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NEWARK, NJ– NJIT Athletics is proud to announce that five individuals, three teams and a foundation have been selected for induction into the 2026 NJIT Athletics Hall of Fame class. The induction ceremony will take place on October 17, 2026, at the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center, Vice President/Director of Athletics Lenny Kaplan announced. 

"I am pleased to welcome this outstanding group of inductees to our Athletic Hall of Fame," said Kaplan.  This group of individuals and teams is an embodiment of what it means to be a Highlander.  Their leadership and commitment to excellence serves as an example for current and future members of the Highlander family."

The 2026 induction class includes: Mohammed Shafaie '92 (Men's Fencing), 1999 Men's Volleyball Team, Lindsey Reggo '04 (Women's Basketball), 2011 and 2012 Women's Tennis Teams, Isaiah Wilkerson '12 (Men's Basketball), Tripp Davis '13 (Baseball), Ksenia Kuzmenko '14 (Women's Tennis) and The Fleisher Foundation (Iris Award) represents the 22nd Hall of Fame induction class in school history. 

Brief bios on each inductee:  

Mohammed Shafaie '92 (Men's Fencing)
Mohammed Shafaie enjoyed an outstanding fencing career at NJIT from 1988-1992, establishing himself as one of the program's top competitors.

A force on the foil strip, Shafaie posted an impressive 80 percent career win rate and qualified for the NCAA Regionals in both 1990 and 1991. In 1990, he earned a second-place finish at the Middle Atlantic Conference Fencing Association (MACFA) Championships.

His standout senior season in 1991 earned him NJIT Team MVP honors, and in 1992 he was recognized as an All-Independent Athletic Conference selection.

1999 Men's Volleyball Team
The 1999 Men's Volleyball team delivered one of the most successful seasons in program history, finishing with an impressive 24–5 overall record and capturing the EIVA Division II Championship. 

Their 24 victories remain tied for the second-highest single-season win total in program history. 

Under the leadership of head coach Manny Del Rio, the team opened the season with a 15-match winning streak, setting the tone for a memorable championship.

The members of the 1999 men's volleyball team include Mark Sanford, Harold Nazaire, Justin Meyer, AJ Mihalic, Jay Jakubowski, Pedro Trevino, Daniel Madden, Chris Myers, Josh Zuidema and Kelvin Colon, under the leadership of head coach Manny Del Rio.

Lindsey Reggo '04 (Women's Basketball)
Throughout her four-year career at NJIT (2000-04), Lindsey Reggo finished as NJIT's third all-time leading scorer with 1,265 career points. Her ability to stretch the floor made her one of the program's top long-range shooters, ranking fourth all-time in three-point field goals made with 164 and seventh in career three-point shooting percentage at .304.

During her junior season, she delivered one of the top scoring performances in school history, totaling 275 points — ranking 11th on NJIT's single-season scoring list. She also tied for fifth all-time in single-season three-pointers made with 58.

2010-11 and 2011-12 Women's Tennis Teams
Under head coach Mike Sowter, the NJIT women's tennis program made history during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, becoming the first NJIT Division I team to win back-to-back conference championships. 

The 2010-11 Highlanders captured NJIT's first-ever Division I conference championship, winning the Great West Conference title and finishing with an impressive 17-8 overall record in just the program's fifth year of Division I competition. Entering the tournament as the No. 4 seed, NJIT delivered a dominant championship run: defeated No. 5 Chicago State, 4-0, upset No. 1 Seattle, 4-0 and defeated No. 3 North Dakota, 4-2 in the championship match

NJIT followed its breakthrough season with an even more dominant campaign in 2011-12, repeating as Great West Conference champions while posting a remarkable 21-3 overall record and a perfect 10-0 home mark.

The Highlanders made history by becoming the first NJIT Division I team to win consecutive conference championships.

The members of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 women's tennis teams included Monika Graff (2011, 2012), Megan Guidry (2011, 2012), Ksenia Kuzmenko (2011, 2012), Jana Luste (2011, 2012), Hannelore MacDonald (2011, 2012), Nina Mayevska (2011, 2012), Martina Tripcovici (2011, 2012), Ana Lidon (2011) and Carolina Zanotta (2012), under the leadership of head coach Mike Sowter, assistant coach Danielle Viola and volunteer coach Bernie Jones.

Isaiah Wilkerson'12 (Men's Basketball)
Isaiah Wilkerson emerged as one of the most accomplished players in NJIT Division I men's basketball history.

A three-year team captain, Wilkerson finished his Highlander career with 1,577 points — ranking second in the Division I era and eighth all-time in program history — while also totaling 616 rebounds, the most in the Division I era and 10th all-time overall. He became just the second NJIT player to score 1,000 career points entirely during the Division I era.

Following his collegiate career, Wilkerson made history in 2012 when he was selected by the Tulsa 66ers in the NBA Development League Draft, becoming the first Highlander ever drafted into the NBA D-League. He was chosen in the eighth round as the 118th overall selection by the affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Wilkerson capped his career with one of the greatest seasons in NJIT Division I history. He earned Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America honors, Great West Conference Player of the Year, First Team All-Great West Conference recognition.  His AP All-America selection marked the first time any NJIT student-athlete earned Associated Press All-America honors during the school's Division I era.

Tripp Davis '13 (Baseball)
Tripp Davis established himself as one of the most accomplished pitchers in NJIT Division I baseball history during his standout Highlander career from 2010-2013.

A two-time First Team All-Great West Conference selection, Davis became the program's leader on the mound and finished his career as NJIT's Division I all-time leader in wins (19), innings pitched (382.1), and games started (58), while ranking second in career strikeouts with 309.

Following his collegiate career, Davis was selected by the Kansas City Royals on July 13, 2013.

One of the finest pitching seasons in NJIT Division I history came during Davis' sophomore campaign in 2011. He earned First Team All-Great West honors, NJCBA All-State Division I Second Team recognition and Great West Conference All-Tournament Team honors.  His 107.1 innings pitched established a new NJIT all-time record, and his six complete games set a new Division I program record.

Among his signature performances was a career-high 13-strikeout outing against defending conference champion Utah Valley on April 10, a Division I school record at the time.

Ksenia Kuzmenko '14 (Women's Tennis)
Ksenia Kuzmenko concluded her NJIT women's tennis career as one of the most accomplished student-athletes in program history, compiling an outstanding 58-21 singles record, consistently competing at the top of NJIT's lineup and earning numerous conference and academic honors.

As a freshman in 2010-11, Kuzmenko played a key role on the first NJIT Division I team to win a conference championship, helping the Highlanders capture the Great West Conference title. Her remarkable debut season earned her: 2011 Great West Conference Women's Tennis Athlete of the Year, Great West Conference Newcomer of the Year and First Team All-Great West Conference honors.

In 2011-12, Kuzmenko helped NJIT repeat as Great West Conference champions, earning First Team All-GWC recognition while compiling a 19-9 overall record, including a 15-7 mark at first singles and a 4-2 tournament record. 

The Fleisher Foundation (Herb M. Iris Recipient)
The Fleisher Foundation (Bruce Fleisher and Ronni Molinari) will be the fifth recipient of the award.  The Herb M. Iris Award pays tribute to the late Herb M. Iris (Class of '51, 1930-2006), a great visionary and a major benefactor and supporter of NJIT athletics. The Herb M. Iris Award will honor exemplary leadership and support in the advancement of athletics at NJIT.   The Fleisher name has long been synonymous with NJIT Athletics.  Under the direction of Bruce Fleisher, NJIT has been a beneficiary of the foundation's philanthropy and more than 500 student athletes have received much needed tuition assistance via the many scholarships supported by the Fleisher family and their foundation.

History of NJIT Athletic Hall of Fame
The NJIT Athletic Hall of Fame was founded in 1986 by then-director of athletics J. Malcolm Simon in conjunction with the NJIT Alumni Association. 

The first class of inductees included multi-sport standout John Walsh '66, soccer all-American Hernan "Chico" Borja '81, beloved coach and professor Joseph M. Fitzgerald, and long time director of athletics Robert Swanson. Simon, also the school's all-time winningest coach, was inducted upon his retirement as athletics director in 1994. In all, 44 individuals and three teams were honored through 1996.

After a five-year hiatus, the Hall of Fame was revived in 2002 by current Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics Lenny Kaplan. When the Class of 2026 is welcomed, the NJIT Hall of Fame membership will stand with over 110 inductees.