O’Connor, McLaughlin, Mangini, hockey team prevail
By: Rudy Brandl
One Hillsborough High team and three individual athletes won major championships Saturday all over the state.
In Toms River at the NJSIAA Indoor Meet of Champions early in the afternoon, HHS senior Taryn O’Connor captured the state title in the shot put. O’Connor didn’t match her school and county record but hit 46 feet, 3 inches to secure her first state gold medal. It was O’Connor’s fourth overall M of C medal combining the winter indoor and spring outdoor seasons.
"It’s awesome," O’Connor said. "I wanted to throw better, but I’m happy what I threw was good enough to take first."
Two hours later in the middle of the afternoon at the Codey Arena in West Orange, the Raider ice hockey team rolled to the Van Cott Cup championship with a 7-0 shutout victory over Montclair-Kimberly Academy. It was the third time this season HHS defeated the White Division regular season winners.
HHS won the Kelly Cup title in its first year of varsity action last winter in the Blue Division. The Raiders moved up to the White and didn’t miss a beat, bringing home another cup. Joe Kubrak and Matt Janos keyed the offense and goaltender Eric Visnovsky posted a shutout.
Later in the afternoon at the Hunterdon Central Fieldhouse in Flemington, HHS senior wrestling stars Frankie McLaughlin and John Mangini won their second straight Region 5 titles.
McLaughlin (34-1), who earlier in the day posted his 100th career win in the semifinals, defeated Bridgewater-Raritan rival Wayne Hampton in a 12-4 major for his second region crown. McLaughlin won the bout on his feet with five takedowns and one reversal.
Mangini (26-0) remained undefeated for the season with a quick display of dominance in the final. He took some time to get the takedown against Brian Erdek of Voorhees but almost immediately put in a nasty arm bar that produced a pin at 1:23.
The HHS athletes and teams aren’t finished with their business. McLaughlin and Mangini will be gunning for state titles at the NJSIAA Championships in Atlantic City next weekend; O’Connor will compete in the Easterns Tuesday; and the HHS ice hockey team begins the state playoffs March 2.
For more detailed stories on all HHS sports and special coverage of all the champions, see Thursday’s Hillsborough Beacon.