Jacob Dinerman, left, and Gianna Patitucci
Dinerman, Patitucci capture weekly NJAC honors
CAMDEN, N.J. (Sept. 22, 2025) –Junior
Jacob Dinerman and senior
Gianna Patitucci have been among the top performers in the New Jersey Athletic Conference throughout their careers at Rutgers University-Camden.
The NJAC recognized both student-athletes Monday as it released its latest list of athletes of the week. Dinerman was named the Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week for the second time this season, while Patitucci was honored as the Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week.
Dinerman, who earned his first Runner of the Week award this season on Sept. 8, turned in one of the top performances in Rutgers-Camden history at the Osprey Open, held at Stockton University on Sept. 20. His 8K time of 25:07.20 not only led a field of 162 runners, but it was the fourth-fastest time in Rutgers-Camden's program history. He also owns the third-fastest time of 24:57.9, set at the Border Battle on October 19, 2024.
An All-NJAC First Team performer in three sports – cross country, indoor and outdoor track – last season, Dinerman has captured three NJAC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week honors in his two seasons with the Scarlet Raptors. He was a five-time Rutgers-Camden Raptor of the Week during the 2024-25 scholastic year and added his first Raptor of the Week honor this season on Monday.
A Dean's List student as a Liberal Studies major at Rutgers-Camden, Dinerman posted a 4.0 GPA in both of his first two semesters on campus last year. He was a member of the Rutgers-Camden Athletic Director's Honor Roll during both the fall and spring semester of the 2024-25 scholastic year.
Patitucci becomes the second Rutgers-Camden women's soccer player to earn weekly NJAC honors this season. Freshman goalie
Giselle Lizardi was the NJAC Rookie of the Week on Sept. 8.
One of the top defenders in the NJAC, Patitucci helped the Scarlet Raptors post a pair of shutouts last week in a 2-0 victory at Bryn Mawr College and a 0-0 tie in Camden on Saturday against Hood College. Those two opponents combined for only nine shots.
Overall, the Scarlet Raptors have collected five shutouts through their seven games so far this season.
One of the team's tri-captains this season after serving as one of four Raptor captains last year, Patitucci is in her third season at Rutgers-Camden after starting her collegiate career at West Virginia Wesleyan College. She earned NJAC Honorable Mention in her first season with the Scarlet Raptors in 2023 and captured NJAC Second Team honors last year. In her 42 career games with the Scarlet Raptors, Patitucci has helped the team post 18 shutouts.
A Health Sciences major, Patitucci also has earned numerous honors in the classroom, including NJAC Academic Honorable Mention for the 2024-25 scholastic year. A Dean's List student, she has been a member of the Rutgers-Camden Athletic Director's Honor Roll for all four full semesters she has been on campus.
