MUSTANG ROUNDUP
By: Rudy Brandl
The Manville High girls evened their season track and field record at 3-3 with a 94-37 home victory over Sussex Tech in Thursday’s regular season finale.
Lucy Yakobchuk led a balanced attack with three first place finishes for the Lady Mustangs. The MHS sophomore prevailed in the 100 meters (14.3) on the track and added victories in the long jump (14-1) and triple jump (29-5).
Marzena Brozyna and Gabby Firak won two individual events apiece. Brozyna swept the 100 hurdles (19.6) and 400 hurdles (1:16.7) and Firak posted a distance double in the 1,600 (6:33) and 3,200 (14:42).
The Shields sisters, Ashley and Casey, added individual victories. Ashley prevailed in the 200 (29.6) and Casey won the 400 (1:15). Other Manville winners included Angelika Lazur in the high jump (4-2) and Monica Ozieblo in the 800 (3:02).
Brozyna also competed on the winning 4×400 relay team (4:55) that included Casey Shields, Lazur and Kate Harodetsky. This quartet posted the team’s fastest mile relay time of the season.
Manville’s athletes were scheduled to compete in the Mountain Valley Conference Relays at Governor Livingston High this week. MHS head coach Michelle Mongillo planned to enter teams in the long jump, triple jump and one running event.
Softballers take hold
of divisional race
The Manville High softball team is well on its way to winning the Sky Division title. Last Thursday’s home victory over Jonathan Dayton sent the Lady Mustangs into the week with a 5-0 divisional record.
Manville has beaten everyone in the league except for Hillside. The MHS girls were leading the Comets by a 13-0 margin in the third inning when rain forced the postponement of that game. It will be replayed as part of a doubleheader May 9 in Manville.
Dayton came to town in hopes of forcing a tie atop the league standings and took an early lead in the top of the first. The inning ended with a double play that included a strikeout and out at home plate on an attempted steal.
The Manville girls got the run right back in the bottom of the inning, fell behind again by two in the top of the third but took the lead for good with four runs in the home half of the frame. MHS scored at least in every inning after that and coasted to a 10-5 victory.
Christine Bradley, who has made most of the headlines with her arm, did some major damage with her bat in this game. Bradley launched a three-run double to right-center field to highlight the third inning surge. Rhianna Lebedz followed with an RBI single to give Manville a 5-3 lead.
Samantha Aichele and Katrina DeSantis singled and scored on a two-run double by Robyn Barb in the fourth. Bradley and Lebedz singled and came home when Katie Lukacs ripped a two-run double in the fifth.
Bradley finished with eight strikeouts and no walks, allowing two earned runs on five hits vs. Bound Brook. She began the week with a no-hitter that included nine strikeouts in an 11-0 romp at Roselle.
Manville suffered its first loss of the season Friday against Bound Brook in a non-divisional game. MHS took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third but remained ahead only until the top of the fourth, when the Crusaders plated four runs. Bradley struck out five and walked three while scattering five hits in the loss.
The Lady Mustangs (7-1) were scheduled to host Newark Central Tuesday and play at Mount St. Mary’s Academy Friday before hitting the road for a rematch vs. Bound Brook next Monday.
Baseball team stays
in divisional chase
The Mustangs continued to be impressive in league play with another lopsided victory over a Union County school last week on the road.
Friday’s 8-1 win at Roselle improved Manville’s Sky Division record to 5-1, which is good for a tie for second place with Bound Brook and just ½-game behind Oratory Prep. Manville still has two games remaining vs. Oratory and Bound Brook.
Chris Weber and Dennis Petrone led the offensive barrage at Roselle. Weber went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI, while Petrone was 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBI. Petrone blasted a double and a two-run homer, while Weber laced a double and a triple to account for all of Manville’s extra-base hits in the game.
Tommy Rock, Kyle Sopko, Joey Burnett and Shane Jurkowski each added two hits for the Mustangs, who supported winning pitcher Robert Wood (3-1) with 14 hits. Wood went the distance with an impressive three-hitter that included 11 strikeouts and no walks. The junior right-hander did not allow an earned run.
Manville (7-2) was scheduled to host Newark Technology Tuesday and Somerset Vo-Tech Friday.

