Scholastic athletic year was one to remember


MARIE ORTIZ  Elyse Bizzozzaro of Manalapan (battling for possession with Janine Silva) closed out her stellar high school soccer career with an appearance in the Monmouth vs. Ocean All-Star game on Saturday in Neptune. The game ended in a 2-2 tie. MARIE ORTIZ Elyse Bizzozzaro of Manalapan (battling for possession with Janine Silva) closed out her stellar high school soccer career with an appearance in the Monmouth vs. Ocean All-Star game on Saturday in Neptune. The game ended in a 2-2 tie.

With the first graduating class of the 21st century behind us and the 2000-01 season just on the horizon, it’s a good time to look back on the 1999-00 athletic season in the Freehold District and the legacy the season left behind. It was one of the best, starting in the fall.

Freehold Borough had a number of reasons to stand and cheer. On the soccer field, a senior-led team sparked by Jason Kutney and Dave Steeneck played its way to the state Group II championship game. Along the way, the Colonials won the Shore Conference C South Division title and the Central Jersey Group II state sectional. They defeated Somerville, 2-0, at home to win the sectional — the school’s first since 1984.

Although their bid for the Group II state championship was thwarted by Chatham in the state title game at Kean University, 2-1, the Colonials captured the support of the school and town.

So did the football team, which went from last to first in one year. Led by the hard-hitting, intimidating linebacker Darrell Reid, Freehold Borough captured the school’s first football title since 1985, when they won the C South Division co-championship. The horns were honking through the streets of the borough that Saturday afternoon when the Colonials beat Holmdel to clinch the co-championship.

Manalapan fans had reason to yell as well, as the Braves won their third A North Division title on the gridiron. With Jack Phillips developing at quarterback, the balanced Braves were 6-4 on the season and made the state playoffs again.

Marlboro was one of the surprise teams of the year. Behind the legs of running back Nick Lenart and a strong offensive line, the Mustangs were 6-4 as well and made the state playoffs for the first time since 1994.

Back on the soccer field, Howell sported a pair of champions. The boys, led by the versatile Tom Poznanski, won the school’s first boys’ soccer title in more than a decade when they sewed up A North.

Cara Hammond and Kerrilyn Dell led the Rebel girls to the A North title as well.

Marlboro’s girls won the biggest team prize when they surprised everyone but themselves at the state gymnastics championships.

The Mustangs won their third straight A North title and then had third-place finishes at the Shore Conference and Central Jersey tournaments.

Lost in those third-place finishes was the fact that the Mustangs were improving all the time; the improvement continued right on up to the state meet, where their school record 109.75 points gave them the state championship.

Sarah Roman finished her career in style, winning the Central Jersey I all-around championship and placing at the state finals (third on the vault and fourth in the all-around). Betsy and Katie Domenico and Liz Weikes were the other keys to Marlboro’s state title.

Freehold Borough’s Allison Ryan was second on the uneven bars at the state championships.

An era ended on the tennis courts when the Lady Mustangs coach Bev Ginglen stepped down. She has an unmatched record of success, including a pair of No. 1 rankings in the state, and left the scene a winner as the ’Stangs captured the A North Division championship and were 17-2. Ginglen compiled an unequaled record that included 12 Shore Conference Division, nine Central Jersey Group IV, seven State Group IV, six Shore Conference Tournament and two Tournament of Champions crowns. Her 1990 and ’91 teams were No. 1 in the state.

In cross country, Howell’s indomitable Lindsey Gallo made history when she won her fourth straight Freehold District Championship. As the first to do it, she has a record that can be equaled but never broken. On the boys’ side, Marlboro’s Nick Pellegrino won his second straight title.

Freehold Township’s girls and Marlboro’s boys were the team champions.

Better things were ahead for Gallo, such as Monmouth County and Shore Conference championships and a third straight Central Jersey Group IV championship. She won her first Group IV state championship in a district record 18:55.8 at Holmdel and then finished fourth at the Meet of Champions.

Pellegrino would win the Central Jersey Group IV championship, and teammate Ty Jensen, runner-up there, would take eighth at the MOC, with Pellegrino 12th.

Colts Neck’s Israel Payan made school history by becoming the first Cougar to win a state sectional title, when he won the Central Jersey Group I crown.

Back on the gridiron, we said good-bye (for now) to the Freehold Borough-Freehold Township Thanksgiving Day rivalry because of conference realignment. The Pats won the emotional farewell, 7-6.

The fall athletes of the year were: football, Darrell Reid, Freehold Borough; boys soccer, Jason Kutney, Freehold Borough; girls soccer, Elyse Bizzozzaro, Manalapan; boys cross country, Nick Pellegrino, Marlboro; girls cross country, Lindsey Gallo, Howell; girls tennis, Hsing-Ling Lee; field hockey, Gina Portella, Howell; and gymnastics, Sarah Roman, Marlboro.

The hardwood season was highlighted by a pair of 1,000-point scorers. Manalapan’s Ashley Silsbe and Freehold Borough’s Allison Calandrino joined the prestigious club in the same week at the end of February.

Freehold Borough’s boys, led by Richard Harrell, won the Jack Kuhnert Memorial Holiday Basketball Tournament. It was the Colonials’ 11th win in the tournament, but the first since Kuhnert passed away, and the tournament was named in his honor. It made for a very emotional night for the Colonial players and fans.

Former Rebel wrestling champion John Gagliano brought a championship back to Howell. The Rebels were rated the best team in Monmouth County as they won the Shore Conference A North Division crown. Behind the veteran leadership of Pat Lavin (160) and Dave Olson (152) and freshman sensation Zach Cunliffe (103), the Rebels went undefeated in A North.

Cunliffe had the best season of anyone in the district. He won the Neptune Classic in his first-ever competition and added the Westfield Invitational title. He went on to win the District 21 title and placed second at Region 6. He would finish sixth at the state championships and have a 32-5 record. He has a remarkable future in front of him.

NJSIAA District 21 champions from the district were: Cunliffe; Alex Pal, Manalapan (112); Mike Gaeta, Manalapan (119); Rob Morello, Freehold Township (130); Eric Nomikos, Freehold Township (135); Olson; Lavin; and Lou Giordano, Freehold Township (171).