BRICK GRAD FORMING BASE OF COLLEGE’S NEW TUMBLING TEAM

Officials: No Road Changes For 2 Schools

By Alyssa Riccardi BRICK

– Ocean County and Brick Township engineers have confirmed that the roadways near two schools will not be changed or modified due to traffic safety concerns.

Over the past year, parents have complained about the roadways at Osbornville and Herbertsville elementary schools as accidents with buses and other motorists have occurred during dropoff and pick-up times. However, officials have determined that these issues are not caused by the designs of the roadways at the schools but rather due to the traffic caused by the drop-off and school dismissal.

At the May 11 Board of Education meeting, business administrator James Edwards gave a report on their analysis. He met with Ocean County Engineer John Ernst and Brick Township Engineer Elissa Commins onsite at

(Road - See Page 5)

By Chris Christopher BRICK

The Brick Township High School senior has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete on the Lions’ acrobatics and tumbling team, which will begin competition next year in the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association.

“It feels weird and new,” she said. “I am excited, though. It’s weird as the team will be in its first year and nobody asks how the program was. I am very excited to show people that we can show our skills at

(Tumbling - See Page 4)

Photos courtesy Lenny Zdanowicz and Michelle Hulsart Mia Zdanowicz began spreading spirit as a youngster. (Inset): Mia Zdanowicz displays her skills.

Local Group Building

Custom Plane For Armless Pilot

By Stephanie Faughnan OCEAN COUNTY

– A group of local aviation enthusiasts has undertaken an ambitious project to build a customized aircraft for Jessica Cox, an Arizona-based pilot born without arms.

The fifteen volunteers involved in this endeavor are all members of EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Chapter 898 out of the Ocean County Airport. Many are also (Pilot - See Page 12)

Tumbling: Continued From Page 1 other places than football games. This is a new sport that other colleges are starting to add to their sports.”

The owner of a 4.0 grade point average, Zdanowicz said she originally planned on attending Ocean County College, “but Georgian Court’s coach (former Red Bank Catholic and University of Oregon standout Sierra Garcia) reached out to me and it was intriguing.”

Zdanowicz cheered for the Green Dragons for four years during the fall and winter sports seasons. She performed as a side base, main base and tumbler during each season. She earned four varsity letters. She also earned three varsity letters in girls lacrosse, playing attack and midfielder.

She was a member of the school’s Unified sports team as a junior and senior. She won the Spirit Award, the Coaches Award, the Heart of a Dragon Award all four years and the Winter Academic Award all four years. She won the school’s Senior Superlative Award for displaying the most school spirit.

“She stuck out to me when she was on her high school cheerleading team,” Garcia said. “She showed hard work and leadership right off the bat. She is an athlete who will give it her all and be a selfless teammate. She has the mindset to never give up. She will be a huge asset to our team physically and mentally.”

While in the fifth grade, Zdanowicz began coaching as a volunteer with the Brick Dragons American Youth Cheerleading Special Needs Cheer team.

“I was the youngest demo in program history because they (coaches) saw my Dragon pride, spirit and passion when I was helping the young cheerleaders ages five through 14,” she said. “I love the feeling of coaching these athletes and working with them to make them better. Doing this, I use the tactics I’ve taught myself and others have taught me over my many years of cheerleading and tumbling.”

Zdanowicz will compete in base and tumbler for the Lions.

“With her background in coaching, I see Mia being a leader even as an incoming freshman,” Garcia said. “She is a strong base and tumbler. I know she will be a huge asset on the mat and I am excited to see her growth and success as an NCAA Division II student-athlete. Mia has the drive and determination to be her best along with the ability to have fun and truly enjoy the sport she is in. With our practice and lifting schedule, the team will be able to build the strength to perform the skills required for acrobatics and tumbling.”

Likewise, Zdanowicz said she has a deep respect for Garcia.

“I love her,” she said. “She is so sweet. She is amazing and talented and competed in acrobatics and tumbling at Oregon. She has helped me with everything that deals with this process.”

A 5-foot-4, 150-pounder, Zdanowicz comes from a talented family. Her dad, Lenny, is the head football coach at Brick Township High School. Her brother, Max, is in the United States Navy at the New River Air Station in North Carolina. Her mother, Carey, is a teacher at the Walnut Street Elementary School in Toms River. Brick cheerleading coaches Nicole Buell and Desiree DePoto have also guided Zdanowicz. An aunt, Kristen Zdanowicz, competed in gymnastics at Rutgers University.

“My mom has coached me for my whole life,” she said. “I thank my family for always supporting me and coming to all of my events no matter what. I received my aunt’s genes. My mom cheered at Toms River (High School) South. It’s a rivalry in our house when it’s Toms River South versus Brick week. My folks knew I would be a wild one. I did cartwheels when I was in class in kindergarten. My mom taught there and the staff would call on her

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Continued From Page 4 to stop me.”

Combined with the Brick Memorial Mustangs, Zdanowicz and Company won a competition last October. They won a national event in Florida last December and another event in Atlantic City in February. She is also involved in a kickball league for special needs children at her school.

“I work with these kids so that they have the chance to play a sport,” she said. “The children love to be able to set free and play a sport with their close friends. Being a part of that is a blessing. I love watching the impact I have on these children and I wouldn’t want to give my time to anything else.”

Zdanowicz said she plans to study sports management at Georgian Court.

“I am not positive on what I want to do yet, but I know I want to be involved in sports, hopefully football,” she said.

“I want to do this because ever since I was little I’ve always been interested in football as my dad is a head coach and I was a cheerleader (she cheered at her dad’s team’s games). I am always around football and sports. I love the atmosphere of the sports world and I want to continue to be a part of it.” positions, top and tumbler, major, interdisciplinary studies, elementary education grades K-6 and teacher of students with disabilities endorsement; incoming freshman Alexis Luke, Bordentown Regional High School, position, base; rising junior Alyssa Almerigotti, Effingham County High School, position, base; incoming freshman Louanne Legregin, Freehold Township High School, positions, top and tumbler; incoming freshman Bianca Colao, Southern Regional High School, positions, top, base and tumbler; incoming freshman Faith Marie Robert, Freehold Township High School, positions, top, base and tumbler, and incoming freshman Aniyah Martin, Lake Forest High School (Del.), positions, top, base and tumbler.

Zdanowicz has been on the Honor Roll for four years. She has been on the Distinguished Honor Roll for three years. She earned the Academic Winter Award for cheerleading for four years. She won the Fall Academic Award four years. She’s ranked 94th in a class of 348 students.

Garcia, a full time coach, said the all-female team will consist of 15-20 athletes.

Here is information regarding other team members and their potential positions : Rising sophomore Emily Miller, Butler High School, position, base, major, nursing; rising sophomore Kimberly Schadewald, Ocean County Vocational Technical School, position, base, major, dance; rising sophomore Katelyn Meyer, Manchester Township High School, positions, base and tumbler, major, nursing, and incoming freshman Anna Trombino, Central Regional High School, positions, top, base and tumbler, major, nursing.

NOTE: gculions.com contributed to this report.

Road: Continued From Page 1

“The county indicated they are not going to be making any roadway improvements at either site because of traffic conditions that are caused. They are not caused by the county road design but rather the school traffic,” Edwards said. “At Osbornville, there is a great improvement based upon the administration had changed traffic patterns there. So that’s alleviated a great deal of traffic congestion on the roadway and there does not appear to be a safety concern anymore by Traffic Safety,” Edwards added.

The issues at Herbertsville stem from drivers parking along Lanes Mill Road, which interferes with buses and other traffic from the school. To resolve this, police are enforcing “no parking” on both Lanes Mill Road, at Herbertsville School, as well as Drum Point Road, near Osbornville School.

“Parents at both schools are going to be notified that there will be no parking tolerated on the roadways,” Edwards said.

Other Lions are incoming freshman Caroline Yacullo, Point Pleasant High School, positions, top, base and tumbler, major, nursing; incoming freshman Gianna Mirassol, Seneca High School, Osbornville and Herbertsville elementary schools in order to make a determination.

He explained that Susan McNamara, Director of Planning, Research and Evaluation, will be responsible for working with both building principals to get that message out to the parents.

“The township has indicated that they will be ticketing vehicles that are parked in roadways during drop-off and dismissal,” he said.

Additionally, Edwards said they considered at one point constructing a potential access road that would go from the rear of property at Osbornville school. However, it appeared this isn’t needed.

“We’ll give some additional, future consideration once the new park goes in the back of the school. They’re building a new playground there that’s going to allow us to take down the old playground that’s there currently, which potentially could turn into some more parking,” Edwards said.