By James Kratch | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The wait is over.

Carli Lloyd, arguably the most decorated athlete in Rutgers history, will be inducted into the school's athletics Hall of Fame as part of the five-person Class of 2018, the school announced Tuesday.

Lloyd's absence from the Rutgers Hall of Fame has been a sore spot over the years. The two-time Gold Medalist and hero of the 2015 U.S. Women's National Team's World Cup win was previously voted into the Hall, but her induction has been delayed by conflicts with her professional playing career. Lloyd also told NJ Advance Media in 2016 her relationship with the school was "not really existent anymore."

But athletics director Patrick Hobbs said after the 2017 class was announced he and Lloyd would "work really, really hard on making it work next year." Lloyd, who has since joined the NWSL's Sky Blue FC, which plays its home games at Rutgers' Yurcak Field, visited campus last October to see the Scarlet Knights take on Penn State.

That was interpreted as a sign the relationship between Lloyd and Rutgers was being rebuilt, thanks in large part to Hobbs' efforts. Several months later, she is finally set for induction.

Lloyd will be joined in this year's class by former baseball star Doug Alongi, lacrosse standout John Howland, All-American wrestler Edward Scharer and swimmer Catherine Whetstone-Battoni.

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Gregory Bull | AP Photo

"Every day we talk about being engaged in the relentless pursuit of excellence, and this Hall of Fame class represents this sentiment perfectly," Hobbs said in a release. "Their collective accomplishments have not only impacted Rutgers, but their respective sports on an expansive scale. Bringing our greats back to 'The Banks' is always a very special experience, and we look forward to sharing it with the families of our inductees and the Rutgers community."

The inductees will be honored during Rutgers' homecoming football game against Northwestern at HighPoint.com Stadium in Piscataway on Saturday, Oct. 20. The Hall of Fame dinner will be held the night before at the East Brunswick Hilton.

Here is a closer look at each new inductee (bios courtesy of Rutgers athletics communications):

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CARLI LLOYD

A two-time NSCAA All-American and four-time NSCAA All-Region student-athlete, Carli Lloyd’s overwhelming success as a Scarlet Knight in 2001-04 remains a strong root of the women’s soccer program. The Delran, New Jersey, native’s name is etched at No. 1 all-time in the Rutgers career record books in points (117) and goals (50), and is second in game-winners (15) and shots (295). The 2004 Big East Midfielder of the Year also holds single-season records for points (37) and goals (15), and is second in game-winners (six).

Prior to her international heroics for the U.S. Women’s National Team, Lloyd began her storied career by guiding the Scarlet Knights to the Sweet Sixteen in what was the program's second-ever NCAA Tournament bid in 2001. As a freshman, Lloyd led Rutgers in shots (78), goals (15), and points (37), setting the precedent for her next three seasons "On the Banks." Her standout play helped RU to another NCAA bid in 2003, when Lloyd notched 13 goals and 28 points. Since then, the program has gone on to gain national exposure as a perennial contender, competing in eight of the last 10 NCAA Tournaments.

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Photo courtesy of Rutgers Athletics

Lloyd stands as the WNT’s all-time leading scoring midfielder, scoring numerous notable goals for the US, including at the 2008 Olympics when she scored the game-winner in the gold medal match victory vs. Brazil and at the 2012 London Olympics when she scored twice in the 2-1 gold medal victory vs. Japan, and her famous hat trick in the 2015 World Cup Championship win over Japan. Among a long list of accolades, Lloyd added back-to-back FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year awards in 2015 and 2016, making her only the second American and fourth female player to accomplish the feat. This season, Lloyd recorded her 100th international goal, becoming just the sixth USWNT player in history to do so.

In addition to playing with the USWNT, Lloyd also plays professionally in the NWSL for New Jersey-based Sky Blue FC.

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LOOK BACK AT THE CLASS OF 2017

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DOUG ALONGI

A native of Spotswood and graduate of St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, Doug Alongi is one of just two players in Rutgers baseball history to be named first team all-conference three times, one of four to earn a conference player of the year distinction and still holds the program career record with 85 stolen bases. The leadoff hitter, who joined the team as a walk-on, was named All-America in 1993 after hitting .371 with nine home runs, 86 hits, 18 doubles, 45 RBIs, 39 stolen bases and 143 total bases.

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Photo courtesy of Rutgers Athletics

His signature moment came in the 1993 Atlantic 10 Championship Game against West Virginia when he blasted a three-run homer on an 0-2 pitch to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, earning him tournament Most Outstanding Player. The Scarlet Knights would go on to walk off to overcome a five-run deficit starting the inning, making it two tournament titles (1991 and 1993), three regular season championships (1991-93) and two NCAA Tournament berths (1991 and 1993) during Alongi’sthree seasons that saw the team finish 103-58-2. In addition to holding the career stolen base mark, Alongi left as the program single-season leader in runs (62), hits (86), total bases (143) and steals (39) during the memorable 1993 campaign in which he earned Atlantic 10 Player of the Year. The Chicago Cubs selected the outfielder in the 1993 draft.

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JOHN HOWLAND

John Howland competed on the men’s lacrosse team from 1957 to 1959 and was one of the top attackmen in program history. Howland was a three-time All-American, earning Second Team accolades in 1958 and First Team honors in 1959. Howland led the team or shared the team lead in assists in each of his three seasons, making him a three-time winner of the program’s Alfred Sasser Trophy. He posted 43 goals in 1958, which was then the program record, and still stands as the fifth most in a season in Rutgers history.

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Photo courtesy of Rutgers Athletics

A team captain in 1959, he recorded 29 goals and 27 assists to put the team among the top five in the nation. The team was 23-9 in his three seasons, including two wins over rival Princeton. Howland was previously inducted into the Long Island Hall of Fame in 1995.

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EDWARD ALLAN SCHARER

One of 16 All-Americans in Rutgers wrestling history, Edward A. Scharer was a three-time letterwinner and three-time national qualifier at heavyweight for the Scarlet Knights from 1962-64. During his time in the varsity lineup under head coach Dick Voliva, RU produced 21 dual wins. In his first season of varsity action in 1962, Scharer captured an EIWA individual title, going 4-0 at the conference tournament to become just the sixth individual EIWA champion in program history at that time.

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Photo courtesy of Rutgers Athletics

Scharer followed his EIWA title with a runner-up result in 1963, as he collected the team’s Wilfred-Conn award, given to the most inspirational Scarlet Knight wrestler. The senior captain capped his collegiate career in 1964 with a second-place result at the EIWA Championships and claimed the John Fletcher Memorial Trophy, given to the wrestler who has scored the most team points at the conference championship event. Scharer also earned a sixth-place finish at NCAAs to lock up All-America accolades, the only podium finish for a heavyweight at nationals in program history.

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CATHERINE WHETSTONE-BATTONI

Catherine Whetstone was a world-ranked swimmer, a program record-breaker and a four-time BIG EAST champion. She was an international competitor and standout student while attending Rutgers from 2005-10. The Whitehouse Station, N.J. native held program records in the 100-yard butterfly, 100-yard backstroke, 200-yard medley relay and 400-yard freestyle relay at her time of graduation, while garnering an NCAA All-America Honorable Mention in the 100 fly in 2007. She claimed 10 medals at the BIG EAST Championships, including gold in the 200 medley relay in 2006, gold in the 100 fly and 400 free relay in 2007, and gold in the 100 backstroke in 2009.

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Photo courtesy of Rutgers Athletics

Whetstone helped guide the 2006 and 2007 Scarlet Knights to national rankings and a Top 25 finish at the 2007 NCAA Championships. In 2007, she made her international debut swimming for the United States in the Japan International Grand Prix, touching in a 21st world finish. Whetstone also competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2008. She was a two-time team MVP, the 2009-10 Meyer Leadership Award recipient and a team captain. These outstanding athletic accomplishments, coupled with a 3.92 GPA in the Rutgers School of Business, propelled Whetstone to the 2008 Rutgers NJAIAW Sportswoman of the Year honor and two CSCAA Scholar All-America awards. Whetstone graduated Summa Cum Laude with a double major from the Rutgers School of Business and the Rutgers School of Communication and Information.

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NJ Advance Media

James Kratch may be reached at jkratch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JamesKratch. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.