Andrew Kustera had a brilliant first year at Rutgers University-Camden during his junior campaign in 2017-18. A transfer from Rowan College at Gloucester County, Kustera set a pair of program records in the shot put (indoor and outdoor), earned numerous academic honors, captured a pair of All-New Jersey Athletic Conference track awards and was named the school’s Raptor of the Week on April 9.
Kustera, who teamed with fellow senior Drew Harper to form an outstanding duo in the throwing events last year, returns for his final year with the Scarlet Raptors.
Program records (through 2017-18): Indoor Track – Shot put (14.13 meters) at the Frank Colden Invitational (Feb. 3, 2018); Outdoor Track – Shot put (14.41 meters) at the NJAC Championships (May 6, 2018).
Academics: NJAC Academic Honorable Mention, 2017-18; ECAC 2018 Spring Semester President’s Academic Honor Roll; Rutgers-Camden Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, 2017 Fall and 2018 Spring semesters. During the 2018 Spring semester, he was one of 10 athletes on the 129-member team to post a perfect 4.0 GPA.
2018 Outdoor Track: NJAC Second Team in the shot put, placing second of 26 in the event with a program-record 14.41-meter distance at the conference championship meet (May 6)…A day earlier, finished 11th of 21 at the NJAC meet in the hammer (39.61 meters)…Notched ECAC qualifiers in the shot put at all seven of his competitions, leading up to the ECAC Div. III Outdoor Track & Field Championships (May 17) and also one ECAC qualifier in the discus…Raised the Rutgers-Camden program shot put record on three occasions, starting with a 13.91-meter put at the Stockton Invitational (third of 26, May 31) and progressing to 14.18 meters at the Lions Invitational (April 27, fifth of 41) before leaving the mark at 14.41 meters with his shot put at the NJAC meet…Named Rutgers-Camden Raptor of the Week on April 9, three days after a stellar performance at the Oscar Moore Open when he finished first of 12 in the shot put (13.78 meters), sixth of 17 in the discus (a PR of 38.00 meters) and sixth of nine in the hammer (36.47 meters)…In the season-opening Delaware Classic (March 24), finished third of 13 in the shot put (13.36 meters), fifth of eight in the hammer (35.05 meters) and ninth of 15 in the discus (34.09 meters)…In addition to his short-lived shot put mark at the Stockton Invitational, also placed 12th of 22 in the hammer (34.60 meters) and 13th of 26 in the discus (34.30 meters)…Had a hammer throw of 38.39 meters to place ninth of 17 at Gwynedd Mercy’s Mid-Week Twilight Invitational (April 11)…Finished eighth of 26 in the hammer (38.02 meters) on the first day of the Osprey Open (April 13) and followed up by placing fourth of 30 in the shot put (13.87 meters) and 12th of 32 in the discus (36.27 meters) the next day…Had a hammer throw of 39.42 meters (ninth of 23) on the opening day of the Lions Invitational April 27, then added his short-lived record 14.18-meter shot put and a 33.16-meter discus throw (20th of 37) on April 28…Placed 16th of 20 in the discus (33.99 meters) and 12th of 19 in the shot put (13.30 meters) at the Swarthmore Final Qualifier (May 14)…Closed his first Rutgers-Camden outdoor season at the ECAC Championships (May 17) by finishing 11th of 23 in the shot put (13.34 meters) and 21st of 23 in the discus (31.50 meters).
2018-18 Indoor Track: NJAC Honorable Mention in the shot put, placing third of 23 (13.96 meters) at the conference meet on Feb. 19…Also finished 10th of 20 in the weight throw (12.23) at the NJAC Championships…Made Rutgers-Camden debut at the TCJ Winter Invitational (Dec. 2), finishing fifth of eight in the weight throw (12.28) and second of 15 in the shot put (13.29 meters)…Was 10th of 32 in the shot put (13.48 meters) and tied for 14th of 27 in the weight throw (12.34 meters) at the Fast Times Before Finals meet (Dec. 9)…At the Gotham Cup (Jan. 19), set a short-lived program mark of 13.89 meters in the shot put (finishing eighth of 33 with a mark he later broke) and 21st of 28 in the weight throw (11.71 meters)…Notched his Raptor PR in the weight throw (12.61 meters) and finished fifth of nine at the Widener Field Meet (Feb. 26)…Notched his Raptor PR and broke his own program record with a 14.13-meter shot put at the Frank Colden Invitational (Feb. 3), placing third of 50…Closed the season at the Fastrack Last Chance Meet (Feb. 24), finishing fourth of seven in the shot put (14.11 meters) and third of four in the weight throw (12.35 meters).
Pre-Rutgers: Competed in outdoor track and field for two seasons at Rowan College at Gloucester County, placing at the NJCAA nationals both years…Finished fifth in the hammer (34.39 meters) and sixth in both the discus (37.13 meters) and the shot put (12.75 meters) at the 2016 NJCAA Division III national meet…At the 2017 NJCAA Division III Nationals, finished third in the shot put (13.35 meters), fourth in the hammer (41.35 meters) and sixth in the discus (34.16 meters).
High School: Captured seven varsity letters between indoor and outdoor track and field at Kingsway Regional High School…Graduated in 2015…National Honor Society…National Art Honor Society.
Personal: Born October 30, 1996…Hobbies and interests include playing any kind of sport, playing cornhole, going fishing, driving his truck, hanging out with friends, going to country concerts and doing outdoor activities…Health Science major at Rutgers-Camden…After graduation plans to work, settle down, enjoy life, travel and continue to throw and train…Says “Maybe one day I could make it to the Olympics, to throw or just to watch”…Andrew is the son of Tom and Rosemarie Kustera of Logan Township.
