Manalapan’s Mike Santoro drove in a run during a five-run outburst by the York College baseball team that sparked the Spartans to a 10-2 win over Catholic University. With the win, the Pennsylvania college improved its 2007 record to 8-4.
Santoro, a graduate of Manalapan High School, is the Spartans’ catcher. He has started all 12 games and is batting .250 (11-44). He has three doubles and five RBIs on the season and has scored nine runs, third best on the team.
Anthony Benedetti, a fifth-grader at the Pinebrook School in Manalapan, who wrestles for the Mat Rat Inc. program, finished eighth at the USA Wrestling New Jersey Youth State Championships held at Union High School.
Benedetti wrestled in the 95-pound Midget division.
Jessica Minkoff, 14, a Level 8 gymnast, won the state all-around championship, scoring 34.35. Minkoff, a member of the Shockwaves girls gymnastics team at the Monmouth Gymnastics Academy, Morganville, also collected two gold medals in the individual apparatus competition, winning the vault (9.25) and the floor exercise (9.25). She was also second on the balance beam (8.65).
Manalapan’s Erin Ross, a freshman at Brandeis University, was named to the All-University Athletic Association Softball Team Second Team. The rookie, who is a catcher, batted .250 and had a hit in the UAA tournament final, where Brandeis lost to Case Western Reserve.
Ross is a graduate of Manalapan, where she helped the Braves win the last two Shore Conference A North Division titles, as well as the 2005 Monmouth County Tournament championship.
Freehold’s Cat Manzi, the perennial driving champion at Freehold Raceway, owned the track on March 28, when he drove home six winners on the card. The veteran drove Prima Stella, Our Little Dip, Ironstone Fantasy, Pine Bluff Hanover, Everyday Colt and GE’s Justin to the winner’s circle. He now has 12,312 career wins, second best in harness racing history.
The Marlboro Boys U10 travel basketball team recently completed an outstanding season. They won the Mid-Monmouth Youth League championship defeating Howell, at home, in the final and were 43-3 overall. They were undefeated in Mid-Monmouth league and the only Marlboro team to win a regular season division title. Further, the team won three of the four tournaments that they competed in this season – the Marlboro Basketball Shoot-out, Colts Neck Derby and Hazlet Invitational. Lastly, the team competed in the Central Jersey Basketball League, where they finished the season with a 9-1 record.
The Marlboro U10 players are Adam Ashenfarb, Ryan Bott, Brian Caceda, Michael Fasano, J.P. Legrottaglie, Andrew Markowitz, Justin Markowitz, Jake Metzger, Kevin Politz, Michael Rabinowitz, T.J. Verdiglione and Austin Zinn. Eleven of the 12 players on the roster are returning players from last season and most play competitive basketball year-round.
Craig Piskin in the head coach and Tom Verdiglione and Jeff Zinn, the assistant coaches.
Marlboro Recreation Soccer has openings for the spring 2007 season for boys and girls currently in grades seven through 12. Marlboro residents who have not yet registered as well as residents of Old Bridge, Freehold, Manalapan, Englishtown and Colts Neck, are invited to play. The recreation season begins on April 15 and games are played on fields in Marlboro Township. For more information, contact the recreation department at (732) 617-0100.