SPRING 2014 EDITION
Athletic News The Booster Club was formed in the spring of 2003 to support GSB athletics both financially and by encouraging school spirit. For more information about the Booster Club, contact David Pasquale, athletic director, at 908-234-1611, ext. 221.
A NOTE FROM THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR Ten senior student-athletes received end-of-the-year awards for athletic and academic excellence. Their dedication to their sports and to their studies has earned them much deserved recognition. Dana Klein and Taylor Rooks received the Joyce Creasey Memorial Award, given at Commencement to the best senior female athlete(s) at Gill St. Bernard’s School. Dana, also the GSB Skyland Conference female scholar-athlete-of-the-year, was a championship caliber distance runner across all three athletic seasons, shattering numerous school and meet records. Taylor, our female Somerset County scholar-athlete-of-the-year, established scoring and rebounding records for our championship girls’ basketball team. Craig Pilla and James Reiner were the recipients of the Harold D. Nicholls Memorial Award, given during graduation to the best senior male athlete(s) at Gill. Craig and James were both standout defenders on our state championship boys’ soccer team. Craig was also a leading hitter on our baseball team and our Somerset County male scholar-athlete-of-the-year. James participated in basketball and track, and was named GSB’s Skyland Conference male scholar-athlete-of-the-year. Kathryn Bednarsky was selected to represent Gill at the NJSIAA scholar-athlete luncheon in Edison, N.J. Katy was a four-year starter and all-conference player in girls’ soccer, and also participated in softball and swimming. Jasmine Sina was the Gill representative for National Girls and Women in Sports Day at Seton Hall University. Jasmine was a four-year starting point guard, scoring 1,300 career points on our championship girls’ basketball team. Alexandria Benoit (track/cross country) and Caroline Roch (softball) earned several postseason honors and were Gill’s nominees for the Jan Baker Female Scholar-Athlete Award, recognized by all independent schools in New Jersey. Carl Brown (tennis) and Cole Moriarty (basketball/golf ) were Gill’s nominees for the Nick Gusz Male Scholar-Athlete Award, recognized by all New Jersey independent schools. Both were named to many all-conference and all-prep teams. Congratulations to all 10 outstanding student-athletes, several of whom will continue to shine at the college level!
FOR YOUR INFORMATION Please note the following abbreviations used throughout this newsletter: NJISAA – New Jersey Independent School Athletic Association, divided into “Prep A” and “Prep B” NJSIAA – New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, in which GSB competes in the Non-Public B Division SCT – Somerset County Tournament
GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • SPRING 2014
Recognizing Excellence in Three-Sport Athletes Two student-athletes were recognized for participation in three seasons across each of their four years throughout Upper School. This spring, the GSB Athletic Booster Club honored Alexandria Benoit and Dana Klein, whose steadfast determination and commitment to the success of Gill St. Bernard’s School earned them 12 varsity letters for athletic participation.
GSB Three-Sport Seniors
Student-Athlete Alexandria Benoit Dana Klein
GSB’s 2014 varsity girls’ cross country captains, Alexandria Benoit ’14 and Dana Klein ’14.
Fall Sport Cross Country Cross Country
Alexandria Benoit ’14, varsity indoor track.
Winter Sport Indoor Track Indoor Track
Spring Sport Track & Field Track & Field
Dana Klein ’14, varsity track and field.
Special Thanks to the 2014 Spring GSB Team Parents Ann Marie Blackman P ’13, ’16 and Maria Leonhard P ’13, ’16 Coordinators of Upper School Team Parents Lisa Pilla P ’14, ’17, Mary Ann Bauer P ’14 and Barbara Mehmel P ’14 Varsity Baseball Michele Silvey P ’16, ’21 JV Baseball Jill Moriarty P ’11, ’14, ’16, ’22 Varsity Golf Donna Bednarsky P ’08, ’10, ’14, ’17 JV Golf Andrea Olsen P ’14 and Sarah Treanor P ’13, ’14 Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse
Lisa Dadouris P ’07, ’17 JV Boys’ Lacrosse
Robyn Lake P ’18, ’21 Baseball
Ellen Gordon P ’12, ’14, ’18 and Gail Roch P ’14, ’18 Varsity Softball
Karen Orazietti P ’16, ’18, ’21 Boys’ Lacrosse
Debra Neville P ’14 Varsity Boys’ Tennis Carolyn Clayton P ’14, ’16 and Pamela Brooks P ’15 JV Boys’ Tennis Heather Ensley P ’16, ’18, Jennifer Iannaconi P ’13, ’16 and Linda Klein P ’14 Varsity Track and Field Jill Gateman P ’17, ’20 and Karen Orazietti P ’16, ’18, ’21 Coordinators of Middle School Team Parents
Michele Johnson P ’18, ’20 and Nancy Lioudis P ’18 Girls’ Lacrosse Monica Chestnutt P ’16, ’18 Softball Laura Henderlong P ’19, ’23 Boys’ Tennis Lisa Bothwell P ’16, ’18, Cheryl Devine P ’20 and Liz Reid P ’18, ’21 Track and Field
Team parents are sponsored each season by the GSB Athletic Booster Club. 2
GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • SPRING 2014
Varsity Track and Field Team Runs Circles Around Competition In early April, the varsity track and field team laced up for yet another outstanding season that included a runner-up finish in the Non-Public B South Sectional Championship as well as new school and meet records from various individuals and relay squads. The girls had a fine showing at the Skyland Conference Relays on April 12. Ludi Zhu ’16 took eighth and Armani Comick ’15 11th in the long jump. Melissa Jean ’17, Colette Bilynsky ’16 and Zoe Quan-Shau ’16 recorded impressive results in the discus, javelin and shot put. Top 10 performances were also posted by the girls’ 4x800 team of Samantha Bittman ’17, Sahara Ensley ’16, Dana Klein ’14 and Lillie Wilson ’16 (8th/10:43), and by the 4x200 squad of Alexandria Benoit ’14, Erica Phiansunthon ’17, Jacqueline Roettger ’16 and Zhu (9th/1:55). Patrik Andersen ’15, Michael Iannaconi ’16, Peter “Alec” Johnson ’15, Jacob Kruger ’15, Amechi Nwandu ’17 and Mathieu Petit ’17 combined for strong finishes in the boys’ 4x800 (8:57) and distance medley relay (11:09) at the annual event. In addition, Johnson, Connor Beasty ’15, Gregory Niccolai ’16 and William Metzler ’16 threw well in the boys’ discus, javelin and shot put. GSB headed to the University of Pennsylvania for the Penn Relays on April 24 and 25. The girls’ 4x400 squad placed fifth and the boys’ 4x100 team finished seventh behind Beasty, Comick, Nwandu, Phiansunthon, Roettger, Jordan Taylor ’14, Andrew Wible ’15 and Zhu. Klein also placed sixth in a field of 24 runners across 12 states during the 3000-meter run in a school record time, 9:53.
Ludi Zhu ’16.
Gill built on its success the following day at the Millburn Relays, where Zhu and Comick combined for gold and a school record distance (32’7½”) in the long jump relay. Zhu also established a new school record (17’1”) in her individual event and joined the girls’ sprint medley relay team of Benoit, Comick and Klein for first in both a new school and meet record time (4:15). In the
boys’ distance medley relay, Felix Andersen ’17, P. Andersen, Petit and Wible finished 10:54 for silver. Meanwhile, the freshman/sophomore sprint medley relay squad of Bittman, Ensley, Hope Fluet ’16 and Phiansunthon placed sixth in a school best 5:00. Eighth place finishes were secured by the boys’ javelin relay squad of Niccolai and Michael Tafaro ’15 as well, with a combined distance of 228’7.” On May 6, Klein was crowned Skyland Conference Champion in both the 1600m (4:57) and 3200m (10:46). Zhu took fourth in the long jump (16’6½”) and Benoit seventh in the 800m (2:22) to lead the girls to seventh place overall. The boys finished 10th behind a runner-up effort from P. Andersen in the 1600m (4:24) event. Klein continued to shine at the Somerset County Championships on May 13, claiming both the 1600-meter (4:57) and 3200-meter (10:52) runs. The girls placed fifth overall behind Klein, Comick (3rd/triple jump/34’3¾”), Zhu (3rd/long jump/16’3½”) and Benoit (4th/800m/2:23) in the championship meet. P. Andersen led the boys to 13th overall with a runner-up performance in the 1600m (4:17) and seventh place time (9:55) in the 3200m. Tafaro posted impressive results in the javelin (14th/138’02”) as well. The girls secured their fourth consecutive runner-up finish at the NJSIAA Non-Public B South Sectional Championships in Egg Harbor, N.J. on May 24. Klein swept all three distance events, while Comick earned dual wins in the discus and triple jump, and medaled with bronze in the long jump. Likewise obtaining third place results were Ensley (1600m, 3200m) and Benoit (800m). Zhu rounded-out individual scoring with second in the long jump and fourth in the 100m. She also joined Benoit, Bittman, Ensley, Jean, Klein, Phiansunthon, Roettger and Wilson for runner-up finishes in all three relay events (400m, 1600m, 3200m). P. Andersen finished first in the 800m and 1600m, as well as runner-up in the 3200m, to lead the boys to fourth. Additional points were scored by Beasty in both the javelin (2nd) and triple jump (6th), Niccolai in the discus (4th) and Tafaro in the javelin (5th). Gill St. Bernard’s had another fine showing at the NJSIAA Group Championships on May 30 and 31 in South Plainfield, N.J. Klein celebrated her birthday weekend with a sweep of the meet’s distance events. She conquered the girls’ 800m in a school record time of 2:15, finished 4:59 in the 1600m and owned the 3200m in 10:54. Comick 3
GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • SPRING 2014 was also Group B champion with gold (34’4”) in the triple jump event. In addition, she placed sixth (15’4”) in the long jump and helped the girls’ 4x100 squad of Fluet, Roettger and Zhu to fifth overall (53.6 seconds). Zhu medaled with bronze (15’8”) in the girls’ long jump event as well, while Benoit—a fifth place finisher (2:19.5) in the 800m—helped the 4x800 relay squad of Bittman, Ensley and Wilson to sixth overall (10:33). P. Andersen finished first and second in the boys’ 800m and 1600m, also setting a new 800m school and meet record (1:53.7). Niccolai added crucial points with a fourth place throw (123’) in the discus, while Tafaro and Beasty threw for fifth (141’) and sixth (140’10”) in the javelin. P. Andersen and Klein made GSB spring track and field history at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions (MOC) on June 4, as the first boy and girl ever to take medals in the same MOC meet. P. Andersen took fifth in the 800m in school record fashion (1:53.07), while Klein earned a bronze medal and set a new school record (10:33.21) in the 3200m. Another school record (10:23) was also set by the girls’ 4x800 relay squad of Benoit, Bittman, Ensley and Wilson to close the season. Paul Kruger ’16 and Jacqueline Luberto ’16 also contributed to the successful year and will return in 2015 to help the Knights reach new heights. Michael Iannaconi ’16.
Varsity Tennis Posts Winning Season The 2014 varsity boys’ tennis team yielded seven wins and five losses this spring to finish runner-up in the Raritan Division of the Skyland Conference. GSB kicked off the season with three straight wins against opponents from North Hunterdon, Franklin and Voorhees. Despite points from John Carlson Brown ’14 (6-4, 6-2) and Kyle Williams ’14 (7-5, 5-7, 6-2) at singles, the Knights sustained their first loss (3-2) in a battle against Bernards William Conlan ’16. on April 10. After dropping two matches the following week, the boys bounced back with a 3-2 victory over Morristown-Beard on April 24. William Conlan ’16 (4-6, 6-2, 6-0) and Williams (6-3, 6-2) led the Knights at singles, while George Harris ’16 teamed with Ivor Guest ’15 to add a second doubles point (4-6, 6-3, 6-4) and clinch the win. The Knights placed ninth overall in the Somerset County Championships on April 26, and continued to shine with back-to-back shutouts over Voorhees and Franklin on May 1 and 2. Seeded No. 3 in the NJSIAA Non-Public B South Sectional Tournament, GSB also defeated Saint Rose 4-1 in the quarterfinals on May 13. The first doubles duo of
Guest and Marc Orazietti ’16 won 1-6, 6-1, 10-3, while Harris partnered with Bryce Neville ’14 to finish 6-0, 6-2 at second doubles. Both Conlan and Williams won their singles matches as well to take the Knights to the semifinals against a second-seeded Rutgers Prep. Williams advanced to the championship round of the third singles flight in the NJISAA Prep B Tournament on May 18. He handily defeated Pennington and Montclair Kimberley Academy before ending the season with a loss to Princeton Day School in the finals on May 20. Brown and Conlan also won their quarterfinal matches to help the boys to fifth place overall in the team event. This year, the varsity team graduated four senior-athletes including Brown, Henry Holmes ’14, Neville and Williams. Next spring, Gill will look toward younger athletes such as Ruben Kivits ’17 and Nicholas Ross ’16 to keep the varsity program strong. The Booster Club Newsletter is written and published by the Gill St. Bernard’s School Communications & Marketing Department. Allyson B. Daly P ’27, ’28 Director of Communications & Marketing Megan Zakrzewski Communications Specialist Photography in this issue by Larry Levanti Photography and GSB staff members, unless otherwise noted. Designed by Vision Creative Group. 4
GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • SPRING 2014
JV Tennis Aims for Success This spring’s JV boys’ tennis team earned two wins and one draw, falling just short to Voorhees, Bernards and Morristown-Beard. Ruben Kivits ’17 and Nicholas Ross ’16 led their team with two of the highest winning percentages on the court, including a singles victory from Ross at The Hun School on May 6. Ross also joined Michael Urowsky ’16 to defeat a formidable Morristown-Beard duo on April 24, while Kivits partnered with Brian Quispe ’16 to earn a solid win in three sets over Bernards on May 5. Impressive wins were also secured by Edward Fischer ’15, the only JV player to compete in every match this spring. Drew Braue ’17, Ethan Brooks ’15, William Clayton ’16, Ravi Malik ’16, Sebastian Pampalone ’16, Michael Petrilli ’15, Jonathan Sonnenberg ’15, Jacob Udoff ’17 and Zhong Zhang ’17 also helped the team improve throughout the season.
Varsity Softball Advances to Fifth Straight Prep B Championship GSB’s varsity softball program posted a phenomenal season, including 15 wins and an appearance in its fifth consecutive Prep B Championship. The girls soared to three straight wins over Pingry (5-2), Belvidere (9-1) and North Plainfield (15-0) at the start of the year before falling 4-0 to Mount St. Mary Academy on April 9. In the weeks that followed, GSB rebounded with victories over Manville (10-0), Bound Brook (5-2), Bernards (3-1), South Hunterdon (9-1) and Rutgers Prep (15-0). The Knights fell 3-0 to Bernards in the second round of the SCT before triumphing 13-1 over Oak Knoll on April 28. Eliza Brookman ’15 contributed a pair of hits and three RBIs, while Madeline Bedrock ’17, Samantha Delehanty ’16, Margaret “Meg” Donlin ’15 and Cara Napolitano ’14 added two runs apiece. Bedrock also threw for nine strikeouts on May 1 to help the girls to a 5-4 win over Bound Brook—the team’s 10th victory of the season.
Emma Corbett ’16.
Ravi Malik ’16.
hits apiece from Bedrock and Donlin, a two-run double from Paige Knichel ’15, and two runs—including her 100th career hit—by Napolitano. On May 5, the Knights erupted for 16 hits to triumph 16-3 over Ridge, and the winning continued the following afternoon with a 6-2 victory over North Plainfield. Napolitano went 3-for-4 and scored twice, while Brookman and Bedrock laced run-scoring singles against the Canucks. GSB earned a dramatic 7-6 victory over Morristown-Beard in the Prep B Tournament semifinals on May 13. Down by six in the bottom of the seventh, the girls strung together nine consecutive hits by Bedrock, Brookman, Emma Corbett ’16, Delehanty, Donlin, Elizabeth “Sally” Gordon ’14, Knichel, Napolitano and Caroline Roch ’14 to clinch the team’s fifth straight berth in the final. The Knights fell 3-1 to Wardlaw-Hartridge in the championship game, and ended their season (15-9) with a 7-1 loss to Wildwood Catholic in round one of the NJSIAA Non-Public B State Tournament. Contributions from Carolyn Brand ’17, Julia Castrucci ’17, Katherine Duggan ’17, Genevieve Fischer ’17, Kaitlyn Moriarty ’16, Jenna Steele ’15 and Emily Supron ’17 helped the girls continue their tradition of softball success.
Gill rallied for four runs in the seventh inning against Belvidere on May 3, falling just short (7-5) to the County Seaters despite two 5
GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • SPRING 2014
Varsity Baseball Named Valley Division Runner-Up Varsity baseball finished runner-up in the Valley Division of the Skyland Conference, and advanced to the Prep B semifinals and quarterfinal round of the NJSIAA Non-Public B South Sectional Tournament. The Knights jumped out to four straight wins in early-April, beginning with a 3-0 triumph over Pingry. Craig Pilla ’14 led off with a double, James Raia ’16 followed with a single and Daniel Brownstein ’15 added a two-run double to clinch the season-opening victory at home. The streak continued with strong wins over Belvidere (21-3), North Plainfield (1-0) and Bound Brook (8-4), as Daniel Spear ’15 threw his first career no-hitter against the Canucks on April 7 and Robert Berman ’15 went 4-for-4 with three doubles and four RBIs against Bound Brook the following day. Luke Beveridge ’15, Pilla and Daniel Sivolella ’16 also combined for seven hits, while Clarke Mehmel ’14 pitched five effective innings to take the Knights to 4-0 on the season. On April 9, Gill saw its perfect record snapped in a 5-4 loss to defending state champion Rutgers Prep. Despite falling to the Argonauts in the second round of the SCT, Gill quickly recovered with a 13-3 rout of Oratory Prep at TD Bank Ballpark on April 28. Spear went 3-for-4, scored twice and drove in two runs, Berman went 2-for-3 with four RBIs, and Cameron Miller ’17 chipped in with a bases-loaded triple to highlight Gill’s annual appearance at the home of the Somerset Patriots. On May 2, Brendan Dougher ’14 tossed a complete game five-hitter and catcher Alexander Bauer ’14 was flawless,
defensively, in a 14-3 win over Bound Brook. The postseason continued with a Prep B quarterfinal match against Doane Academy on May 8. Spear went 3-for-4 with five RBIs and threw a complete game two-hitter in the 12-0 shutout. Beveridge and Pilla also contributed two hits and two runs apiece, Berman and Ryan McCluskey ’14 scored twice, and Matthew Taylor ’16 Matthew Taylor ’16. drove in two runs to guide the boys to the next round. GSB fell to Morristown-Beard in the semifinals on May 13. Raia and Berman’s two hits each, along with Miller’s two runs and two RBIs, were not enough to hold the rival at bay. Gill was seeded No. 10 in this year’s NJSIAA Non-Public B South Sectional Tournament and advanced to the second round with a 4-0 shutout over Mater Dei Prep. The boys concluded their season (13-14) the following week with a 5-0 loss to the state’s eighth-ranked team, Marist. Although the varsity program graduated five talented seniors, it will rely on younger athletes such as Ryan Chestnutt ’16 and Cameron Gateman ’17 to carry the team to new heights next year.
JV Baseball Makes Mid-Season Comeback The JV baseball team (4-5) won four of its last five games to finish the season on a high note. By mid-April, the boys showed significant improvement in both fielding and hitting, combining for 63 runs throughout their four-game winning streak over Princeton Day, Bound Brook, North Plainfield and Manville. Evan Druskin ’17 proved king of the hill this spring, going 3-2 with 27 strikeouts for the Knights, while Carter Silvey ’16 finished 1-0 with a triumph at North Plainfield on May 6. Ryan Chestnutt ’16 also threw for 16 strikeouts over two games, and Cameron Gateman ’17 secured Gill’s only save of the year by holding North Plainfield to zero runs with the bases loaded in the seventh inning. At the plate, Aniello “Neil” Ianniello ’16 led the way with a .448 batting average and notched 13 hits, eight runs and 10 RBIs overall. Tyler Starr ’17 recorded the most walks (11), Druskin had a team-high 11 RBIs and Andrew Noll ’16 followed with 10 runs batted in. Ryan Fucci ’17 (six hits/four RBIs), James Grant ’16 (nine hits/six RBIs) and Tyler Kwaak ’16 (seven hits/five RBIs) also contributed to Gill’s mid-season resurgence. After graduating five seniors, these players will compete to play a critical role at the varsity level next spring.
Evan Druskin ’17.
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GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • SPRING 2014
Varsity Golf Takes Second in Valley Division GSB greeted the 2014 varsity golf season with back-to-back wins over Belvidere and Bernards during opening week. The team jumped out to a 229-276 victory over the County Seaters on April 1 and quickly improved to 2-0 on April 2 against Bernards. Edmond “Cole” Moriarty ’14 shot a 45 in the 239-244 triumph over Bernards. In addition, Garret Hill ’14 and Gunnar Valentine ’15 posted 46s for the Knights.
Garret Hill ’14.
Despite medalist honors from Moriarty (40), Gill saw its two-match winning streak snapped on April 7 in a close loss to Morristown-Beard. The following day, the Knights stormed back to defeat South Hunterdon 235-277.
Moriarty posted a match-best 42, and Nicolas Ricciardi ’16 and John “Jack” Lowe ’15 shot a 45 and 46 for the win. The Knights placed eighth overall at the Somerset County Championships at Neshanic Valley Golf Club on April 21. They continued the postseason with the Skyland Conference Championships on May 14, where Moriarty shot an 83 for sixth on the par 72 Royce Brook Golf course. Both Dylan Blackman ’16 (8th/89) and Valentine (9th/91) also helped the Knights to a runner-up team finish among all Valley Division schools. The success continued at the Prep B Championships in Hightstown, N.J., where Valentine shot a team-best 89, and Lowe (90), Moriarty (92) and Blackman (93) rounded-out scoring for fifth overall. Gill ended the season on top, sweeping South Hunterdon and Belvidere at the Trump National Golf Club on May 20. Valentine led with a 43, both Moriarty and Blackman scored a 44, Lowe shot a 48 and Garrett Rowe ’15 chipped in with a 54 to close the year. Although the varsity golf program graduated three seniors this spring—Alexander Ferruggia ’14, Hill and Moriarty—it will continue to find strength in younger members of the team.
JV Golf Team Finds its Swing The JV golf season opened on April 2, with each teammate displaying steadfast determination both at practices and throughout Gill’s seven matches this spring. This year’s 13-member team fielded a young roster comprised of seven freshman players including Steven Bednarsky, Tristan Kaminski, Carleigh Matthews, Troy Pilla, Christian St. Germaine, Graham Valentine and Grayson Valentine. Pilla guided the Knights with some of the lowest scores of the season, earning a career-best 46 on the nine-hole course at Morris County Golf Club on April 14. He was followed by Kaminski, who shot a personal best 49 at the Fox Hollow Golf Club on April 23, and by the Valentine brothers who, likewise, yielded impressive results throughout the season. Charles Kasman ’16, Kenneth “Casey” Meyer ’15 and Samuel Zimmer ’16 also put forth a solid effort on the course. In addition, Claire Todd ’16 represented her female teammates Malika Jones ’16, Matthews and Elisabeth Middleton ’16 as a participant in the April 9 match against Lawrenceville. Relying on fundamentals and key strategies developed throughout the spring, the future of the JV program shines bright, showing great promise of success. Claire Todd ’16.
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GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • SPRING 2014
Girls’ Lacrosse Introduced to Varsity Level GSB lacrosse entered its inaugural season of varsity competition on April 3. The season kicked off at home, where Allison Coffey ’17 scored three times and Sarah Fenton ’15 added two goals against Ranney. Kaila Gong ’15, Nita Diverio ’15, Kathryn Cramer ’17 and Jennifer Lowe ’17 also combined for seven ground balls in the loss to the Panthers. Despite two goals apiece from both Coffey and Gong, one goal from Fenton and eight saves by goaltender Catarina “Caty” Matthews ’16, Gill fell 12-5 to North Warren on April 9. Matthews made eight saves on April 24 at Rutgers Prep as well, as the Knights played their best game of the season behind Coffey and Gong with two goals apiece and Martine DiDomenico ’17 with one. On May 2, GSB battled the Academy of Saint Elizabeth to a 5-4 overtime loss. Fenton led the way, offensively, with two goals. Coffey and Emma Dean ’17 also added one goal apiece, Cricket Treanor ’14 chipped in with an assist and Matthews made seven saves. The girls’ milestone season closed with a 16-4 loss to Warren Hills on May 9. Coffey scored three goals and Dean added another to finish out the groundbreaking year. Despite graduating two seniors, Kensey Olsen ’14 and Treanor, Gill will confidently look toward younger athletes including Isabelle Demontigny ’15, Sadie Loeber ’17, Sara Merton ’17 and Kaitlyn Sleyster ’17 to continue the girls’ successful transition to the varsity level next year.
Nita Diverio ’15.
JV Boys’ Lacrosse Makes Valiant Return to the Field Competing interscholastically for the first time in more than two decades, Gill St. Bernard’s JV boys’ lacrosse program sailed to four straight victories at the start of the spring. Gill’s milestone season (4-2) opened with a 6-2 triumph over Rutgers Prep on April 1. Goalkeeper Will Dadouris ’17 made six saves, Nicholas Cooper ’17 added four goals, and both Kevin Brito ’17 and John Stumpf ’14 scored one goal apiece in the win. The boys improved to 2-0 on April 10, as Cooper (three goals/ two assists), Brito (two goals/two assists), Aaron Hinton ’16 (one goal/one assist) and Michael Del Priore ’16 (one goal) played superb offense against Oratory Prep (7-4). GSB notched its third consecutive victory (8-5) on April 16 at Warren Hills, where Cooper led the way with four goals and two assists. Meanwhile, Brito scored two goals and assisted on another, Prince Adablah ’16 and Preet “Paul” Singh ’16 added one goal apiece, and Del Priore and Hinton chipped in with assists. The success continued with a 9-2 victory over Wardlaw-Hartridge on April 24. Cooper recorded four goals and two assists, and Adablah, Brito, Del Priore, Parth Patel ’17 and Singh rounded-out scoring for the Knights. Despite a game-high six goals and one assist from Cooper, one goal and one assist from Singh, an assist by Brito and 15 saves from Dadouris in the cage, the boys’ four-game winning streak was shattered by Morristown-Beard on May 1. The boys fell 7-6 to Newark Academy on May 7 as well to conclude the 2014 season. Leading scorer Cooper had four goals, followed by Singh with two, in the overtime loss. Other key contributors to the team this past spring included Nathaniel Bess ’17, Landon Braemer ’17, Shane Burchard ’15, Cameron Burns ’17, Alexander Filley ’14, Devin Hohman ’17, Patrick Janas ’16 and Joshua Layden ’16. Will Dadouris ’17.
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GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • SPRING 2014
Spirited Member of Booster Club Announces Retirement from Board The Athletic Booster Club extended sincere thanks to longtime committee member Marianne Dougher P ’10, ’14 this past spring, when she “graduated” from Gill alongside her son Brendan ’14. The Doughers first enrolled at Gill in 2004, most drawn to the Marianne school’s mission of providing a diverse and balanced Dougher P ’10, ’14. environment. Ten years later, Dougher affirms GSB did not disappoint. “My daughter, Caitlyn ’10, had a good experience in the Upper School, which has continued to make great advances academically, and my son had the opportunity to play sports at a place where he felt most comfortable,” she said. “I’ve been privileged to be part of a community that was able to rise to the occasion.” Dougher slowly began volunteering with the Knights in 2008, the same year her youngest joined the Middle School baseball team, and credits former concessions stand manager Ann Marie Blackman P ’13, ’16 for influencing her decision to seek further involvement through Gill’s annual Homecoming & Family Day in 2010. The following fall, Dougher was recruited by the Athletic Booster Club executive committee and appointed director of field house concessions. “This group has been great to volunteer with,” said Dougher. “The entire Athletics Department is truly state-of-the-art and I’ve loved every minute.” Over the past three years, Dougher has played a key role in expanding Gill’s spring concessions program and spearheaded the installation of an outdoor patio near the Cox Field Lodge. “Marianne shows some of the best spirit of anyone I’ve ever known, always offering great ideas and enthusiasm,” said Vice President of the Booster Club Jill Moriarty P ’11, ’14, ’16, ’22. “She will be greatly missed.” Current parents Cheryl Lowe P ’15, ’17, Liz Reid P ’18, ’21 and Stephen Tafaro P ’15 have been selected as new members of the Athletic Booster Club executive committee for the 2014-15 school year. The three will be featured in the next issue of the Booster Club Newsletter.
Gill St. Bernard’s School 2013-14 Athletic Booster Club Executive Committee President Richard Emmitt P ’02
Marianne Dougher P ’10, ’14
David Pasquale
Jill Gateman P ’17, ’20
Marianne Saladino P ’14, ’16
Vice President Jill Moriarty P ’11, ’14, ’16, ’22
Tara Kramer P ’16, ’20
Kelly Sturman P ’21, ’22
Maria Leonhard P ’13, ’16
Ex-Officio Members Headmaster Sid Rowell P ’08, ’14
Donna Bednarsky P ’08, ’10, ’14, ’17 Ann Marie Blackman P ’13, ’16 Lisa Dadouris P ’07, ’17
Jemi McCluskey P ’14 Tina Noll P ’10, ’12, ’16 Karen Orazietti P ’16, ’18, ’21
Director of Development Jim Diverio P ’11, ’15
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GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • SPRING 2014
Middle School Track and Field A Season for the Record Books
Members of the 2014 Middle School spring track and field team.
Gill St. Bernard’s Middle School track and field program had a phenomenal season, including four new school records. In addition, personal records were secured by nearly every student-athlete, grades five through eight, on the 61-member team. The boys’ squad was led by Alex Imegwu ’18, who shattered the school’s former six and eight lb. shot put records with distances of 44’5” and 39’5,” and surpassed Gill’s previous discus record (111’10”) after throwing a 123’3½.” A new school girls’ high jump record (4’4”) was set by both Tamia Chaney ’20 and Gillian Fritzlo ’19 as well. Gill hosted its annual Silver Spike Invitational on May 6. Looking to defend their 2013 title, the boys pushed past Wardlaw-Hartridge to finish as runner-up in a field of nine schools. Dallas Hoffman ’18 and Imegwu led the Knights with first place performances in the high jump (5’4”) and shot put (40’6½”). Hoffman also earned second in the shot put (13’6”), while Imegwu (17.05 seconds) and Timothy “TJ” Chaney ’18 (17.61 seconds) finished with silver and bronze in the 100m hurdles. Sophie Parker ’18 helped the girls to fourth place overall in a field of 11, taking first in the long jump (13’7¼”) for the Knights. Medals were also presented to Chaney and Charlese Reynolds ’18 with silver in the 100m hurdles and shot put, and to Lauren Reid ’18 and Fritzlo who captured bronze in the 100m hurdles and high jump. GSB next headed to the annual Bernardsville Rotary on May 12, where it saw top three finishes from Imegwu (1st/Shot Put; 2nd/100m Hurdles & High Jump), Hoffman (1st/High Jump; 2nd/Shot Put), Chaney (3rd/100m Hurdles & High Jump) and Daniel Zoumas ’19 (3rd/200m) of the boys’ squad, and from Chaney (1st/100m Hurdles & 100m; 2nd/High Jump),
Parker (1st/Long Jump), Reid (2nd/100m Hurdles), Kierstyn Brown ’20 (2nd/200m) and Fritzlo (3rd/High Jump) of the girls’ team. In addition, the girls’ 4x100 relay foursome of Parker, Reid, Catherine Quan-Shau ’18 and Brown won a gold medal. The season concluded at the Pingry Invitational on May 13. Imegwu and Hoffman took the boys to third place overall with first in the high jump, shot put and discus relay events. The girls took fifth behind Parker and Reid with gold in the long jump relay. The 3x100m hurdles relay squad of Reid, Peyton Sloan ’19 and Chaney also finished second, while the girls’ high jump relay team of Fritzlo and Sloan earned bronze. Other key contributors this spring included Bartholomew Benoit ’21, Kamal Brown ’19, Mark Giordano ’19 and Jonathan Moore ’18 of the boys’ team, as well as girls’ squad members Jessica Abowitz ’18, Genevieve Caron ’19, Catherine D’Arcangelis ’21, Ava Escousse ’21, Lucy Friedland ’19, Kennedy Hayes ’18, Laura Howard ’21, Caitlyn Matthews ’20, Stella O’Connor ’21, Caroline Sameth ’21, Vallika Saraswat ’19, Iyanah Vemuri ’19 and Catelyn Woelfe ’19.
Tamia Chaney ’20.
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GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • SPRING 2014
Middle School Boys’ Lacrosse Demonstrates True Teamwork The Middle School boys’ lacrosse team consisted of a deep roster of fifth to eighth grade student-athletes. They played well while working together to improve throughout the season, which included wins over rivals Newark Academy and Rutgers Prep. Along with goalkeeper Christopher Johnson ’20, the combined efforts of defenders Hunter Babinec ’21, Christian Ernst ’19, Robert Haversat ’18, Jack Herrlin ’18, Luca Magee ’19, Noah Morris ’21, Matthew Parisi ’18 and Tyler Schrecengost ’18 successfully held opponents to an average of four goals per game. Offensively, Matthew “Max” Gill St. Bernard’s 2014 Middle School boys’ lacrosse team. Alexy ’19, Parker DeMaira ’20, John “Andy” Gordon ’18, Sebastian LaBoy ’19, Andrew Margolis ’20, Adrian Massuet-Meyers ’20, William Orazietti ’18, Ryan Turse ’18 and Clinton Wolfe ’18 demonstrated great skill in maintaining possession of the ball for the majority of each game. Fifth grade student-athletes Patrick Cullen, Michael Fritzlo, Liam Jones, Mark Mazzatta and Cody Torgovnik also proved instrumental while facing a number of predominantly eighth grade teams—playing with both confidence and tenacity to fire up the Knights on the field. With eight eighth grade players returning to the Middle School roster next year, as well as seven athletes advancing to the Upper School level, the future of the boys’ lacrosse program looks promising.
Middle School Girls’ Lacrosse Program Finishes 4-1-2 The Middle School girls’ lacrosse team showed immense improvement from start to finish this spring, with all members working diligently to improve their stick skills and passing techniques. Andree Aloise ’19 and Nicole Johnson ’18 demonstrated superior offense in the midfield and scored a majority of each game’s goals to take Gill St. Bernard’s to 4-1-2 overall. Defensively, Emma Malian ’19 had numerous ground balls and was great at transitioning the ball into the attacking end. Goalie Katherine Lioudis ’18 also earned several crucial saves for the Knights. Contributions were made by Lillian Cannon ’19, Anna DeLuca ’18, Ava Diggins ’18, Nicole Ruggiero ’18, Sarah Smith ’19 and Amanda Weiss ’18 as well throughout the season. The 2014 Middle School girls’ lacrosse team.
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GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • SPRING 2014
Middle School Softball Posts Strong Season GSB’s Middle School softball team covered all the bases this spring, providing strength in each of the key positions on the field. While Alexandria Delehanty ’18, Ilana Druskin ’19 and Josephine “JJ” Neville ’18 led the Knights offensively, superior infield defense was displayed by pitcher Claire Chestnutt ’18 and first baseman Jacquelyn Benoit ’18. Outfielders Zoey Roth ’18 and Lily Fischer ’19 also showed great promise during GSB’s seven games this season, including a 7-0 shutout over Rutgers Prep and 3-1 victory at Peck. Likewise contributing to the team’s success were eighth grade leaders Sarah Caminito, Catherine Davino, Chloe Esposito, Nour Marzouk, Lauren Silverschotz and Sabrina Yekta, as well as seventh grade players Alicia Amoroso, Olivia Escousse, Carolyn Herrlin, Susanne Mundt and Cilia Trendelenburg. Ilana Druskin ’19.
Young Athletes Abound on Middle School Baseball Team With just three eighth grade players on its roster, the Middle School baseball team relied on younger student-athletes—including one fifth and four sixth grade boys—to help the Knights to three wins on the season. After dropping three games to tough opponents at the start of the year, the boys bounced back with a 4-2 victory over North Plainfield on April 24. GSB’s first win included a fine pitching performance from Anthony Lake ’18, who also contributed three hits and one RBI overall this spring. The boys earned their second win on May 6, as they defeated The Knights’ Middle School baseball team. Morristown-Beard 10-3 behind a stellar pitching effort from Brian Mueller ’19. Aside from Mueller with three hits and four RBIs, other top offensive performers throughout the season included Andrew Moglianesi ’19 with five hits and two RBIs and Andrew Lutz ’20 with four hits overall. Alexander Roch ’18 also added eight hits and seven RBIs, and pitched his way to a 14-1 win over St. Joseph’s on May 12. While eighth graders Ronald “Joe” Johnson ’18 (two hits/two RBIs), Lake and Roch have shown great promise of achieving success at the Upper School level, Lucas Bernui ’19, Alexander DeRing ’19, William Goldmark ’19, Christopher Lake ’21, Brandon McCall-Sulton ’20, Edward McCarthy ’20, Brian Neville ’19, Jack Rosenfeld ’19 and Michael Taylor ’20 will continue to develop their skills as members of the Middle School program next year.
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GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • SPRING 2014
Middle School Tennis Finishes Strong The Middle School boys’ tennis team ended the season in high spirits, earning back-to-back victories over Rutgers Prep and Princeton Day. After an early season loss to Rutgers Prep, the Knights rebounded during their second meeting with the Argonauts on May 7. Down 2-6 in the rematch, Charles Han ’18 used lessons learned in the April 23 loss to outsmart his second singles opponent and secure the win (8-7). After falling to Princeton Day School (PDS) on April 16, Gill fought back to conclude the year with a 6-1 triumph over the Panthers. The most impressive match of the day was played by Mitch Fishbein ’19 and Christopher Kruger ’19, who showed significant improvement throughout the season. Together, Fishbein’s strong ground strokes and Kruger’s near-faultless serve helped the duo handily defeat PDS 8-1, 8-0. Fishbein and Kruger were joined by George Han ’21, Graeme GSB’s 2014 Middle School boys’ tennis team. Hollingshead ’21, Lucas Horn ’19, Connor Kirk ’18, Christopher “CJ” Licata ’18, Andrew Silverschotz ’18, Noah Steinbaum ’18, AJ Witte ’19 and Nicholas Wu ’19 playing doubles this spring. The tandem of Licata and Steinbaum combined for several wins on the season. Meanwhile, G. Han and Hollingshead represented the only fifth grade players to compete at the Middle School level for the Knights. Second singles player William Henderlong ’19 also proved valuable to the team’s overall success despite sustaining an injury after his third match of the season. In addition, Seth Gelwarg ’19 demonstrated a strong forehand at first singles this spring and will serve as an anchor to next year’s program.
Beyond GSB Gill St. Bernard’s School has produced numerous student-athletes who are now competing for the National Collegiate Athletic Association at Division I, II or III colleges and universities. Below is a list highlighting those GSB athletes who participated in spring sports: Baseball Mark Leonhard ’13 Bard College Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y.
Track & Field Victoria Bernardo ’11 Auburn University Auburn, Ala.
Crew Hayley Diverio ’11 University of Delaware Newark, Del.
Kathryn “Katy” Galli ’11 Oglethorpe University Atlanta
Softball Nicolette Miranda ’12 Amherst College Amherst, Mass.
Emily Iannaconi ’13 College of the Holy Cross Worchester, Mass. Connor Milanaik ’11 Villanova University Villanova, Penn.
Ryan Milanaik ’11 Villanova University Villanova, Penn. Emily Quinn ’13 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia Sarah Quinn ’12 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Mass. Brian Steck ’13 Cornell University Ithaca, N.Y.
*Any student-athletes not listed here should contact the Communications Department at communications@gsbschool.org. We apologize for any inadvertent omissions.
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GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • SPRING 2014
GSB Varsity Athletics Recap (Spring 2014) Varsity Baseball Head Coach David Pasquale (13-14)
Varsity Golf Head Coach Rob Martin (5-10)
Non-Public B South Sectional Quarterfinalist Skyland Conference/Valley Division Runner-Up
Prep B Championship - 5th Place Skyland Conference/Valley Division Runner-Up
Robert Berman ’15 2nd Team All-Prep B 2nd Team All-Conference HM All-Area (Courier News) Luke Beveridge ’15 HM All-Prep B HM All-Conference HM All-Area (Courier News) Cameron Miller ’17 2nd Team All-Conference HM All-Area (Courier News) Craig Pilla ’14 1st Team All-Prep B 1st Team All-Conference 1st Team All-County 3rd Team All-Area (Courier News) Daniel Spear ’15 1st Team All-Prep B 1st Team All-Conference 1st Team All-County HM All-Area (Courier News) Matthew Taylor ’16 2nd Team All-Conference HM All-Prep B
Craig Pilla ’14.
Dylan Blackman ’16 2nd Team All-Conference John “Jack” Lowe ’15 2nd Team All-Conference HM All-Prep B Edmond “Cole” Moriarty ’14 2nd Team All-Conference Gunnar Valentine ’15 1st Team All-Conference HM All-Prep B
Varsity Softball Head Coach Joe Beringhelli (15-9) Prep B Runner-Up Madeline Bedrock ’17 HM All-Prep B Eliza Brookman ’15 2nd Team All-Prep B 2nd Team All-Conference Emma Corbett ’16 1st Team All-Prep B 2nd Team All-Conference 3rd Team All-County HM All-Area (Courier News)
Edmond “Cole” Moriarty ’14.
Margaret “Meg” Donlin ’15 1st Team All-Prep B 3rd Team All-County HM All-Conference HM All-Area (Courier News) Paige Knichel ’15 2nd Team All-Conference HM All-Prep B Cara Napolitano ’14 2nd Team All-Prep B 2nd Team All-Conference HM All-Area (Courier News) Caroline Roch ’14 1st Team All-Prep B 1st Team All-Conference 2nd Team All-County HM All-Area (Courier News)
Varsity Boy’s Tennis Head Coach Sean Welcome (7-5) Non-Public B South Sectional Semifinalist Skyland Conference/Raritan Division Runner-Up John Carlson Brown ’14 1st Team All-Conference 3rd Team All-County HM All-Prep B William Conlan ’16 2nd Team All-Conference HM All-Prep B Ivor Guest ’15 HM All-Conference
Margaret “Meg” Donlin’15.
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GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • SPRING 2014
George Harris ’16 HM All-Conference Bryce Neville ’14 HM All-Conference Marc Orazietti ’16 HM All-Conference Kyle Williams ’14 1st Team All-Conference 2nd Team All-Prep B
Varsity Track and Field Head Coach David deWolfe Boys: Non-Public B South Sectionals - 4th Place Girls: Non-Public B South Sectional Runner-Up Patrik Andersen ’15 1st Team All-Conference 2nd Team All-State (Non-Public) 2nd Team All-County 3rd Team All-Area (Courier News) Non-Public B South Sectional Champion (800m, 1600m) Non-Public B Group Champion (800m)
Connor Beasty ’15 2nd Team All-Prep B 2nd Team All-Conference Alexandria Benoit ’14 1st Team All-Conference Colette Bilynsky ’16 2nd Team All-Conference Armani Comick ’15 1st Team All-Conference 1st Team All-Prep B 2nd Team All-County Prep B Champion (Long Jump) Non-Public B South Sectional Champion (Triple Jump, Discus) Non-Public B Group Champion (Triple Jump) Sahara Ensley ’16 2nd Team All-Conference Dana Klein ’14 1st Team All-Conference 3rd Team All-State (All-Groups) 2nd Team All-State (Non-Public) 1st Team All-County 1st Team All-Area (Courier News) Somerset County Track Athlete-of-the-Year (The Star-Ledger) Non-Public B South Sectional Champion (800m, 1600m, 3200m) Non-Public B Group Champion (800m, 1600m, 3200m) Skyland Conference Champion (1600m, 3200m) Somerset County Champion (1600m, 3200m) Gregory Niccolai ’16 1st Team All-Prep B Prep B Champion (Discus) 2nd Team All-Conference Michael Tafaro ’15 1st Team All-Prep B Prep B Champion (Javelin) 2nd Team All-Conference Jordan Taylor ’14 1st Team All-Conference Ludi Zhu ’16 1st Team All-Conference 2nd Team All-County 3rd Team All-Area (Courier News)
Marc Orazietti ’16.
Patrik Andersen ’15.
Sahara Ensley ’16.
Senior Athletes Earn Year-End Distinction Harold D. Nicholls Memorial Award Craig Pilla, James Reiner Joyce Creasey Memorial Award Dana Klein, Taylor Rooks NJISAA Award Nominees Alexandria Benoit, John Carlson Brown, Edmond “Cole” Moriarty, Caroline Roch NJSIAA National Women in Sports Day Nominee Jasmine Sina NJSIAA Scholar-Athlete Kathryn Bednarsky Skyland Conference Scholar-Athletes Dana Klein, James Reiner Somerset County Scholar-Athletes Craig Pilla, Taylor Rooks 15
GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • SPRING 2014
Continuing Success At least 13 GSB Knights will attempt to participate in an intercollegiate athletics program at the following colleges and universities in 2014-15: Women’s Basketball Trevena Bennett Bentley University
Dana Klein Yale University
James Reiner Princeton University
Men’s Golf Edmond “Cole” Moriarty Elon University
Women’s Soccer Kathryn Bednarsky The College of New Jersey
Jasmine Sina Binghamton University
Rugby John Stumpf Furman University
Andrea Jablonskyj The Catholic University of America
Cross Country, Indoor Track, and Track & Field Alexandria Benoit College of the Holy Cross
Men’s Soccer Justin Durcan The University of Scranton
Softball Cara Napolitano Stevens Institute of Technology
Taylor Rooks Stanford University
Caroline Roch Worcester Polytechnic Institute Women’s Tennis Stephanie Fuentes Colgate University
*Any student-athletes not listed here should contact the Communications Department at communications@gsbschool.org. We apologize for any inadvertent omissions.
(L. to r.) Seniors Alexandria Benoit, Trevena Bennett, Taylor Rooks, Caroline Roch, James Reiner, John Stumpf, Cara Napolitano, Justin Durcan, Jasmine Sina, Dana Klein, Kathryn Bednarsky, Stephanie Fuentes and Andrea Jablonskyj. Missing from photo: Edmond “Cole” Moriarty, Elon University.
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