RBIs in the shortened season. She led the team with 141 putouts and six double plays.
 
Academically, the Childhood Studies major and Mathematics minor was a two-time member of the NJAC Academic Team. She captured NJAC Academic Honorable Mention for the 2019-20 scholastic year before earning NJAC Academic Second Team this year. A Dean's List student, she also earned a berth on the Rutgers-Camden Athletic Director's Honor Roll in every semester since transferring from Ursinus.
 
Khan played three seasons on the Rutgers-Camden men's tennis team and, like Vargas, would have had a fourth year if the 2019-20 season hadn't been cancelled by the pandemic. He compiled an overall career record of 19-15, including an 11-6 mark in singles.

 

A Biology major, Khan was a two-time NJAC Academic Honorable Mention performer (2018-19 and 2019-20 scholastic years) before earning NJAC Academic Second Team recognition this year. He also was a Great Northeast Athletic Conference Academic All-Conference performer for the 2018-19 scholastic year when the Scarlet Raptors were GNAC members. The Dean's List student was a member of the Rutgers-Camden Athletic Director's Honor Roll every semester since the 2018 Spring semester.
 
Complete NJAC Academic Release