Rider University's Alumni Gym: A Legacy of Athletics and Transformation

The Alumni Gym at Rider University stands as a testament to the institution's rich athletic history and its commitment to providing state-of-the-art facilities for its student-athletes. From its opening in 1958 to its ongoing transformations, the Alumni Gym has been a central hub for Rider's athletic programs, hosting countless competitions, practices, and memorable moments.

Early History and Construction

When Rider University relocated from downtown Trenton to Lawrenceville, the Alumni Gymnasium was the first building constructed on the former Pate Farm. The building officially opened in 1958, marked by a commencement ceremony. Shortly after, the Rider Broncs hosted Seton Hall in the new building’s men’s basketball debut, signifying the start of a new era for Rider athletics. President Franklin F. Moore had promised the Alumni Association almost 20 years prior that the structure would be the first one completed once a more suburban campus was secured.

A Hub for Multiple Sports

The Alumni Gym has traditionally been the home of many Rider athletic programs. Over the years, the facility has hosted men's and women's basketball, wrestling, and volleyball, creating a vibrant atmosphere filled with the sounds of spiking volleyballs, squeaking basketball shoes, and the roar of the crowd.

Enhancements and Renovations

Over the years, Alumni Gym has undergone several renovations to enhance its facilities and provide a better experience for athletes and fans.

Initial Upgrades

Recent renovations included the addition of a modern heating and air conditioning system, a drop ceiling with recessed lighting, and a new sound system. A new branding campaign was also implemented to celebrate the history of the sports utilizing the facility and to reflect the official Rider Athletics logos.

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The Jason Thompson Practice Court

In recent years, Rider has focused on improving the facility, including the addition of the Jason Thompson Practice Court, new flooring, a new lighting and sound system, and a video board. Upgrades were also made to locker rooms, team meeting and film rooms, and new coaches’ offices were provided.

The Canastra Family's Impact

Wayne and Jill Canastra, Rider alumni, have been significant supporters of the University's athletic programs. Their generous contributions have funded various projects, including the renovation of the Alumni Gymnasium. In recognition of their contributions, Rider University dedicated the Maurer Center as the Canastra Health and Sports Center.

The Canastra Arena Project

The Alumni Gym is in line for a significant $18.2 million upgrade. As part of this project, the updated arena will be renamed Canastra Arena in honor of the Canastra family, who made a $2.5 million donation in October 2020, the largest donation in Rider Athletics history.

Fan Experience Enhancements

The renovations aim to increase fan capacity and provide a more enjoyable experience for spectators. Plans include a center-hung scoreboard, an entertainment suite, an expanded lobby with concessions, and upgraded restrooms.

Benefits for Athletes and Staff

The renovations are planned to benefit all of the sports programs that the Alumni Gym hosts, such as men's and women's basketball, wrestling, and volleyball. Improvements to day-to-day operations for athletics staff and student-athletes are also part of the project.

Practice Facility

A new 8,400 square foot basketball practice facility and 2,860 square foot coach offices were built directly behind the existing Alumni Gym. The new practice facility dramatically enhances the daily lives of the Rider student-athletes and coaches and is unique for a mid-major school. The new building is a pre-engineered metal structure with a clear span of 80′ and a height of 40′.

The facility also allows for flexible scheduling for the Alumni Gym.

Wrestling Facility Enhancements

Rider wrestling practices in a 3,600 square foot mat room on the top floor of the Canastra Health & Sports Center, while home meets are held in Alumni Gym, which seats 1,650.

The Gary Taylor Wrestling Training Center

A significant gift from alumnus Greg Morrison and his family led to the creation of the Gary Taylor Wrestling Training Center. This transformational project will fortify Coach Taylor’s legacy at Rider and provide a top-tier Division I training center for all current and future Rider wrestlers.

Expansion and Features

The expansion will assume the space now occupied by the university’s strength and conditioning center. Plans include new wrestling mats, an honorary “Wall of Champions,” and an increase in the size of the planned team room.

A Look Towards the Future

The Alumni Gym's ongoing transformation reflects Rider University's commitment to providing its student-athletes with the resources they need to succeed. With the new Canastra Arena project and the Gary Taylor Wrestling Training Center, Rider is poised to elevate its athletic programs and create an even more vibrant campus community.

Rider University: From Business College to Comprehensive University

To fully appreciate the significance of the Alumni Gym and its place within Rider University, it's essential to understand the institution's rich history and evolution. From its humble beginnings as a private business college to its current status as a comprehensive university, Rider has a legacy of adapting to meet the changing needs of its students and the wider community.

Origins as a Business College (1865-1921)

Rider University's story began on October 2, 1865, when Henry Bryant, Henry Stratton, and William Whitney established the Trenton Business College as part of the Bryant and Stratton chain of private business education institutions.

Early Leadership

James S. Chamberlin, a teacher at the Bryant, Stratton and Whitney Newark Business College, became the first resident principal/president of the Trenton Business College. In April 1866, Chamberlin resigned and George Gaskell, a teacher of penmanship at the Newark Business College, became the new resident Principal/President. In June 1866, Gaskell resigned and Andrew Jackson Rider, also a teacher at the Newark branch, agreed to move to Trenton and become the Trenton Business College’s third principal.

Rider's Influence

In August 1866, Joseph Beecher purchased W. Whitney's 50% interest in the Trenton Business College and replaced Rider as the school's Principal/President. Rider remained at the school as a teacher. In 1867, Beecher became sole owner of the school. In February 1868, Andrew J. Rider purchased half-interest in the Trenton Business College, creating the partnership of Beecher and Rider. Joseph Beecher moved to Newark in 1869 with A.J. Rider assuming full control, but not full ownership, of the Trenton Business College.

Partnerships and Rivalries

In November 1870, Joseph A. Beecher sold his share of the school to William B. Allen, who shared administrative responsibilities with A.J. Rider. In April, 1880 William B. Allen sold the Trenton Business College to Andrew Rider. In April 1883, Thomas J. Stewart resigned as vice-principal of the Trenton Business College and partnered with William Hammond to open the Steward & Hammond Business College. The often bitter Trenton Business College/Stewart Business College rivalry continued until 1901.

Transformation and Expansion

In 1895, Andrew Rider changed the name of the Trenton Business College to the Rider Business College. In 1901, Andrew Rider and Thomas Stewart retired. Franklin B. Moore, secretary of the Rider Business College, purchased the Rider Business College. In June 1901, John E. Gill purchased the Stewart Business College. Moore and Gill merged the two schools in July 1901, forming the Rider-Moore & Stewart Business Colleges. By 1913, the College had established a school of education and announced the commercial teachers training course, becoming one of the first institutions in the nation to develop a two-year program to specifically meet the need for teachers in this field.

Becoming Rider College (1921-1958)

In 1921, President Franklin B. Moore and Vice President John E. Gill completed their long-sought goal to build the College its own building, moving the school to its new site at 428 and 430 E. State Street. At the same time, they amended its incorporation to change the school's name to Rider College. In 1922, the N.J. State Board of Education granted Rider College permission to confer the degrees of Bachelor of Accounts and Bachelor of Commercial Science. In 1927, Rider College Granted Permission to Confer Graduate Degrees to confer graduate degrees in Master of Accounts and Master of Commercial Science.

Intercollegiate Athletics

Intercollegiate athletics were introduced by Clair F. Bee, the College’s first director of Athletics and first coach for football, basketball and baseball. Coach Bee, who would later coach the NBA’s Baltimore Bullets and author the famed Chip Hilton novels for boys, named Rider’s athletics teams “The Roughriders.” He served as director of Athletics until 1931. By 1934, the athletic program expanded to include soccer, basketball, wrestling, swimming, track & field and tennis.

Relocation and Expansion (1958-Present)

The construction of Alumni Gymnasium was completed and the building officially opened for student use in 1958. Rider hosted Seton Hall in the new building’s men’s basketball debut.

Continued Growth

Rider College was completely relocated to the Lawrenceville campus in June 1964, with the move of all classes, administration and facilities. The College was reorganized into five schools by adding two new schools - Graduate School and Liberal Arts and Science - to the three existing schools, Business, Education and Evening.

Merger with Westminster Choir College

After more than six decades of choral excellence, Westminster Choir College had earned a worldwide reputation for maintaining its unique choral emphasis. After a brief period of affiliation, between the institution and Rider, a merger occurred on the Westminster Choir College campus, six miles north of Rider’s Lawrenceville campus, on Route 206.

Rider Broncs Athletics

The Rider Broncs are the athletic teams of Rider University, a private nonsectarian university in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, United States. The school is a Division I member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and its athletes compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). The intercollegiate sports program at Rider was started by coach Clair Bee in the 1920s.

Sports Programs

Rider University offers a variety of intercollegiate sports, including:

Baseball: The baseball team has won four MAAC championships (2008, 2010, 2021, 2023), three NEC titles (1994, 1995, 1996), and six ECC titles (1984-1987, 1989, 1992) and participated in 15 NCAA Regional Tournaments and one College World Series (1967).
Basketball (Men's and Women's): Two players have been drafted and played in the NBA: Herb Krautblatt in 1948 and Jason Thompson in 2008. Rider's women's basketball team has made the WNIT twice (2017, 2019) and finished as the #1 seed in the MAAC in 2019-2020.
Field Hockey: The field hockey team has competed in the NEC since 2021, where the Broncs have won eight titles (2000, 2002, 2004, 2010-2012, 2020, 2022), played in six NCAA Play-In games and two NCAA Tournaments (2020, 2022).
Wrestling: On March 5, 2019 it was announced that Rider along with the other six members of the EWL would be joining the Mid-American Conference as affiliate members starting in academic year 2019-2020, making the MAC the second largest conference in Division I Wrestling.

Notable Alumni

Rider University has produced many successful alumni who have made significant contributions in various fields. Some notable alumni include:

Morton “Moe” Tener ’53: Honored by the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame for his basketball achievements at Rider.
King A. Kovacs ’70: Author of "Retirement Investments 101: Mutual Funds."
Richard Alexander ’73: Author of "My Other Life: A Combat Soldier In Vietnam."
Marc Palker ’73: Chair of the Institute of Management Accountants’ Global Board of Directors.
David Tilton ’73: Executive vice president and chief integration officer at Geisinger Health System.
Dr. Charles Bell ’75: Chief medical officer at Parallon Technology Solutions.
Bruce Stouffer ’77: Executive director of immunochemistry at Pharmaceutical Product Development.
Ruben Rivera ’81: Vice president of sales & marketing at Nikkiso America UV-LED.
Mark Oberndorf ’83: Painter whose works have been featured at the Bergen PAC and the Morris Museum.
Loretta Kreutzberg ’84: Manager in the Program Management Office of NJM Insurance Group.
Chris Gaffney ’85: Group president of Toll Brothers and recipient of the Hearthstone Humanitarian Award.
Michael F. Housel ’87: Author of "The Persona."
Thomas F. Splaine Jr. ’87, MBA ’89: First senior vice president and chief accounting officer of Lakeland Bank.
Michael Zola ’87: Vice president for government relations and policy analysis for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
Kevin Carroll ’90, ’96: Superintendent of Green Brook Township Public Schools.
Robert Adams Jr. ’93: Chief operating officer for Southern Ocean Medical Center.
Marc Hanson ’94: Director of operations of Selah Freedom.
LeRoy Whitehead ’95: Assistant superintendent of the Phoenixville Area School District.
Theresa Richardson ’96: Chief talent officer of WithumSmith+Brown, PC (Withum).
Rimma Zaleznik MBA ’97: Chief financial officer of Thornton Tomasetti.
Edward C. Fronczkiewicz Jr. ’00, Esq.: General counsel of Urban Engineers.
Randell E. Prescott MBA ’01: Senior manager of KCI’s Florida office.
Julie Kukenberger ’02: Assistant superintendent for the Haverhill, Mass., school district.
Jessica Smedley ’03: Director of guidance for the Hillsborough school district.
Craig Wigley ’04: Superintendent of Lacey’s six schools.
Tom Miziak ’05, ’09: Supervisor of science and technology for the Bernards Township Board of Education.
Warren E. Moore ’05: President and chief executive officer of Children’s Specialized Hospital (CSH).
Courtney Bertos ’06: Rider Athletics Hall of Fame inductee.
Gwendolyn Hersh ’06: Peace Corps volunteer in Armenia.
Aimee Infante ’08: Vice president of marketing of Muscle Maker Grill.
Richard Lamont ’08: Police officer in Lawrence Township, N.J.
Amanda Matticks ’11, ’15: Teacher of the Year at Sharon School in Robbinsville.
Joe Immordino ’12, MBA ’15: Founder of Scopo Company.
Yuliya Labko ’12: Represented the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) at a White House gathering.
Dan Petrino ’13: Manager of hockey administration for ECHL.
Sade Calin ’14: Received the Schlesinger Award.

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