JSN Celebrating Champions

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Volume 25 • Issue 560

JerseySportingNews.com

6/18/19 - 7/15/19

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A Look Back At The 2018-19 Season Visit The All New

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Page 2 Jersey Sporting News • 6/18/19 - 7/15/19

6/18/19 - 7/15/19 • Jersey Sporting News

Page 3

WALL BREAKS OUT THE BATS; DOMBROSKI SHUTS DOWN WEST MORRIS IN GROUP III FINAL

By Mike Ready

HAMILTON – It hasn’t been too often in his career, let alone a NJSIAA Group III championship game, that Wall ace Trey Dombroski – the 2018 Shore Conference Pitcher of the Year – took the mound in the bottom of the second holding a 6-0 lead.

In the three years Dombroski has been a starter for the Crimson Knights, they’ve been known as a team that could and would shut you down at the plate but lacked the offense to support its stellar pitching on a regular basis.

So, last Saturday’s NJSIAA Group III final at Veterans Park in Hamilton, featuring Dombroski and West Morris ace Connor Staine (who entered the with a 6-1 record and a miniscule 0.81 ERA), was anticipated to be a classic pitching duel between the two aces.

school game, so I had to come out firing.�

West Morris scored an unearned run in the bottom of the third, but the Knights came right back with two in the top of the fourth.

WALL BASEBALL Photo by Mike Ready

Dombroski held up his end of the bargain hurling seven strong innings of five-hit ball allowing just two runs (both unearned) while striking out eight without issuing a walk on just 86 pitches including 65 for strikes.

three on opening day. Displaying extraordinary control on the mound over the last three years, Dombroski went 25-2 with a cumulative ERA of 0.45 while allowing 100 hits with 228 strikeouts to just 21 walks.

But in the end, it was the Knights’ (27-4) rediscovered offense which made the difference. They pummeled Staine for 10 runs and 14 hits, including five extra-base hits, in support of Dombroski and the Knights went on to beat the Wolfpack, 102, for the program’s fourth overall Group III championship, but only its first since 2004.

“We’ve seen some of the best arms in the state (including Delbarton’s Jack Leiter and Pascack Hills’ Ryan Ramsey, who pitched a complete-game one-hitter in a 2-0 win over Point Boro in Saturday’s Group II final) and you can put that kid up there with any of them,� said West Morris head coach Tom Reindel. “That kid is phenomenal.�

“That was a great feeling; I haven’t had that often,� said Dombroski of his run support. “These guys came out today and put some runs up for me, so I can’t ask for anything more. We knew if we could put up some runs early we were going to win a state championship, so we did.�

“He is, in my opinion, definitely the best pitcher in the state,� said senior third baseman Grant Schulman, who was 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored. “He proved it today; he just went out and dominated. We just wanted to put up hits for him. He doesn’t need many, but we put up a lot.�

The Monmouth University-bound lefty finishes the season at 11-1 with a phenomenal 0.37 ERA and 126 strikeouts against just five walks in 76 innings pitched. He became Wall’s all-time leader in strikeouts with 228 by tying and breaking the mark with consecutive strikeouts in the sixth inning of Saturday’s game.

This season, Dombroski issued zero walks in nine of his 12 starts and gave up just two over his last 69 innings after walking

Bant smoked a double to right-center to lead off the inning and courtesy runner Sean Brannon scored all the way from second on a wild pitch. Nocera then walked and Howarth singled for his third hit of the game. Matt Cronson ran for Howarth and after Nocera was picked off second, Cronson stole second and was chased home on a Dylan Richey line-drive single to left for an 8-1 lead heading into the top of the fifth.

Dombroski put a scare into the pitching staff when he came in Tuesday complaining of shoulder soreness the day after pitching Wall into the group final. “I worked it out, trusted myself and I knew today I’d be able to go,� said Dombroski. “I wasn’t going to let these guys down.� “I was worried,� said Wall head coach Todd Schmitt. “Tuesday he said his arm

and shoulder were sore. But he got a massage, threw a bullpen on Thursday and came out of it good.�

Dombroski’s teammates had faith their ace would be on the mound for them on Saturday one way or another. “You never like to hear your pitcher is not 100 percent, but Trey’s 50 percent is better than most kids’ 100 percent,� said senior catcher Dave Howarth, who was perfect at the plate going 3-for-3 with two RBI and a walk. “Trey came out and did what he had to do today. Once he settled in he did great.�

While the offense was scoring six runs in the first two innings, Dombroski set down the first six batters he faced in order. “It took me a little while to get warm today,� said Dombroski. “I was down in the bullpen for an extended period of time just working on my pitches. Just getting warm, getting a good sweat going, getting ready to compete.�

Senior shortstop Johnny Volpe, who went 2-for-4 with a double, walk, two runs scored and a stolen base, led off the game with hard-hit single over the thirdbase bag and came around to score on a Jay Bant single to center. Howarth then added an RBI single driving in Schulman, who had reached base on a line-drive single to left field.

“We said before the game started, ‘If we are the away team, we have to get on them in the first inning,’� said Schulman. “John (Volpe) got us going and he just doesn’t stop. We got those two runs, which was good for us and then we put up four in the second. It really felt good to come out in our last game and swing the bats like that.�

With one out in the top of the second, Volpe ignited another rally hammering a double off the wall at the 350 mark in right-center. Schulman then lined a one-out, two-run double into the gap scoring Volpe and junior Teddy Sharkey, who had reached on an error. Schulman came around to score when junior left fielder Sean Nocera added another double into the gap for a 5-0 lead before Howarth made it 6-0 dropping an RBI single in front of diving left fielder Nick Calabrese. “I wasn’t hitting too well the past couple of games so today I had to come out firing,� said Volpe. “I had to do my job and I did what I needed to do. Trey’s one of the best pitchers I’ve ever played with and when we gave him those runs we just knew we weren’t going to lose. “Ever since sophomore year, this is all we have dreamed about, so it’s absolutely incredible to have it finally happen for us today. I was seeing the ball better today and this was my last high

Two Wall errors led to another Wolfpack unearned run to cut the Wall lead to 8-2, but the Knights added solo runs in the sixth and seventh.

Nocera, who went 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and two runs scored, singled and scored on a Richey fielders choice in the sixth and Sharkey led off the seventh with a long double into the left-field corner and scored on a Bant sacrifice fly for a 10-2 lead. Bant finished going 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and two RBI. Saturday’s championship ended a 15year drought for Schmitt, who wasn’t even sure he’d be able to coach this year after suffering an injury at work, but luckily made it back into the dugout in the early spring. “We wanted to get him a championship,�

Dombroski said of Schmitt, who is in his 22nd year as skipper of the Knights. “It’s awesome to see those tears in his eyes. All we have worked for these past three years has paid off and we finally got him a state championship. We love our coaches; everyone was together and we had so much fun.� “It will be tough to beat this senior class,� said Schmitt. “This was important to them.

This was something they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives. You win this game; you’ll always be known as champions. This senior class will go down as one the top teams we’ve ever had since I’ve been here.�

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Page 4 Jersey Sporting News • 6/18/19 - 7/15/19

Looking Back at a Phenomenal Fall

By Eric Braun

Though the fall season wrapped up more than six months ago, it’s never too late to relive some of the Shore Conference’s greatest moments.

Girls Soccer Brick Township returned to championship form for the first time in 22 years with a 4-3 shootout win over Hopewell Valley in 20-mph winds in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III final. The Dragons finished their great season with a record of 17-5-2, second place finish in A South, champions of Central Jersey Group III and a loss to Moorestown, 2-0, in the Group III semifinal.

A team that has been no stranger to championships the past several years, Shore Regional added their seventh straight NJSIAA Central Jersey Group I championship to their trophy collection with a 2-0 victory over Point Pleasant Beach. Senior Frankie McDonough added two goals to finish her high school career with 109. The first goal came late in the first half on assist from Julia Eichenbaum and the second goal early in the second half on assist from Mia Agresti. The Blue Devils would end up losing in the Group I semifinal to Audubon, 2-1, to finish their season with a record of 17-6, second place in A Central and Central Jersey Group I champions.

Another team hoisting the championship trophy for the first time in several years was Middletown North, who beat 20th-ranked Cranford, 3-1, in the final of the North Jersey Section 2 Group III, to capture their first title since 2005. Sophomore Ashley Dietrich scored two early goals to add to her season total of 12 goals. Her first goal was just 34 seconds into the game on assist from Lindsay O’Keefe and her second came in the second half off a corner kick in the 50th minute from Allie O’Keefe. Lions leading goal scorer junior Darien Rinn scored her 20th goal of the season for Middletown North’s second goal just 15 minutes into the game.

Middletown North ended their season with a record of 21-2 after a 1-0 loss to Northern Highlands in the Group III semifinal.

St. Rose captured their first title since 2010 with a 1-0 win over 12th-ranked Trinity Hall. Junior Julianne Leskauskas scored the game’s only goal in the eighth minute of the first half and finished her season with the most goals in the Shore Conference with 29.

The Purple Roses lost to Morristown-Beard the following week in the Non-Public B finals, 2-0. St. Rose ended their great season with a record of 15-3-1, first place in B Central, South Jersey Non-Public B champions and 73 goals as a team for the season.

Boys Soccer Three of the top five teams in New Jersey on the boys side hail from the Shore Conference. Holmdel end the season ranked No. 1, Christian Brothers Academy ranked No. 3 and Ocean Township ranked No. 5.

Holmdel ended their 2018 season with an impressive record of 22-0-1 and NJSIAA Group II champions after defeating No. 5 Glen Rock, 3-1, in the final. Jack Giamanco scored in the 34th minute to tie the game at 1-1, heading to the half. Anthony Arena and Mark McStay put the Hornets ahead for good in the second half and started the Holmdel celebration. The win capped off the Hornets’ last two seasons with a combined record of 44-1-2 and back-to-back Group II championships.

Ocean Township put the finishing touches on their 2018 campaign with a 1-0 Shore Conference Tournament title win over CBA, and a Group III final 1-0 win over Millburn – their first since 1996. James Schultz scored the lone goal, a header on assist from Leo Montesinos in the 70th minute. With the win, Ocean Township finished 2018 with a record of 21-3-1 and first place in B North.

Christian Brothers Academy drew the 12th seed and knocked off No. 1 seed Delbarton, 2-1, in the NJSIAA Non-Public A final. It was the Colts’ seventh Non-Public A title and first since 2016. With time running out on their season, Christian Brothers Academy trailed Delbarton, 1-0, when Jack Hempstead drew the Colts even with a laser shot in the upper corner in the 75th minute to send the game to overtime. In the 99th minute, Luke Pascarella sealed the Colts’ championship with a direct kick around the wall to beat Delbarton’s keeper. The Colts finished their season with a 19-4 record.

Football On the gridiron the Shore Conference walked away with three Bowl champions in Rumson-Fair Haven, Red Bank Catholic and Long Branch. All three have been no strangers to the elite programs in New Jersey over the past several years and 2018 was no different.

Rumson-Fair Haven won their fourth straight game to close out the 2018 season and picked the right time to hit this winning streak that ended with a 28-16 South Group III Bowl win over Woodrow Wilson at MetLife Stadium. Running back Alex Maldian capped off an impressive two-game workload that included 89 carries for 475 yards

and five touchdowns, including 204 yards and a touchdown in the final. The Bulldogs finished their season 10-2 and 5-0 in the Colonial Division.

Red Bank Catholic took on another Shore Conference power house in Mater Dei Prep in the Non-Public Group III championship game, where the Caseys topped the Seraphs, 14-10, at MetLife Stadium. The defense of Red Bank Catholic kept Mater Dei Prep’s high-powered offense under control all game and came up big on a fourth and goal stop with just over four minutes to play.

On the play, Steve Cmielewski and Jake Lauro broke through the Seraphs offensive line and sacked quarterback Rob McCoy. It was the defense of Red Bank Catholic that brought this championship home creating four crucial turnovers that included three fumbles and one interception. The Caseys closed out the 2018 season 10-0 and 5-0 in the Freedom Division.

Long Branch secured their back-to-back state championships with a gutsy comefrom-behind 20-17 win over Shawnee in the NJSIAA South Group IV Bowl game.

Long Branch came back from a 17-0 deficit and scored 20 unanswered points to bring the championship back to Long Branch for another season. Jermaine Corbett was the workhorse who led the Green Wave offense and finished with 21 carries on 85 yards and two touchdowns and finished his high school career with 2,021 yards on the ground and 26 touchdowns.

The Green Wave finished off their best season in school history with a record of 12-1 and 4-1 in the Freedom division, just behind RBC. Field Hockey Shore Regional would enjoy their second NJSIAA championship title with their field hockey team capturing the Group I crown with a 2-1 win over Haddonfield. This was the first title since 2015 for the Blue Devils who have been a state fixture for decades in field hockey. After tough losses the past two seasons in sectional finals, Shore Regional edged out a tough opponent in Haddonfield to reclaim their spot at the top of Group I. Senior Maggie Lamb put on a gutsy performance finishing out her high school career and state final with a banged up chin and chipped tooth to give the Blue Devils the extra boost they needed, and Lily Santi capitalized on that momentum and put the go-ahead goal in with just over two minutes to play. The Blue Devils finished off the 2018 season with another 20-plus win season finishing at 22-4.

Congratulations, MJ!

MJ Wright ‘19 From Casey to Ram, we look forward to all you will achieve at Fordham University!

Keep grinding and soaring to new heights!

Love, Mom & Dad

Point Boro Baseball Celebrates Historic Season

6/18/19 - 7/15/19 • Jersey Sporting News

Page 5

By Jim Rosa

POINT PLEASANT – From the start of the season, there was plenty of potential in the Point Pleasant Boro baseball team. The Panthers returned a key group of juniors and seniors who helped the team reach the South Jersey Group II final in 2018.

After tasting what it was like to play in a championship game, the goal for this team was to get back to the sectional final and win. That’s exactly what Point Boro did as they defeated Robbinsville, 2-1, on May 31 for the Central Jersey Group II crown. The sectional title was the third in program history and the first since 2006.

Winning four games in a row is never easy, but Point Boro displayed timely hitting and pitching to win their state sectional bracket as the No. 5 seed.

In order to do that, the Panthers had to pull off a pair of upsets. After defeating 12th-seeded Monmouth Regional at home, Point Boro went on the road and defeated fourth-seeded Arthur L. Johnson in the quarterfinals, as well as top-seeded Governor Livingston in the semifinals.

On Monday, the Panthers traveled to Toms River North to take on West Deptford in the NJSIAA Group II semifinals. This was an intriguing matching as Point Boro defeated the Eagles in 2018 on their way to the South Jersey Group II final. Despite West Deptford being the favorite, Point Boro continued to ride their confidence and clutch play to victory. With an 8-4 win, Point Boro punched their first-ever ticket to the Group II state final at Veterans Park in Hamilton. The run would end there however, as Pascack Hills ace Ryan Ramsey threw a complete game one-hitter to win back to back group titles for the Cowboys in the 2-0 win.

Despite finishing the regular season in second place in B South, Point Boro has been nothing short of impressive since then. What separates Point Boro from the rest of the Shore Conference has been their ability to win multiple tournaments this season. The only tournament in which Point Boro did not reach the final is the Shore Conference Tournament. Nevertheless, Point Boro has proven through their state and Ocean County Tournament runs that they can beat just about any team that crosses their path.

The Panthers (23-7) won more 20 games for the first time since 2016. One of the key factors for Point Boro has been their pitching. It is quite rare for a team to

have four or five effective pitchers who can be counted on to get outs in big situations. Point Boro, however, had exactly that this season. It all starts with junior Nick Guzzi, who is committed to play baseball at St. John’s University. From there, you have Sam Collins, who is a co-ace to Guzzi recording two big eight-inning wins in the sectional tournament. With his last start coming in the sectional final, Collins ended his season with six wins on the year. Guzzi, on the other hand, came into the Group II final with a perfect 9-0 record. He was the winning pitcher in the OCT final as well as the sectional semifinal where he gave up just a single hit to Governor Livingston in Point Boro’s 6-1 victory. In addition to Guzzi and Collins, Sam Young and Christian Aurin rounded out the rotation, each pitching in Point Boro’s Group II semifinal win.

“I would describe the growth of this team as something that is very special. This season has been over a decade in the making, from us playing as little kids on travel ball and recreation to where we are now,” said Guzzi about the growth of his team throughout the season and how this season was something that took years to make. “This is a brotherhood that’s been going on for way longer than just this season though, and it’s awesome to see how this season panned out.”

Point Boro will look to continue to build off this historic season heading into 2020. Six starters from the 2019 season will return, including Guzzi and Young on the mound. Second baseman and shortstop Connor Kennedy and Nick Zbikowski will also return for their senior seasons. Third baseman Frankie Dominici will return for his junior season after having a breakout season this year, and outfielder Cole Young will also be a key returner for a Point Boro team that will likely be a favorite in B South.

“I really want to get better with my off-speed pitches heading into next year. I am trying to put on some weight and hopefully get some more velocity behind my fastball as well,” explained Guzzi of his goals for the offseason.

Of course, Guzzi will look to help the team have another successful year. “There have been a lot of great things going on in my life as well as the lives of my teammates and coaches. We just have to put in the work and stay humble and have a firm self-belief that we can continue to win games in the future,” Guzzi said.

POINT PLEASANT BORO Photo courtesy of Point Pleasant Boro High School

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Page 6 Jersey Sporting News • 6/18/19 - 7/15/19

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: DONOVAN CATHOLIC CEMENTS ITS LEGACY WITH T.O.C. CHAMPIONSHIP

By Mike Ready

SOUTH ORANGE – Playing with targets on their back the entire season after being named the preseason No. 1 team in New Jersey in most publications, then garnering national recognition as the season progressed, top-seeded Donovan Catholic fulfilled its destiny, capturing the program’s first-ever Tournament of Champions championship, beating second-seeded Cedar Grove, 10-0, in five innings.

In her final game for the Griffins, senior Lindsey Nelson hurled a three-hit, fiveinning shutout walking just one batter and striking out five to pick up her 21st win of the season against only one defeat. The Drexel University-bound Nelson also went 1-for-1 at the plate with three walks and three RBI. “We’ve had that pressure on us I’d say for three years now,” said Nelson, who entered with a 1.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 116 1/3 innings pitched.

“In our freshman year we kind of flew under the radar but it was still difficult. At the same time, I’m very fortunate that we’ve have this pressure and so are the other girls because we’ve learned to mature and rise above that and play our game. So we’ve had a lot of pressure, but I think we’ve handled it well, especially because each year the pressure has gotten more and more.

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So we did a really good job playing our game today and forgetting about that pressure.”

Nelson is one of three prominent senior starters, including Hofstra commit Lindsey Hay and second baseman Mya Lamicella, who have won three Non-Public, South A titles in their four years playing together, but were still searching for their first stategroup title and T.O.C. championship in their final year.

Donovan Catholic head coach Debbie Schwartz, although blessed with immense talent up and down the lineup, singled out her three seniors as the heart and soul of the team.

“It’s a testament to three people, Lindsey Nelson, Lindsey Hay and Mya Lamicella,” said Schwartz of her senior leadership.

“They took the team by the reins and they led them at the back end of the season. That’s why we took this run. Without their leadership this would not have happened.”

So, after losing to Immaculate Heart in the NJSIAA Non-Public A final as freshmen and sophomores, then suffering a devastating 2-0 loss to Saint John Vianney in last year’s NJSIAA Non-Public, South A final, nothing less than a T.O.C. championship would’ve sufficed for this group.

“Oh definitely,” said Nelson when asked if last year’s loss to SJV was a motivating factor this season. “I still think about our seniors last year and how we wanted it so bad and how we really, really thought that that was our year. It’s funny because a lot of my motivation this year obviously is for the girls that were on the field, but it was also for those girls that didn’t get to win it and did experience that loss to SJV, so I think it played a big part.”

This year, however, Donovan Catholic turned the tables on SJV, edging the Lancers, 3-2, in an epic battle that saw Nelson out-dual SJV ace Julia Parker in a 10-inning classic. The Griffins then nailed down the program’s first-ever state title with an 11-1, five-inning victory over Mount St. Dominic in the Non-Public A final before advancing to the T.O.C. final by beating Lodi Immaculate, 6-1, in the T.O.C. semis.

“I started crying in my last at bat,” said Hay, who finished 1-for-2 with two walks and three runs scored and doubled leading off the bottom of the fifth to ignite the winning rally. “I knew it was the end because even though we only had seven runs, I knew we were going to get it done that inning because we play

with every ounce of our heart and it’s all about the team. I’m crying right now saying I don’t want to go to college, this is my family. To do it with these people around me, these coaches that support everything we do, these players, everything, it’s unbelievable having such a family doing this.”

The Griffins jumped on Cedar Grove starting pitcher Mia Faieta, who held a miniscule 0.368 ERA with 397 strikeouts in 190 innings pitched entering the game, for three runs in the bottom of the first.

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Faieta uncharacteristically walked four batters in the inning and had 12 in the game and the Griffins gladly took advantage of her control problems. They worked the count fouling off one pitch after another until they found a pitch they liked or drew the walk.

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DONOVAN CATHOLIC SOFTBALL Photos by Mike Ready

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walked, to third. Kearny followed with her third RBI of the night to drive in Hay on an infield hit then scored on a Nelson RBI single up the middle for a 5-0 lead.

The Griffins added two in the fourth to go up, 7-0, on a bases loaded walk to Nelson and an RBI by Lamicella on another squeeze play.

In the fifth, Hay’s leadoff double was followed by three walks to add another run before junior Mikayla LaPlaca lined a one-out, two-run single into the left-centerfield gap for the 10-0 mercy-rule win.

“It’s amazing, we’ve been trying to get this for four years,” said Lamicella, who finished with two RBI. “I always thought we would get this. I never thought we wouldn’t, we always found our way back. We brought our team together at the beginning of the season and got our chemistry together because we knew we had the talent. So, we knew if we had chemistry too, we could overcome anything.”

“We had to be disciplined with her highrising fastball,” said Schwartz. “We made long counts and we were very fortunate to be so disciplined against a very, very good pitcher.”

The win will most likely catapult the Griffins (30-2) over Saint John Vianney and into the No.1 spot in the final NJ.com Top 20 rankings while validating their already lofty national ranking of No. 21 in the USA Today’s Super 25.

Donovan Catholic added two more runs in the bottom of the second when junior Notre Dame commit and New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year Karina Gaskins lined a single to left moving Hay, who had

“Sometimes in losses you learn your greatest lessons,” said Schwartz. “And that hurt and hunger brought us to this today where we got to prove that we are the greatest team in New Jersey.”

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6/18/19 - 7/15/19 • Jersey Sporting News

Page 7

PANZINI, GLANCY LEAD RED BANK CATHOLIC TO SHORE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP

By Mike Ready

LAKEWOOD – Red Bank Catholic sophomore righty and University of Virginia commit Shane Panzini was originally scheduled to start the Shore Conference Tournament final but the game was postponed due to imminent threats of thunderstorms.

However, with the game now scheduled for three days later due to the washout, senior righthander and St. John’s University commit Vinnie Bianchi also became eligible to start in the final at First Energy Park in Lakewood.

Bianchi (5-2) had thrown 109 pitches in going the distance in the Caseys’ 5-2 win over Manasquan in the SCT semifinals allowing just one earned run on four hits, helping RBC advance to the final and he was now good to go in the rescheduled final if asked.

With both pitchers posting sub-1.00 ERAs this season and available for the final, it left RBC head coach Buddy Hausmann with a tough a decision to make on who he would pencil in to start. But after talking it over with his coaches, he diplomatically left it up to his senior ace to make the call.

“It was up to him (Bianchi),” said Panzini.

“Coach said it depended on how Vinnie felt and I totally respected that. It was his last game as a senior and I have two more years of this left, so

Vinnie came up to me and goes, ‘You can have the game; it’s all yours.’ I thanked him and we hugged.”

Panzini then went out and capped off his brilliant sophomore campaign by tossing a one-hit shutout in the Caseys’ 5-0 win over Manalapan to lead RBC to their first SCT title since 2011 and second overall in program history.

He finished with four strikeouts and two walks to push his season record to 7-2 while lowering his already miniscule ERA to 0.66 with 73 strikeouts and 29 walks in 53 innings pitched.

“You know he’s going to compete no matter what,” Hausmann said of Panzini’s outing. “He’s going to give you everything he’s got. He’s aggressive and puts us in situations to win.”

Panzini threw just 91 pitches Wednesday in one of his most efficient outings of the season reaching 91 miles per hour on the radar gun at one point. He was working on a no-hitter until Tommy Guidice singled off him with one out in the top of the fourth for Manalapan’s only hit of the game, allowing just two baserunners the rest of the way.

“Throughout the year, I learned how to let them hit the ball while throwing borderline strikes,” said Panzini. “If they make contact they ground

out or pop up. I had a talk with my coach (Hausmann) and he said it’s way easier to pitch that way for me and my team. I use fewer pitches and I don’t get as tired.

“It wasn’t just me, it was the whole team,” added Panzini when asked how it felt as a sophomore to get the win. “I love all these guys. Vinnie played a huge part getting us here winning two of the four games in the tournament and we’re going to miss him next year for sure.”

Senior centerfielder David Glancy put the Caseys up for good in the bottom of the third inning sending a bomb over the left field fence that landed in the grassy knoll far beyond the fences for a three-run home run.

Sophomore left fielder Anthony Borriello led off the inning with an infield hit and senior second baseman Alex Gonzalez walked before coming around on the Glancy home run.

“My first at bat I got a fast ball and drove it through the left side for a single,” said Glancy, who finished 2-for-3 with a home run, three runs batted in and a run scored. “So the second time up I had my same approach looking for a fastball to drive it to right center, centerfield, trying to hit the ball up the middle. But he threw me a curve ball out front and I stayed back and drove it to left. I was just hoping it went out; it’s a little

bit bigger here than Count Basie – there’s no better feeling.”

Glancy, a first-team All-Shore selection a year ago when he hit .360 with seven home runs, 26 RBI and 32 runs scored, missed all of April with a broken hamate bone in his left wrist and it’s taken most of the rest of the season for him to get his power-stroke back.

“I just wanted to play with my guys,” said Glancy.

“I couldn’t ask for a better team to play for, honestly. We all work so hard all season; every day and we play for moments like this.”

At Tuesday’s practice, however, Hausmann saw the old version of Glancy flashing his power and knew his slugger was back.

“We saw it yesterday in practice and after BP (batting practice) my coaches and all I said, ‘he’s finally back,’” Hausmann said. “He was totally himself yesterday and today, finally.”

Red Bank Catholic added two runs in the bottom of the fourth to hand Panzini a five-run lead that he seemingly, without effort, protected.

Sophomore Robert Gonzalez, who went 2-for-2 with a run scored, led off the inning with a ground single through the 5-6 hole and scored on a wild pitch as did senior right hander Ryan O’Hara, who reached on an error by the pitcher, Ben Levine. Panzini’s perfect sacrifice bunt had moved both Gonzalez and O’Hara into scoring position.

RED BANK CATHOLIC BASEBALL Photos by Tom Smith

It was a tough week for Manalapan (24-8), which was on the wrong side of a highly controversial 1-0 loss to Eastern in the NJSIAA Group IV semifinals, that turned into heartbreak. On Tuesday, June 4 the team learned that David Korman – a sophomore on the JV team – passed away Monday night of natural causes.

The team took practice off Tuesday but made the decision it was in the best interest of the team to forge on and play. Both teams gathered in a circle around home plate before the game in a moment of silence for Korman, who, according to head coach Brian Boyce, was a highly-regarded prospect that had a great year at JV and was a great kid with a great family.

Understandably, it’s been an emotional rollercoaster the last two days for the Manalapan players and coaches as they dealt with the tragedy.

“It’s been a battle with each kid going through the process,” said Boyce. “Each is handling it differently. I think as an individual it’s how you cope – it’s been very difficult. My heart bleeds for the family. I think it’s more about the family than baseball right now.

“Buddy (Hausmann) was great,” Boyce added.

“We talked about it but ultimately decided to play the game today. Whatever we needed; he was more than willing to accommodate us.”

On a lighter note, during the Caseys’ post-game celebration, Bianchi got word that he was selected in the 35th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

“One of my closest friends called me up from Midd South and said, ‘congratulations,’” Bianchi said. “I said, ‘thank you,’ thinking it was for the Shore Conference championship. Then I heard I got drafted and that was pretty cool. But we just won a championship and that’s all that matters now, so its really exciting.”

Bianchi said he plans to sit down with his parents and discuss it but he intends to honor his commitment and play for St. John’s University.

Happy Hour - Monday-Friday 4 - 6:30

Page 8 Jersey Sporting News • 6/18/19 - 7/15/19

SAINT JOHN VIANNEY REBOUNDS TO CAPTURE SHORE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT TITLE

By Mike Ready

RED BANK – After suffering a brutal 10-inning, one-run loss to Donovan Catholic in the NJSIAA Non-Public, South A championship game, top-seeded Saint John Vianney was able to avenge that loss three nights later.

Lombardi said. “The state doesn’t realize how big they’ve been to me for four years.”

Parker, however, after getting the No. 9 batter, Katie Wioland, on a 5-3 ground out to start the seventh, was still tasked with facing the top of the batting order.

Scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth, the top-seeded Lancers beat second-seeded Donovan Catholic, 4-3, for their first Shore Conference Tournament title since 2017 and seventh in the last 15 years.

With one out, Hay lined a single into right field putting the tying run at first and winning run at the plate.

Campana then showcased her defense robbing Kayla Roncin, who was hitting .558 with five home runs and 33 RBI, of a hit picking up a slow grounder and firing to second base all in one motion to get the lead runner and second out.

A year ago, the roles were reversed as Saint Vianney defeated Donovan Catholic in the sectional final before going on to win the Non-Public A championship. But the Griffins took their frustrations out on the Lancers in the SCT final routing them, 13-4, scoring seven runs in the first inning.

As painful as the loss in the sectional final was for the Lancers, their SCT championship, although bittersweet, gave them a degree of redemption and allowed the seniors to end their careers on a positive note.

“We left 15 runners on base in that game and we had a lot of opportunities to capitalize and we didn’t,” said senior second baseman Alexis Agrapides, who had the game-tying RBI in the sixth. “Our main goal was to finish strong and finish the game for our seniors and team and we definitely did.”

Senior catcher and Fordham Universitybound Ally Jones, although pleased with the win, still felt the sting of their loss in the sectionals.

“Great pitching, great hitting, great defense, stellar plays all over the place. I’m surprised we didn’t go 20 innings tonight; it was kind of like a heavyweight boxing match.”

Donovan Catholic took a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Notre Dame junior commit Karina Gaskins dropped a two-out single into shallow left field and raced home all the way from first when University of Georgia junior commit Jayda Kearney’s blistering line-drive went off the top of centerfielder Mackenzie Bloss’ glove for an error and unearned run.

“Yea, a little bit,” she said when asked if their SCT title made it a little easier to take. “All of us seniors, we were just trying to go out with a win and play hard. Donovan did a great job battling us as they always do and it’s just cool to see the top Shore Conference teams play each other.”

The Lancers knotted the game at one in the bottom of the third inning. Singles by Agrapides and Gabby Polera put runners on first and second with two outs for junior pitcher Julia Parker, who lined an RBI single over the head of Kearney in centerfield.

The Lancers capped off another stellar season which saw them go undefeated in division play (14-0) to capture the B North title and win 27 games against just one loss.

In the top of the fourth, Donovan Catholic added a run to take a 2-1 lead on a sacrifice fly by senior Lindsey Nelson that drove in Gaskins, who had singled to lead off the inning and moved to third on a base hit from Kearney.

They can also take solace in the fact that they concluded their season ranked 20th in the USA Today’s Super Top 25 national rankings and No. 1 in the NJ.com Top 20.

As is usually the case when these two intense rivals meet up, Monday’s game was another nail-biter that came down to the final pitch.

“These are such evenly matched teams,” said Donovan Catholic coach Debbie Schwartz.

That brought up Gaskins, who was just selected as the New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year and has a Shore Conference-leading 19 home runs and 61 RBI, with the game on the line.

SAINT JOHN VIANNEY SOFTBALL Photo by Tom Smith

Saint John Vianney answered right back in the bottom half of the inning to knot the game at two when Griffins starting pitcher Kait Mulcahey walked the first two batters, junior Jordyn Schultz and senior third baseman Jess Campana.

Schultz then moved to third and Campana to second on a ground out to first with Schultz scoring on Agrapides’ third hit of the game,

a soft liner that eluded second baseman Mya Lamicella before finding its way into the outfield.

Jones has been a teammate of Agrapides for four years now and is accustomed to Agapides’ heroics.

Through four innings, however, the Lancers had left seven runners on base – five is scoring position – and that was a cause of concern for head coach Kim Lombardi.

“She’s been an awesome player to watch and play with over the years,” said Jones. “It’s so cool for her to step up her senior year; she’s had a rock-star year. She deserves everything, and I wouldn’t expect anything less from her.”

“We left 15 people in scoring position in the last game with them,” said Lombardi. “And with a team like that you can’t leave that many people in scoring position. Today it seemed to be going the same way, leaving people on every inning. Finally, the girls came through and didn’t want to lose.”

Donovan Catholic grabbed its last lead of the game in the top of the fifth when Hofstra University-bound Lindsey Hay took a Parker offering deep over the left-field wall for her second home run of the season and a 3-2 lead.

The score remained 3-2 until the bottom of the sixth when the Lancers scored the tying and what turned out to be the winning run.

Campana hammered a double into the right/ centerfield gap leading off the inning putting the tying run at second. She then moved to third on a Gillian Zack 6-3 groundout and came home on Agrapides’ line drive RBI single into centerfield – her fourth hit of the night and second RBI – that tied the game 3-3.

“My objective all day was to go up the middle and that’s what I did there,” said Agrapides.

“They’re both good pitchers but I just put the bat on the ball and ultimately got it done.”

With the score now 3-3, sophomore shortstop Haley Ahr lined a single to center with Agrapides taking third on the play and Ahr advancing to second base on the throw to third.

Lombardi elected to intentionally walk Gaskins twice in Friday’s sectional final, but this time she let Parker pitch to her and it paid off with Gaskins lofting a long fly ball to center that Bloss easily gloved for the final out of the game.

“We took a chance today,” Lombardi said. “I played around with her a little bit in the sectional final, saw what she can hit and can’t hit and I said, ‘you know what, Jayda (Kearny) is kind of on fire today so we’re going to take a chance on Gaskins instead of just walking her.’”

At this point, Schwartz decided to make a pitching change bringing in Nelson, who enter with a 19-1 record and a 1.14 ERA, in relief of Mulcahey.

Parker (7 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 7 K, 1 BB) was sensational in going the distance while picking up one of the biggest wins of her career.

That brought up Jones, who came into the game averaging .432 at the plate with a team-leading 35 RBI and she added to her RBI total grounding a ball to the right side of the infield allowing Agrapides to score the go-ahead run.

“They’re excellent hitters and I just trusted my pitches and trusted my defense behind me,” said Parker. “After the loss to them we just wanted to come in strong and win this game.

It felt great to end the season with a win for our seniors.”

“They were throwing a lot outside, and my primary focus was to take it right, especially when you have a runner in scoring position,” said Jones. “They were playing deep on the right side, so that was my main focus to knock it over to the right side.”

For Agrapides, the season and her high school career may not have ended the way she had hoped, but she’s happy to go out on a high note.

Lombardi feels both Jones and Agrapides have been undervalued and deserve more credit.

“Ally Jones and Alexis Agrapides are two of the most underrated players in the Shore,”

“Ultimately, it was my last game playing for SJV softball and wearing the jersey, and I wear it with pride,” she said. “I just wanted to do anything I could for my team; it was a great game. I knew it would be close and any chance I got, I had to capitalize.”

Become a Lancer!

Saint John Vianney High School 540A Line Rd., Holmdel, NJ 07733 732-739-0800 www.sjvhs.org

For more information or to set up a tour contact Director of Admissions, Patti Gilmartin, gilmartin@sjvhs.org / 732-739-0800 Ext. 155

6/18/19 - 7/15/19 • Jersey Sporting News

Page 9

BELL, KOFSKY LEAD MIDDLETOWN NORTH TO FIRST-EVER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

By Mike Ready

UNION – Flashback to last year’s NJSIAA Group III semifinal against Indian Hills. Then-junior Ashley Kofsky is at bat in the bottom of the seventh with two outs, the bases loaded and the Lions trailing, 2-0.

said Bell of her performance. “I had to change my approach a little bit but my defense always has my back.

“It’s huge,” Bell said of the win. “I feel a lot of people doubted us and didn’t think we’d be able to do it. Coming out here today and getting the job done is huge for everyone.”

With a chance to be the hero and send Middletown North to their first state final since 1992, Kofsky struck out swinging to end the game.

P O E N D I N NG From Basics to Ch A R G MIDDLETOWN NORTH SOFTBALL Photo by Mike Ready

2ND LOCATION IN HOWELL SEPTEMBER 2018 on Kofsky’s mind but had faith she could

Up until the fifth inning, Chatham

an insurmountable 4-0 lead heading

mound with an above average fast ball, but things fell apart for her quickly in the fifth.

“Mia’s a hard worker and knew what she had to do under the circumstances,” said Bell. “She was more than willing to help us out and has been a vital part to our team for the whole season. I had a lot of confidence in her and a lot of trust in Mia.”

put it US behind 9 herSouth, and come through in starting NJ pitcher Anna Lengner had into the top of the sixth.

2248 Howell, (Ideal Plaza) • 732-966-3441 the clutch Sunday. matched Bell’s dominance on the

“Yes, this makes up for it,” said Kofsky when asked if she felt some sort of redemption. “That was a very upsetting thing for me last year when that happened; it was definitely on my mind. So it felt good to come out here and do something good like that today for the team.

“It was kind of redemption for her,” said Hoffman. “She was upset and had that in the back of her mind from last year.

So she redeemed herself so to speak and what better way to do it.”

P O E N D ING N A R G Number nine batter Alyssa Sigler, who made a sparkling running catch up against the left field wall in the top of the sixth, got the four-run fifthinning rally started. She legged out a perfect bunt single that rolled between the pitcher and third baseman before the ball was eventually fielded by the shortstop who had no play on the ball.

Botti has been a bit of an unsung hero recently for the Lions. After starting catcher Gabby Cerbo went down with concussion symptoms two games ago, Botti, normally the starting shortstop, was asked to take over for Cerbo behind the plate at a position she’s never played before and she’s been flawless.

Middletown North tacked on a run in the 2ND LOCATION IN HOWELL SEPTEMBER sixth to2018 push the lead to 5-0 when senior left fielder Jacey Tammaro reached 2248 US 9 South, Howell, NJ (Ideal Plaza) • 732-966-3441 on an error, moved to second when Bell

“At that point, I was just trying to hit a basic pop fly to score the runner at third, but instead something bigger happened.”

was intentionally walked and scored on senior Cara McNulty’s line-drive single into centerfield.

G R A N D O PE N I N G

“Mia Botti’s my shortstop and has never caught a day in her life,” said Hoffman.

“Lunch time we took her out to the field “Getting those runs was huge,” said Bell. and we taught her how to catch and “It was a big momentum boost and we Bell followed with a hard line-drive single she’s done unbelievable in two games. kind of knew we had it from there.” up the middle runners at first and When I told her she was going to catch 2248 US 9putting South, Howell, NJ (Ideal Plaza) • 732-966-3441 second. Senior Cara McNulty then sent and now bat fourth she was more conAlthough Bell didn’t have one of her a fly ball to deep centerfield that Sigler cerned about batting fourth than catchdominant strikeout games you’ve come tagged up on and went to third before ing. I was like, ‘what? you’re not scared to expect out of her, she was magnificent Bell stole second putting both runners in to catch right now because I am,’ but on the mound in picking up her 22nd scoring position and bringing up Kofsky, she’s done great and got a big hit today shutout of the season. The overpowering (Ideal 732-966-3441 who broke the scoreless tie. too.” 2248 US 9 South, Howell, NJrighty gavePlaza) up three •hits, struck out seven and walked one, allowing just five base Freshman Mallory Shevlin ran for Kofsky Botti advanced to third on a wild pitch runners all game. and scored from second on junior Mia and scored on another wild pitch on a Botti’s RBI double into the right/centerclose play at the plate with a perfect slide “I wasn’t getting the high strikes, which is field gap to make it 3-0. underneath the tag that gave the Lions where I kind of like to throw my pitches,”

2ND LOCATION IN HOWELL SEPTEMBER 2018

Lions ace and winning pitcher, Malori Bell, was confident Kofsky would come through.

“It was huge. I thought it was home run for a second but the wall is so big,” said Bell of Kofsky’s big hit. “She’s come up clutch for us so many times I just knew she was going to be the person to get the job done.”

Middletown North head coach Chris Hoffman knew last year’s game was still

D O PE N I N G N A R G From Basics to Champions

UPDATE: Middletown North’s historic season came to end in the first round of the T.O.C. after the Lions fell to Hightstown, 4-2, in nine innings. Bell and Hightstown pitcher Allie Bridgman were locked into a scoreless pitching duel after eight innings before Hightstown struck for four runs in the top of the ninth on a grand slam by freshman Abbey Bell. Entering the top of the ninth, Bell allowed just one hit and struck out 17 before tiring in the ninth and getting tagged for four runs. The Lions rallied in the bottom half of the inning scoring two runs after loading the bases with one out and had the tying runs on base with two outs but couldn’t push them across the plate.

GR A

2ND LOCATION IN HOWELL SEPTEMBER 2018During

2ND LOCAT

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the game, Bell picked up her 400th strikeout of the season fanning the final batter of the third inning to eclipse the mark. She finished with 182248 strikeoutsUS for the game and 411 for the season pushing her over the 1000 mark for her career.

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Kofsky, the team leader in RBI with 31, responds with the biggest hit of her career drilling a two-run double off the left/ centerfield wall for what turned out to be the game-winning runs in the Lions’ 5-0 win over Chatham and their first-ever state championship.

“I was driving here with our trainer, Danielle Kanski, who played on the 1989 team that lost in the finals,” said Hoffman. “This is big for us but this is also big for the players that played in ‘89 and ‘92 (and lost in the state finals).

This is for our school, our town and our community. We said we wanted to do something we’ve never done – this is special.”

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As she approached the batter’s box, Kofsky can’t help but relive that fateful at bat of a year ago but quickly refocuses on the job ahead of her.

© George Tiedemann/GT Images.

Now fast-forward to this year’s NJSIAA Group III final at Kean University against Chatham. Kofsky is at bat with one out in the bottom of the fifth of a scoreless game with runners on second and third.

For the Lions (27-6) – ranked six in the state – they’ll be experiencing another first in the Tournament of Champions.

They’re seeded third and will play sixthseed and Group IV champions Hightstown (25-4), which is ranked No. 10 in the state and is also making its first trip in program history to the T.O.C. after winning its first-ever state title.

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Shore Conference Teams Had a Stellar Winter Season

By Casey Krish

The high school sports seasons change quickly. The longest season in sports is winter, when the scenes shift from under the lights on the turf and into the warm gymnasiums in Monmouth and Ocean counties.

The 2018-19 winter sports season saw many accomplishments for a number of Shore Conference programs. Ranney won the boys basketball Tournament of Champions, while the girls side saw two teams from the Shore make the tournament semifinals. The Manasquan hockey team started the season perfect up to the state tournament, and a group of 12 kids made a magical run to a divisional crown and deep playoff run. Howell wrestling continued to dominate on the mat, and a brand new sport – girls wrestling – was introduced by the NJSIAA.

Boys Basketball

The main story of the basketball season was the dominance of Ranney and the talent that was boasted on a roster full of Division I talent and future NBA lottery projections.

A senior class that included two potential 2020 NBA draft selections in Bryan Antoine and Scottie Lewis, who are committed to Villanova and Florida, respectively, along with Florida-bound Alex Klatsky, Ammadu Sarnor, Chris Autino and Mike Dettro led the Panthers to a Shore-best 31-3 mark.

Ranney slowly started checking off the boxes in February when they easily claimed the B Central title with a perfect run through the schedule. The Shore Conference Tournament was a one-man race, despite a valiant effort by Manasquan in the final at Monmouth University.

The NJSIAA playoffs were also expected to be a one-team show, but Ranney saw their chance of cementing themselves in New Jersey history dangle off the edge when they trailed Wildwood Catholic in the waning seconds of the South Jersey Non-Public sectional tournament. Clutch free throws from Lewis, and a team effort in the overtime period showed the desire this group had to bring the overall title to Ranney.

Ranney had the sweetest win of the year after defeating Roselle Catholic, 56-50, to punch its ticket to the T.O.C., just one year after the same Lions team ended their hopes at the buzzer in the same game. A 67-63 victory in the state’s final game over Bergen Catholic finally allowed the Panthers the chance to breathe at last.

With RFH transfer Phillip Wheeler set to return for his second year in a Ranney uniform, along with Elijah Perkins, a freshman who filled in nicely while Sarnor sat out for transfer rules, the chance at a repeat isn’t out of the question for the Panthers in 2020.

Manasquan, Wall and Freehold Township each captured Central Jersey sectional

championships, giving the Conference four representatives in the group stages of the tournament.

Brad McCabe averaged nearly 16 points for the Warriors in their run to the Central Jersey Group II title, and put up a season-high 33 in the SCT championship game. The Warriors hung around with Ranney in that final thanks to the heroic effort by McCabe, and certainly gave the eventual T.O.C. winners more than anyone thought they could.

Girls Basketball

The girls certainly had their fair share of success on the hardwood as well. Manchester and St. Rose each were representatives in the final four of the Tournament of Championships, and despite both of their seasons coming to a close in the semifinals, the Shore Conference was once again the home of some of the best basketball in New Jersey, if not the country.

Manchester won a school-record 32 games this year and won their second consecutive South Jersey Group II title behind the gaudy numbers from Rutgers Prep transfer Leilani Correa, as well as 6-foot-3 sophomore Destiny Adams. They both put up over 14 points per game, and Adams will reach the 1,000point mark very early into her junior season.

The biggest win for the Hawks was ending Manasquan’s season in the Group II semis.

It ended a stretch of five straight T.O.C. appearances for the Warriors.

Manasquan did win the Central Jersey Group II title for the sixth straight season behind Maryland commit Faith Masonius and Harvard commit Lola Mullaney, both of whom will be hard to replace for the Warriors once the 2020 season starts.

St. Rose joined Manchester in the T.O.C. semis after getting to the state’s biggest stage behind transfer Brynn Farrell. The 5-foot-11 junior averaged 18 points a game in her first year in Belmar. Lauren Lithgow and Abigail Antognoil each put up 300-plus point seasons to give the Roses a trio of scoring threats on the court.

Middletown South won the Central Jersey Group IV title behind the senior leadership of Isla Brennan and the scoring prowess of Kayla Richardson. Richardson will return in 2020 for her senior campaign and is just over 200 points shy of 1,000 for her career.

Ice Hockey

Manasquan ice hockey easily made its way through the regular season and Dowd Cup playoffs, winning its first 19 games. They entered the postseason as the only school to boast a perfect record, and although the streak would not be finished off with a state championship, the Warriors will be remembered for one of the best seasons on the ice in recent memory.

Manasquan defeated Middletown North in the final of the Dowd Cup Tournament with a dominating 7-1 victory; however it would be the same Lions team that would get the last laugh just five days later, being the only team to defeat Manasquan, 2-1, in the state postseason.

Despite the difficult finish, Mike Franzoni, Matt Franzoni and Aidan Tolnai gave the Warriors a trio of goal scorers to give opposing defenses reasons to worry. Mike Franzoni led the club with 31 goals while Matt and Tolnai followed with 29 and 25, respectively.

Point Boro was one of the best success stories of the season among the Shore Conference hockey community. With only 12 players on the roster, the Panthers went 17-5-1 and made it to the final of the Handchen Cup before falling to Saint John Vianney.

With a small group of players, it means that every single body available has to be at the top of their game every night, and such was the case for Point Boro. Six players had at least 20 points, with Aidan Zielaznicki leading all scorers with 40 points and 29 goals.

Will Herrington provided scoring from the back end with34 points. John Meyer stood on his head all season long, boasting a conference best .943 save percentage and making nearly 400 saves.

Saint John Vianney went 18-2-2 and won the Handchen Cup behind 30 goals from leading scorer John Gutt and .935 save clip from goalie Jeremy Connor.

Boys Wrestling

Howell continued to dominate the New Jersey wrestling scene with a 24-1 mark. Their only loss came to Southern Regional, the eventual Group V winners, in the postseason.

It was the Rebels’ first team defeat since Jan. 9, 2017.

Dean Peterson of Saint John Vianney and Rob Kanniard of Wall won state championships at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City this year.

Shane Reitsma of Howell, Nick O’Connell of Southern and Tyler Klinsky of Middletown North were all finalists who claimed second place.

Girls Wrestling

The big story down in Atlantic City was the 60 girls who got the chance to compete in the wrestling state championships for the first time. The Shore Conference had a successful showing, bringing home three first-place medals from Bella Serrano of Manasquan, Christine Gavasheli of Raritan and Jess Johnson of Manalapan.

Kayla Gregory of Jackson Memorial and Mia Lazaurs of Raritan made the finals and placed second.

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6/18/19 - 7/15/19 • Jersey Sporting News

Page 11

Congratulations to the class of 2019 "Jersey Awards" winners go to www.jerseysportingnews.com July 15th for our online issue where you can view photos and awards winners from our “Jersey Awards” ceremony . All award night winners interviews will be up on our YouTube Channel as well.

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