By tim morris
Staff Writer
One thing has remained constant with the Central Jersey Hawks 1986 AAU Girls’ Basketball Team — they keep on winning.
For six straight years the team, made up of area players, has won the New Jersey AAU championship, sending them to the National Championships. For the last five years, they have always been one of the Final Four. In 1998 they won the 11-and-under National Championship and they were the national runner-ups in 1999, 2000 and again in 2002 in the 15-and-under division. They are believed to be the first team in AAU tournament history to the make the Final Four five straight years.
This year, the Hawks lost the national final in Overland Park, Kan., to the West Coast All-Stars from California. In the tournament, the teams played three times, with West Coast winning two out of the three.
After going through their pool play 3-0, the Hawks moved on to the double-elimination stage of the tournament. There, the West Coast All-Stars knocked the Hawks off in their first encounter, sending them down to the loser’s bracket. The Hawks then played their way through to the final and another meeting with the West Coast squad. Along the way, in the semi-finals, the Hawks routed the defending national champion, the Kansas Bells.
Because of the double-elimination format, the Hawks would have to beat West Coast twice in order to win the title. They won a thrilling 84-82 game to force a second game, but that was won by West Coast.
Head coach Randy Westrol has been with the Hawks from the start and he pointed to three things that have enabled the team to remain successful while the quality of competition has kept on improving.
"One is the camaraderie on the court, the unselfishness of the girls," he explained. "Second is the their tremendous work ethic. They keep working to make themselves better, and third, they love the game."
They also have something else working for them: they are very athletic. Along with the athleticism, there is a commitment to defense that not all all-star teams are willing to make.
"We concentrate on defense," said Westrol. "We set a goal to hold teams under 40 points a game. It’s a challenge, and they are up for the challenge."
Marlboro’s Brina Pollack and Westrol’s daughter Heather Westrol, who plays for Red Bank Catholic, are the starting backcourt. Pollack is a multi-dimensional point guard who can score as well as run the offense. Westrol is a two guard with unlimited range. She had 28 threes at the AAU Nationals.
Up front, Marlboro’s explosive Chahkia Cole is a dominant force. Cole has worked on her outside game to go along with her superb inside play. Melissa Czorniewy, who plays high school ball at Holy Angels, lines up at the other forward and is athletic like Cole. The center is 6-4 Nicky Anosike from St. Peter’s High School. Her size helps the Hawks match up with bigger teams. But she is much more than that. She is a very mobile center who can pass.
Lisa Kuchinski from Red Bank Catholic and Lauren Huber from Union Catholic are the catalysts off the bench. Kuchinski is a fine defender and can play big or small forward. The 6-2 Huber spells both Anosike and Cole.
Another pair of 6-2 frontcourt plays provide the team with depth and, the size to handle taller clubs. Ashley Burgess of JFK Paterson is a forward while Colts Neck High School’s Caitlin Burton plays center. The back-up point guard is Lisa Niera from Creskill High School. She is also another three-point threat.