RAIDER ROUNDUP
by Rudy Brandl, Sports Editor
The Hillsborough High gymnasts started their postseason preparation with two high-level regular-season meets against other teams in the state’s top 10.
Hillsborough (7-1) salvaged a split of those two contests with Friday’s home victory over South Brunswick. The Raiders established a new school record and broke their own state record with a whopping 114.7 score to beat the Vikings.
Three days earlier, the Raiders saw their hopes for an undefeated season end with a tough loss at Hunterdon Central, which posted a 114.0 score that ranked first in the state this season until Friday. Hillsborough’s big score Friday wrapped up the No. 1 seed for the Central 2 Sectional Championships.
”We started hitting from Girl 1,” HHS head coach Beth Murrin said after Friday’s impressive triumph. “The whole group competed well and it just started rolling from there.”
Senior Christina Rhoades broke her own school record with a monster all-around score of 38.45. Rhoades also established a new HHS standard in the floor exercise, finishing the team’s huge day with a double full on her fast pass to notch a 9.775 score. Rhoades started the day with a 9.575 on vault, scored 9.35 on bars and nailed her beam for a 9.65 mark.
Sophomore Brittany Marcsisin also recorded a career-high in the all-around (37.975). Marcsisin scored a personal best on vault (9.625) and season high on bars (9.575) and finished with solid performances on beam (9.475) and floor (9.3).
Senior Chrissy Weber hit a season high 37.725 score in the all-around. Weber tied her own school record (9.7) on the uneven bars and also reached a season best 9.6 on floor. She also scored 8.95 on vault and 9.475 on beam.
Freshman Brittany Janssen also had a great meet. She scored personal bests on bars (9.2) and beam (9.2) and hit 9.375 on floor. Other HHS scores were posted by Robyn Roundtree on vault (9.525) and Amanda Curry on bars (9.025).
Skyland Conference rivals HHS and Central locked up in another great meet to decide the regular-season league title. The event also served as a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness month and raised $2,800 for the Susan G. Komen Fund.
Hillsborough performed well with a 112.475 score, but wasn’t firing on all cylinders. Central simply had a better day, but the Raiders will face their rivals three more times with championships on the line this season.
”We just kind of got rattled as a team,” Murrin said. “Nobody was really hitting and we couldn’t get it together as a team. There weren’t any major crashes and we did all right. We just didn’t have our best day.”
HHS counted two sub-9.0 scores in the meet. Marcsisin (9.5) and Rhoades (9.4) led the way on vault; Weber (9.65) and Marcsisin (9.475) starred on bars; Rhoades (9.625), Marcsisin (9.475) and Jess Leinbach (9.075) were clutch on beam; and Rhoades (9.625), Weber (9.4) and Marcsisin (9.35) finished strong on the floor.
The Raiders were scheduled to conclude the regular season Tuesday against Watchung Hills in a final tuneup for Saturday’s Skyland Conference Championships, set to begin 3:30 p.m. at Hillsborough.
Girls lose twice,
miss state playoffs
The HHS girls’ soccer team entered last week with a very difficult task, needing no worse than a victory and a tie against Delaware East Division front runners Montgomery and Bridgewater-Raritan to qualify for the state playoffs.
Hillsborough (6-9-1) dropped both games and will miss the state playoffs for the first time this decade.
The team’s 3-1 loss at Montgomery’s Cougar Stadium sealed its fate. It also clinched the division title for Montgomery.
Megan Cull scored off an assist from Lauren Miska in the second half to avoid the shutout. Sophomore goalkeeper Miranda Reinson played very well with 14 saves in the loss.
Hillsborough’s season ended with Thursday’s 4-2 home loss to Bridgewater-Raritan. The Panthers erupted for three goals in the first half before the HHS girls rallied with two scores after the break.
Kelly Nagel and Reinson scored for the Lady Raiders to cut the lead to 3-2 before B-R added a late insurance goal. Cull played the last game of her fine scholastic career and contributed one assist. Larissa Gileta made six saves in goal.
Tennis team builds
late win streak
The HHS girls’ tennis team enjoyed a productive week with four straight victories to improve its season record to 14-6.
Hillsborough defeated Voorhees, Governor Livingston, Piscataway and Ridge and was locked in a 2-2 tie with Watchung Hills when darkness prevented play from being completed. Senior second singles player Paige Aiello will continue her decisive match Thursday.
The HHS girls completed their big week with a 3-2 triumph over Ridge on Friday.
Freshman first singles player Gina Li knocked off Kelly Willford 6-4, 6-2. Aiello defeated Tracy Lucas 6-0, 6-0 and the second doubles team of senior Lisa Le and sophomore Eileen Li beat Jackie Hicks and Regina Zhang 6-2, 6-1.
Ridge won at third singles with Natalie Nolte topping junior Lauren Wisbeski 6-2, 6-0 and prevailed in the tightest match of the day at first doubles. HHS seniors Rachael Johnston and Mae Ling Strang dropped a 7-5, 6-3 contest to Caroline Shang and Tara Richelo.
Earlier in the week, the Raiders knocked off Piscataway by a 4-1 score. Li blanked her opponent in the first set and the Piscataway player retired. Aiello shut out her opponent and both doubles teams added victories in straight sets.
Li defeated GL standout Allie Tierney 6-1, 6-4 and Aiello blanked younger sister Laura Tierney 6-0, 6-0. The Strang-Johnston and Le-Li doubles teams clinched the team victory by taking their matches in straight sets.
The same four positions prevailed in the team’s 4-1 triumph over Voorhees. Li dropped five games, Aiello lost three in the first set before rolling in the second and the doubles units took care of business to start the week on a positive note.
Hillsborough will finish its season with two full matches and the completion of the Watchung Hills match this week. The team was set to host Hunterdon Central and play at Montgomery before Thursday’s finale.