A two-sport letterman and one of the top student-athletes at Rutgers-Camden, Jose Vargas has lettered with both the men’s soccer and men’s tennis programs. He has served as the tennis team captain and has captured numerous academic honors, including New Jersey Athletic Conference Academic First Team recognition for the 2020-21 scholastic year.
Vargas has played in 14 games for the men’s soccer team, starting two. He also has fashioned an 11-33 overall mark in tennis, including a 5-17 mark in singles and a 6-16 doubles record.
Academics: Great Northeast Athletic Conference Academic All-Conference for the 2018-19 scholastic year…New Jersey Athletic Conference Academic First Team for the 2020-21 scholastic year…NJAC Honorable Mention for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 scholastic years… Rutgers-Camden Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for the 2018 Spring, 2018 Fall, 2019 Spring, 2019 Fall, 2020 Spring and 2020 Fall semesters…Dean’s List every semester… One of 47 athletes on the 171-member 2020 Spring AD Honor Roll to post a 4.0 GPA… One of 27 athletes on the 125-member 2021 Spring AD Honor Roll to post a 4.0 GPA.
Men’s Tennis 2020-21: Although the 2020 fall semester season was cancelled due to the pandemic, he played in all four matches during the Scarlet Raptors’ 0-4 spring season…Went 0-4 in doubles (0-3 with Gavin Fernan, including 0-1 at second doubles and 0-2 at third doubles and was 0-1 at first doubles with Jair Norman)…Went 0-3 at fifth singles…Opened the season at New Jersey City (March 26), losing at fifth singles (0-6, 1-6) and third doubles (0-8)…Dropped a pair of matches against powerful The College of New Jersey (April 18), losing at fifth singles (1-6, 0-6) and third doubles (2-8)…Lost a close match at fifth singles (7-5, 3-6, 6-10) at Ramapo (April 24) and lost 2-8 in second doubles…In the New Jersey Athletic Conference East semifinals at New Jersey City (May 7), lost at first doubles, 0-8.
Soccer 2020: Played in two games during the Scarlet Raptors’ pandemic-shortened seven-game season, which was held in the 2021 spring semester…Played 10 minutes during the season-opening 1-1 tie against Ramapo (March 10)…Played 22 minutes during a 2-0 victory over New Jersey City (March 17), which gave Tim Oswald his 200th career coaching win at Rutgers-Camden.
Tennis 2019-20: Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Soccer 2019: Played in six games, starting two in the back…Took two shots, one on goal…Made his 2019 debut in a 1-0 shutout over Carthage College in the Raptors’ season opener (Aug. 30)…Took two shots, one on goal, in a 5-1 win over Mount St. Vincent (Aug. 31)…Played his season high of 70 minutes while helping the Raptors blank Alvernia, 1-0, in a road game Sept. 4…Played 50 minutes in a 1-0 loss against Misericordia (Sept. 14)…Made his first collegiate start against Immaculata (Sept. 18), contributing to a 2-0 shutout…Started and played 66 minutes in a 2-0 conference loss at The College of New Jersey (Oct. 2).
Tennis 2018-19: Named the team’s Most Dedicated Player…Team captain…Competed in all 11 matches, posting a 5-6 mark in singles (1-2 at fourth singles, 1-4 in the fifth flight and 3-0 at number six)…Went 1-2 in New Jersey Athletic Conference singles play and 1-3 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference singles competition…His NJAC/GNAC conference win in singles came at the sixth flight against Rutgers-Newark (April 20)…Posted an overall 5-5 mark in doubles, including a 4-3 record with Matt Deak (1-1 second doubles, 3-2 third doubles) and a 1-2 mark with Steven Zhang (all at third doubles)…Won both his fifth singles match (6-2, 3-6, 6-3) and third doubles match with Deak (8-3) at Penn State-Abington (March 24), giving him his first collegiate singles win…Added a win at fourth singles (6-0, 6-2) and an 8-0 win at third doubles with Deak against Lehman College (March 30)…Won his last three singles matches of the season, including sweeps at sixth singles against Neumann University (6-1, 6-3 on April 25) and Penn State-Brandywine (6-1, 6-0 on April 27)…Also posted an 8-2 win at third doubles with Deak against Penn State-Brandywine…Earned his win at second doubles, teaming with Deak, in the season opener against Neumann on March 9 with an 8-5 victory.
Soccer 2018: Played in six games as a midfielder/defender…Took one shot, coming against the College of Staten Island (Sept. 8)…Made his Scarlet Raptor soccer debut Sept. 1, playing 11 minutes against Old Westbury…Played his season high of 45 minutes against Lancaster Bible on Oct. 10.
Tennis 2017-18: Posted a 1-7 record at first doubles, teamed with Vatsal Patel…Played second singles for the young Scarlet Raptors, going 0-8…Made his collegiate debut March 10 against Moravian College, dropping a 0-6, 2-6 decision in singles and an 0-8 match in doubles…Lost a narrow 4-6, 3-6 singles match against Penn State-Abington (April 8), when his doubles team dropped a 2-8 decision…Notched his first collegiate victory in doubles on April 8 with an 8-2 decision against Albertus Magnus College...Dropped a 3-8 doubles decision April 21 at conference power Ramapo College.
High School: Multi-sport athlete at Bound Brook High School, who lettered in soccer, tennis and track & field…Played soccer for Coach Stephen Nicholson…Earned First Team All-Region, First Team All-Skyline Conference and First Team All-Somerset County honors as a senior in men’s soccer…Added All-State honors…Named Outstanding Senior athlete for tennis…Earned a Coach’s Award in tennis…Ranked in the top 10 percent of his class, graduating in 2017 with a 3.9 GPA…National Honor Society…National Spanish Honor Society…Graduated in 2017.
Club Team: Atlantic City FC
Personal: Born May 12, 1998…Enjoys playing soccer and tennis, spending time with his friends and family, and watching Netflix…Business Management/International Business major at Rutgers-Camden…Minor in Leadership Studies…Plans to pursue his Master’s degree in Supply Chain Management…Jose is the son of Vanessa Brown and Johnny Vargas of South Bound Brook.
