2009 Spring
Baseball
Sixth year coach Tom Baylock’s team has ridden the strong right arm of junior pitcher Gary Binkiewicz to a tremendous season. The Raiders were an offensive juggernaut as they qualified for their seventh straight state tournament and were slated to play Westfield for the Union County championship. At publication time their record was a gaudy 13-3.Sophomore Marcus Rivera and senior Jon Kosenick provided solid backup pitching support for Binkiewicz and combined to win the county semi final over Elizabeth. Binkewicz, the starting quarterback on the football team, was 5-0.
Seniors Nick Bonadies and Kevin Maroney and juniors Joe D'Annunzio, John Maxwell and Mike Ridge led a multi faceted offense that could score with power or speed. Louis Mazzella and Ricky Shevlin were also dangerous hitters.
With an unbeaten junior varsity and many talented underclassmen, the future could not be brighter for the Raiders.
Softball
Coach Kelli Covert’s young team went through an uneven season and was 8-9 at press time. Amanda White and Bianca Root were the top pitchers. Seniors Danielle Sette, Kelly Cianciotta and Nikki Mineo were steadying influences and possessed offensive punch and defensive skills. Cassi Zito and Kristina Kalkstein also were top performers.
Junior catcher Courtney Zyla also had a solid season behind the plate and sophomore basketball star Aysia Peterson excelled at first base.
Girl’s Track and Field
A young team had another solid season, going 2-0-1 in dual meets and recapturing the Watchung Conference title with a 131-89 rout of Union.
In the Watchung Conference Championships senior Brittney Veeck repeated as 1600 champion (5:21.21) and freshman Erin Pierce (5:24.25) was second. Veeck, who was also third in the 800, graduates as the school’s finest female distance runner. Pierce also led a 1-2 finish in the 3200 with sophomore Kathleen Leeper second. The duo, as well as sophomore Laura Bruce will form a strong distance group for the future.
Once again the top all around performer was junior Sarah Canfield, who won the conference high jump and was second in the triple jump to senior Whitney Adams. Canfield also finished second in the long jump in a school-record 17-5 ¼. Adams also excelled in numerous events including the high jump, triple jump and long jump as well as running on the 4 by 400 relay. Sophomore Ali Pearl transitioned to the 400 hurdles and also ran the relay.
Junior Kim Wenson anchored the throws with a victory in the javelin (106-9) and third places in the discus (100-4) and shot put (35-8). Sophomore Erin Brown notched third in the javelin and Jessica Feldman was fourth in the shot put.
Boy’s Track and Field
The boys won all three of their dual meets, including a revenge victory over arch rival Westfield and won a thrilling duel against Plainfield to win the Watchung Conference title.
Senior Martin Sweeney developed into an outstanding distance runner. At the conference meet he came up with a personal best when he won the 1,600 in 4:24.44 and also captured the 3200 in 9:37.Sophomore Alex Parker and junior Brandon Wheeler were also solid distance runners. Parker ran 9:59 for fourth in the 3200 and 4:34.70 for fourth in the 1600.
In his first track season senior Marcus Green, made his javelin debut a memorable one, when he won the conference title. Frank Mellana, the top returning javelin thrower was second and senior Ryan Brown also placed. As usual the Raiders had a strong weight group led by Matt McQuoid, who placed in most major meets.
Senior Louvan Powell became a top high jumper and long jumper as well as a fine hurdler. Bedridden with pneumonia two weeks before the conference meet, he bounced back to win the high jump (5-10) and was second in the triple jump in a personal-best 42-9.75.
Alex Carow continued a family tradition by leading the pole vault. At the conference meet he clinched the victory with a second-place showing clearing 12-0. Senior John Domanski and sophomore Zack Carow also placed in the event.
Tennis
An inexperienced team of just two returning starters struggled early but improved markedly under second year coach Gary Wasserman. After a 1-7 start, which included four top twenty teams, the Raiders improved to 5-8 at press time and with just two seniors in the lineup the future appears bright. The team was curtailed by a staggering seven rainouts.
Junior Dan Nizri, one of two returning starters, moved up to first singles and finished eighth in the county. Junior Steve Bello moved up to second singles and finished fifth in the counties. Sophomore Ezra Klemow took over third singles and was sixth in the county. Seniors Eric Heinz and Erick Walker, the team co-captains, played first doubles and also were sixth in counties Sophomores Eric Leyden and Evan Shlissel rounded out the team at second doubles also were sixth in the county.
Golf
Veteran coach Steve Ciccotelli’s team was 7-6-1. Austin Pfundheller was usually low scorer and John Foti, Ryan Laguna Steve Pak and Colin Grimm added balance.
Lacrosse
Lacrosse debuted this season as the Raiders played boys and girls lacrosse on a junior varsity level. Although the boys were 2-8 and the girls were 1-7-1, the advent of youth programs and the popularity of the sport in town should lead to a bright future.
Sixth year coach Tom Baylock’s team has ridden the strong right arm of junior pitcher Gary Binkiewicz to a tremendous season. The Raiders were an offensive juggernaut as they qualified for their seventh straight state tournament and were slated to play Westfield for the Union County championship. At publication time their record was a gaudy 13-3.Sophomore Marcus Rivera and senior Jon Kosenick provided solid backup pitching support for Binkiewicz and combined to win the county semi final over Elizabeth. Binkewicz, the starting quarterback on the football team, was 5-0.
Seniors Nick Bonadies and Kevin Maroney and juniors Joe D'Annunzio, John Maxwell and Mike Ridge led a multi faceted offense that could score with power or speed. Louis Mazzella and Ricky Shevlin were also dangerous hitters.
With an unbeaten junior varsity and many talented underclassmen, the future could not be brighter for the Raiders.
Softball
Coach Kelli Covert’s young team went through an uneven season and was 8-9 at press time. Amanda White and Bianca Root were the top pitchers. Seniors Danielle Sette, Kelly Cianciotta and Nikki Mineo were steadying influences and possessed offensive punch and defensive skills. Cassi Zito and Kristina Kalkstein also were top performers.
Junior catcher Courtney Zyla also had a solid season behind the plate and sophomore basketball star Aysia Peterson excelled at first base.
Girl’s Track and Field
A young team had another solid season, going 2-0-1 in dual meets and recapturing the Watchung Conference title with a 131-89 rout of Union.
In the Watchung Conference Championships senior Brittney Veeck repeated as 1600 champion (5:21.21) and freshman Erin Pierce (5:24.25) was second. Veeck, who was also third in the 800, graduates as the school’s finest female distance runner. Pierce also led a 1-2 finish in the 3200 with sophomore Kathleen Leeper second. The duo, as well as sophomore Laura Bruce will form a strong distance group for the future.
Once again the top all around performer was junior Sarah Canfield, who won the conference high jump and was second in the triple jump to senior Whitney Adams. Canfield also finished second in the long jump in a school-record 17-5 ¼. Adams also excelled in numerous events including the high jump, triple jump and long jump as well as running on the 4 by 400 relay. Sophomore Ali Pearl transitioned to the 400 hurdles and also ran the relay.
Junior Kim Wenson anchored the throws with a victory in the javelin (106-9) and third places in the discus (100-4) and shot put (35-8). Sophomore Erin Brown notched third in the javelin and Jessica Feldman was fourth in the shot put.
Boy’s Track and Field
The boys won all three of their dual meets, including a revenge victory over arch rival Westfield and won a thrilling duel against Plainfield to win the Watchung Conference title.
Senior Martin Sweeney developed into an outstanding distance runner. At the conference meet he came up with a personal best when he won the 1,600 in 4:24.44 and also captured the 3200 in 9:37.Sophomore Alex Parker and junior Brandon Wheeler were also solid distance runners. Parker ran 9:59 for fourth in the 3200 and 4:34.70 for fourth in the 1600.
In his first track season senior Marcus Green, made his javelin debut a memorable one, when he won the conference title. Frank Mellana, the top returning javelin thrower was second and senior Ryan Brown also placed. As usual the Raiders had a strong weight group led by Matt McQuoid, who placed in most major meets.
Senior Louvan Powell became a top high jumper and long jumper as well as a fine hurdler. Bedridden with pneumonia two weeks before the conference meet, he bounced back to win the high jump (5-10) and was second in the triple jump in a personal-best 42-9.75.
Alex Carow continued a family tradition by leading the pole vault. At the conference meet he clinched the victory with a second-place showing clearing 12-0. Senior John Domanski and sophomore Zack Carow also placed in the event.
Tennis
An inexperienced team of just two returning starters struggled early but improved markedly under second year coach Gary Wasserman. After a 1-7 start, which included four top twenty teams, the Raiders improved to 5-8 at press time and with just two seniors in the lineup the future appears bright. The team was curtailed by a staggering seven rainouts.
Junior Dan Nizri, one of two returning starters, moved up to first singles and finished eighth in the county. Junior Steve Bello moved up to second singles and finished fifth in the counties. Sophomore Ezra Klemow took over third singles and was sixth in the county. Seniors Eric Heinz and Erick Walker, the team co-captains, played first doubles and also were sixth in counties Sophomores Eric Leyden and Evan Shlissel rounded out the team at second doubles also were sixth in the county.
Golf
Veteran coach Steve Ciccotelli’s team was 7-6-1. Austin Pfundheller was usually low scorer and John Foti, Ryan Laguna Steve Pak and Colin Grimm added balance.
Lacrosse
Lacrosse debuted this season as the Raiders played boys and girls lacrosse on a junior varsity level. Although the boys were 2-8 and the girls were 1-7-1, the advent of youth programs and the popularity of the sport in town should lead to a bright future.
Labels: Baylock, Binkiewicz, D'Annunzio, Sweeney
posted by David Lazarus at 7:43 AM
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