By: Emily Holody
With two new sports slated to begin this school year, there is still much to do, school officials said, including setting rosters and final schedules, and finding space to play home games.
The school board voted in June to add fall field hockey and winter wrestling to the school’s sports roster. Although space for home games is still an issue, said Cranbury School Business Administrator Carolyn Eversole, coaches have been hired.
Cathy Elliott, currently a physical and health education teacher for the Cranbury School, will coach field hockey. Sean Cox has been hired as a physical and health education teacher for the fall and will coach wrestling. Coaches will receive $3,250 per sport.
The accommodate the sports, the district is planning to build a field for field hockey and purchase mats to make up a 38- by 38-foot wrestling area in the school’s auditorium.
The field will be parallel to the school’s new gym, but the district isn’t sure whether it will be ready for this season.
"(The field) obviously won’t be as good this year as it will next year," said Ms. Eversole. "We’re hoping for an even better field for the following year."
She said Athletics Director Jay Gilligan will eventually decide whether the field is ready for play.
"I think Jay will have to make a determination as to whether the field is in shape for games, or whether he will have to have all the games away. He’s already made arrangements for that possibility," said Ms. Eversole.
Mr. Gilligan has already arranged several games for the field hockey team, said Ms. Eversole.
In addition, equipment has been ordered for the field hockey team, but not for wrestling.
Ms. Eversole said that since wrestling doesn’t begin by the winter, the district has more time to deal with wrestling season’s details.
The discussion of adding the new sports began in the fall when the board received a petition signed by more than 43 students asking the district to add lacrosse. Lacrosse was not added because there are recreational opportunities to play the sport in the area. However, a subsequent survey found field hockey and wrestling desirable amongst students.
Signups and tryouts will take place once school begins. Field hockey needs 16 to 20 members to field a team, while 20 members are needed for wrestling, said Chief School Administrator John Haney.

