Maria Grant CC’86 among Rutgers Hall of Fame 2024 Class.
Maria Grant ‘CC86 is among the 2024 Hall of Fame class announced by Rutgers University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Fellow inductees include John “Pomp” Chandler (lightweight football), Hallie Cohen (softball), Devin McCourty (football), Jason McCourty (football) and Ralph Tedeschi (men’s fencing).
The 2024 Rutgers Hall of Fame induction will take place on September 26 at the East Brunswick Hilton with the inductees recognized on September 27 when Rutgers football hosts Washington at SHI Stadium.
Maria Grant CC’86
A two-sport record-setter, Maria Grant was a four-year varsity letter winner for both field hockey (1981-84) and women’s lacrosse (1982-86) and was the first women’s lacrosse player at Rutgers to be named to an All-American squad.
Earning Brine/IWLCA First Team All-American honors as a senior in 1986, Grant led the nation with a .689 save percentage with a then-school record 255 saves across 16 games. Altogether, she amassed 750 career saves, breaking the Rutgers career record multiple times with 215 saves in 1984, 254 saves in 1985 and 255 in 1986, with a consistent career save percentage of 68.9% with each of her stops made with a field player crosse as goalies at the time were not permitted to play with today’s larger regulation goalie stick.
Along with being recognized with three IWLCA All-Region selections, the team captain’s defensive skills in between the pipes were displayed at the prestigious Lacrosse National North-South All-Star Game in 1986 at Johns Hopkins University.
Grant’s defensive prowess was equally as impressive on the field hockey pitch as she was an integral part of the 1984 team that was ranked 10th nationally and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Final 8 for the first time in program history. Recognized as a Penn Monto/NFCHA Regional All-American and the team’s “Best Defensive Player”, Grant was also a member of the United States Women’s Field Hockey squad and was selected to participate in the 1982 U.S.A. National Sports Festival.
Her dedication to sports traveled beyond collegiate competition playing with the United States Women’s Club Lacrosse Association, where she earned six consecutive selections to the New England First Team as a goalie and served as team captain for two years. Additionally, her involvement with the Empire State Team resulted in multiple medals including gold in 1987. More recently, she was selected as a member of the US Women’s Field Hockey Over 60 World Cup Team and will compete for a world championship in New Zealand in November of 2024.
Off the field, Grant joined the coaching ranks where she served as a volunteer assistant coach for both the Rutgers women’s lacrosse and field hockey programs imparting knowledge and leadership to the next generation of student-athletes. She also served as a graduate assistant and later as an assistant coach at Syracuse, helping the field hockey team to a No. 10 national ranking and securing a spot in the ECAC Tournament. She has continued to coach field hockey and lacrosse at independent and public schools and at the club level currently serving as the Director of Girl’s Lacrosse at nationally ranked Building Blocks Lacrosse North Division and Head Girl’s Lacrosse Coach at Ramapo High School.
This profile of Maria Grant CC’86 first appeared in an article on Rutgers Athletics website.
