The Marlboro Lightning won the 2010 Disney College Soccer Showcase Tournament in the under-17 division at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 30. This tournament is ranked the No. 1 U.S. youth soccer tournament.
The Lightning competed against teams from Virginia, Canada and Florida before beating Columbia, Md., in the finals, 1-0. The 2010 season was a tremendous year for the Lightning. After winning the NJYS State Cup in May and competing in the U.SYouth Soccer Regionals in July, winning the Disney Tournament was the perfect culminating event.
The Marlboro Lightning is coached by Frank Rizzi and assisted by Adrian Borrows and Graham Hickson.
The members of the Lightning are Scott Ashbridge, Chris Battaglia, Bobby Cartas, Robert Casari, Durim Fishta, Nick Fleres, Max Freedman, Sami Gjonbalaj, Aaron Hart, Matt Jelinsky, Spencer Kerkhof, Wojtek Kochan, Michael LaRose, Alex Lazzaro, Kevin McCartney, Sean O’Neill and Dan Tedesco.
The Manalapan Braves Junior Midget Novice Cheerleading Squad won the Pop Warner National Cheer Championship at Disney World in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 5.
The national title capped a season of successes for the Braves. They won the Jersey Shore championship for the second consecutive year, and followed that success by winning the Eastern Regional championship. That victory sent them to the Pop Warner nationals where they managed to top everything they had done all season.
Facing the best of the best from around the country, the Manalapan team beat out local rival Millstone Township (which finished in second place) to win the championship. The cheerleaders became the first team from Manalapan to win a national title.
The Junior Midget Novice Cheerleading Squad is comprised of girls between the ages of 11 and 13. They are Gianna Castellani, Alana Cataneo, Brianna Clark, Hannah Feinstein, Megan Giblin, Ashley Gorman, Gabby Horowitz, Emily Horvath, Katie Krause, Julianna LaBarbera, Briana Levin, Nicole McLaughlin, Jill Nigro, Danielle Patti, Jacqueline Petosa, Sabrina Pietrovicci, Daniela Rainone, Nicole Sparano, Alyssa Spinelli, Victoria Tennyson and Georgia Wonski.
The squad’s head coach is Toniann Sparano, who has been coaching Manal-apan cheerleading for 10 years.
The Freehold Borough Little League will hold baseball registration on Jan. 14, 20 and 21 from 7-9 p.m. and Jan. 15 from 9 a.m. to noon at the American Legion Hall, 62 W. Main Street, Freehold. The league is open to boys and girls ages 5-16. Costs range from $60 to $115 per child. A$100 refundable work bond is also required. A birth certificate and two proofs of residency required. UIP funding is available to those who qualify. Details: 732-845-0256.
Freehold Raceway has announced that a four-day-a-week live racing schedule will continue through January. According to General Manager Howard Bruno, the raceway will continue its Wednesday through Saturday schedule for the remainder of January. Racing will be offered on Jan. 17 on the Martin Luther King holiday. It is expected that the complete 2011 racing schedule will be announced later this month. Post time is 12:30 p.m. on all racing days.
A Be the Best You Are baseball coaches clinic will be held from Jan. 13-15 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Cherry Hill. The New York Yankees’ hitting coach will headline the clinicianswhowill be at the event. High school and youth coaches are invited to attend the event. On Jan. 20-22, Be the Best YouAre will hold a softball coaches clinic at the Crowne Plaza Hotell, Cherry Hill. Among the guests will be Kelly Inouye-Perez, who piloted UCLA to the national softball championship last season. For more information about the baseball clinic or the softball clinic, call 732- 528-5392 or go to www.bethebest.com or email [email protected].