F A L L S E A S O N 2 0 0 9 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 1

The 2009 Varsity Girls’ Tennis

team had the most successful

season in school history, finish-

ing with two championship

titles and an overall record of

19-2. Early in the season, the

Lady Panthers finished 4th in

the Monmouth County Tourna-

ment, making it their best fin-

ish ever. Later, in post-season

competition, the girls won their

second consecutive Sectional

Title, in only their second year

of NJSIAA play. They went on

to win their first-ever Prep “B”

State Team title while crowning

a State Champion in singles

play and two in doubles.

Melissa Cantave ‟12 and

Natalie Cantave ‟12 won

their first title at 1st Doubles.

Grace Farren ‟11 and Mariel

Pearl ‟11 staged an amazing

comeback to win their first title

at 2nd Doubles. Also, Diane

Scavelli ‟11 earned the Runner

-Up award at 2nd Singles and

Charlotte

Fleming ‟11

made it to the

semifinals in 1st

Singles.

This season

saw another

landmark in

individual play.

Senior stand-

out Laura

Church ‟10

earned her

fourth consecu-

tive Prep “B”

State Champi-

onship title, the

past two at 3rd

Singles. As a junior, Laura had

established a school record of

most State Titles won (male or

female) only to increase it this

year. Coach Moreland is proud

that Laura continued to work

hard in spite of her success. A

strong defensive player, Laura

developed her offense and

raised her overall game to a new

level. Good luck to Laura as she

looks to compete at the college

level next fall.

VARSITY FALL CREW

VARSITY GIRLS TENNIS REPEAT AS CHAMPIONS

VARSITY FIELD HOCKEY

Laura Church ’10

MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER

2009 Varsity Girls Tennis & Coach Moreland

Grace Farren ’11

VARSITY GIRLS TENNIS 2009 RECORD: 19-2

Elizabeth Betesh ’11 Melissa Cantave ’12 Natalie Cantave ’12 Laura Church ’10 Chelsea Coniaris ’10 Grace Farren ’11 Charlotte Fleming ’11 Rupa Patel ’10 Mariel Pearl ’11 Diane Scavelli ’11

Coach Jim Moreland

The team simply wanted to

play their best tennis… to cre-

ate and seize opportunities.

They accomplished their goals

and so much more. Congratu-

lations team!

PHILIP CANTAVE ’16

MS BOYS SOCCER REPEATS AS CJAL CHAMPS Lavallette by a total of 15

goals (10-1, 6-0). And, the

Panthers remained unde-

feated against Lavallette,

winning the CJAL Champi-

onship 2-0. In an exciting

and much closer rematch,

eighth grader Joseph

Katerba ‟14 scored two

goals in the second half to

lead Ranney. Ranney con-

trolled the ball and pace for

most of the game, allowing

only two shots on goal.

Coach Dolan noted stand-

out performances from

Jack Boyan ‟16, Jihad

Chater ‟14, Mackenzie

Marcellino ‟14, Joseph

Murphy ‟14 and Nikhil

Sobti ‟14. The win marked

the team’s third champion-

ship and an outstanding

record of 52-10-4 in the

last four years.

Preseason began with the

largest turnout (45 stu-

dents) for the team ever.

After a strong start, the

team hit a three-game los-

ing streak but used the ex-

perience to learn from and

improve. They rebounded

to win the final three games

of the season, including the

playoff and championship

games. Throughout the

year, Coach Dolan stressed

hard work, dedication and

sportsmanship to his play-

ers. Credit is due to the

team captains, Dylan

Staats ‟14 and Jihad

Chater ‟14, whose leader-

ship and excellent play set

a great example for their

teammates and contrib-

uted to the squad’s overall

success. Also leading the

team with standout play

were Timothy Briggs ‟14

in the midfield, Ronald

Geraghty ‟14 on defense,

Joseph Katerba ‟14 with

10 goals, Mackenzie

Marcellino ‟14 with 9

goals, Joseph Murphy

‟14, James Schwartz ‟15

and Nikhil Sobti ‟14,

each contributing 6 goals

on the season. Next year,

the team will look to the

rising talent of midfielder

Mohammed Chater ‟16

and scoring prowess of

Jack Boyan ‟16 (10

goals), Nicholas Geneve

‟16 (9 goals), John

Jennings ‟16 (4 goals),

and Alex Cantave ‟15,

Ryan Eaddy-Costello

‟15, Gabriel Georges ‟14

and Benjamin Metzger

‟15 (3 goals each).

P A N T H E R T R A C K S

MS BOYS SOCCER BLUE 2009 RECORD: 11-4-1

Jack Boyan ’16 Timothy Briggs ’14 Alex Cantave ’15 Jihad Chater ’14 Mohammad Chater ’16 Ryan Eaddy-Costello ’15 Nicholas Geneve ’16 Gabriel Georges ’14 Ronald Geraghty ’14 John Jennings ’16 Joseph Katerba ’14 Mackenzie Marcellino ’14 Benjamin Metzger ’15 Joseph Murphy ’14 James Schwartz ’15 Nikhil Sobti ’14 Dylan Staats ’14

Coach Brian Dolan

The Middle School Boys

Blue Soccer team finished

the 2009 season with a

winning record of 11-4-1

and the title of CJAL

Champions.

After several postpone-

ments, the team hosted

Lavallette Elementary in

the Central Jersey Athletic

League Championship Fi-

nals. Because of rainy

weather and poor field

conditions, the game was

put off for over a week. The

game was finally played on

Tuesday, November 3, at

Karagianakis Field, giving

the Panthers the home

field advantage. The CJAL

Finals marked the third

meeting this season for the

two teams. In the first two

games, Ranney outscored

TABLE OF

CONTEN TS:

P A G E 2

Jihad Chater ’14

2009 CJAL CHAMPIONS

Varsity Girls Tennis 1

Middle School Boys Soccer

Blue Team 2

Photo Montage 3

Middle School Girls Soccer

Blue Team 4

Middle School Girls Soccer

White Team 4

A Message from the

Athletic Director 5

Middle School Cross Country 6

Varsity Girls Soccer 6

Varsity Fall Crew 7

Middle School Boys Soccer

White Team 7

Strength & Conditioning 8

Varsity Cross Country 9

Panther Championships 10

Panther Championships 10

Athletics through the Years 12

Highlight: Coach McNamara 13

Varsity Field Hockey 14

Middle School Field Hockey 14

Varsity Boys Soccer 15

Fall Festival 15

Junior Varsity Tennis 16

Middle School Girls Tennis 16

Panther Cubs 17

Panther Classic 17

Lower School Swimming 18

Fall Sports Banquets 19

College Recruitment 20

P A G E 4 MS GIRLS SOCCER WINS CJAL CHAMPIONSHIP The lady Panthers finished the

season with a winning record

of 7-2-2. This year was the first

since 2003 that the team made

it to the CJSAL Championship

Finals. On October 30, the

Panthers faced Lakehurst for

the third time this fall. Ranney

was 1-0-1 against Lakehurst

going into the Championship

game. The girls won again in

the rematch, earning the title

of CJAL Champs. Scoring first

in the contest was Ranney

team captain, Alessandra

Johnson ‟14. After the half,

Alessandra scored again off a

penalty kick, making it 2-0.

Lakehurst rallied to score their

first, but could not take control

of the game. Ranney struck

again in the last minutes to

seal the victory. The game win-

ner was scored by team captain

Madison Pflaster ‟14 off

another penalty kick. Coach

Snyder was especially proud of

the defense in this game and

all season, crediting Kenna

Conley ‟14 and Katherine

Vates ‟16 as key players in the

win. In goal, Morgan Len-

non ‟15 faced 5 shots and tal-

lied 4 saves. Also standing out

in the finals was Kristen

Guyler ‟15 who helped control

the ball in the midfield, and

Brooke Fromkin ‟15, who

was injured in the first, but

returned to play with out-

standing determination in the

second. The final game defined

the team and their season. Ac-

cording to Coach Snyder, “they

showed themselves, their team-

mates and the Ranney commu-

nity who they really are and

what they are all about.”

Co-captain Alessandra John-

son ‟14 led the team in scoring

with 16 goals and 3 assists. Co-

captain Madison Pflaster ‟14

was another consistent offensive

threat, adding 6 goals and 3

assists. Madison Boyan ‟14

and Kristen Guyler ‟15 pow-

ered the team from the midfield

and the defense was anchored

by Kenna Conley ‟14,

Amanda Hurd ‟14, Saman-

tha Schaaff ‟15 and Kathe-

rine Vates ‟16. In goal, Mor-

gan Lennon ‟15 recorded 175

P A N T H E R T R A C K S

MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER WHITE Because of an outstanding number of student-athletes

turning out for soccer this fall, two Middle School girls’

rosters were created. The white team allowed new and

developing players more opportunities for individual

skill instruction, sport-specific experience and playing

time. The game schedule was limited by the weather,

but the contests played provided the girls field time to

use the skills worked on in practice.

The girls came to practice excited and motivated each

day. Practices incorporated fun, competitive drills with

elements of fitness and soccer fundamentals. For many

of the girls, middle school soccer was their first com-

petitive team experience, so sportsmanship and team-

work were also stressed daily.

It was evident during scrimmages and games that the

girls’ efforts were paying off. Gillian Veralli ‟15

scored her first career goal at Ranney during a game at

Oak Hill, her former school. Goalie Elizabeth

Paasche ‟16 averaged

15 saves per game, keep-

ing the opponents from

hitting the net. Anchor-

ing the defense, was the

solid play of Sabrina

Arbes ‟15 and Natalie

Yang ‟16. And powering

the team from the midfield to goal was the consistent

trio of Francesca Fischer ‟15, Alexandra Shay ‟15

and Adrienne Yang ‟15. New to the sport, Kyra Cit-

ron ‟16, Arianna Palmeri ‟16 and Katrina Triolo

‟16 improved greatly over the course of just one season.

The white team provided a developmental environment

for student-athletes to gain as much instruction and

playing time as possible, while learning the game. The

season was a great success with outstanding effort and

sportsmanship from all.

MS GIRLS SOCCER BLUE 2009 RECORD: 7-2-2

Sabrina Arbes ’15 Madison Boyan ’14 Kenna Conley ’14 Athena Dookie ’16 Soroya Dookie ’14 Francesca Fischer ’15 Brooke Fromkin ’15 Kristen Guyler ’15 Sallie Haas ’16 Amanda Hurd ’14 Alessandra Johnson ’14 Michelle Krameisen ’16 Morgan Lennon ’15 Francesca Lionetti ’16 Maranda Noonan ’14 Elizabeth Paasche ’16 Madison Pflaster ’14 Samantha Schaaff ’15 Alexandra Shay ’15 Chloe Triolo ’15 Katherine Vates ’16 Adrienne Yang ’15 Madelaine Young ’14

Coach Alexis Snyder

MS GIRLS SOCCER WHITE 2009 RECORD: 1-2-0

Sabrina Arbes ’15 Kyra Citron ’16 Francesca Fischer ’15 Sallie Haas ’16 Sophia Jackman ’16 Francesca Lionetti ’16 Elizabeth Paasche ’16 Arianna Palmeri ’16 Coleen Ross ’15 Samantha Schaaff ’15 Alexandra Shay ’15 Lily Thacher ’16 Chloe Triolo ’15 Katrina Triolo ’16 Katherine Vates ’16 Gillian Veralli ’15 Madison Wood ’16 Adrienne Yang ’15 Natalie Yang ’16

Coach Lauren Ellis

saves and two shutouts.

The season also included the

following highlights:

Madison Pflaster ‟14 scored a

hat trick in the first game of the

season. This was her first game

as a student-athlete at Ranney.

Michelle Krameisen ‟16

scored her first career goal

against Lakehurst.

Athena Dookie ‟16 scored her

first career goal against Rutgers

Prep on October 3.

Goalkeeper Morgan Lennon

‟15 recorded two shutouts this

season.

Alessandra Johnson ‟14

scored 4 goals against Wardlaw-

Hartridge and a hat trick in the

CJAL Finals.

Gillian Veralli ’15

& Katrina Triolo ’16

2009 CJAL CHAMPIONS

P A G E 5

Dear Parents, Students and Friends, Once again, the Ranney Athletic Department has brought excitement, energy and Panther Pride to campus during the fall months. Our student-athletes and coaches have been hard at work since the summer. The efforts and achievements of these individuals prove that hard work pays off in wonderful ways. Our Varsity Girls’ Tennis team captured their second consecutive NJSIAA Non-Public “B” Sectional Champion-ship. They went on to win the program’s first-ever New Jersey Independent School Prep “B” State Championship. Senior Laura Church ‟10 completed her four-year tennis career at Ranney by winning her fourth Independent School State Championship. This year, she repeated as 3rd Singles Champion. Also winning at the Independent School State Championship for their first time were Melissa Cantave ‟12 and Natalie Cantave ‟12 at 1st Dou-bles; and Grace Farren ‟11 and Mariel Pearl ‟11 at 2nd Doubles. The Varsity Girls’ Cross Country team won their second Patriot Conference Cross Country Championship in Octo-ber. The Middle School Boys’ Cross Country team won this year’s “Great Pumpkin Run” at Gill St. Bernard’s. The Middle School Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer teams both won in the finals of the Central Jersey Athletic League Tourna-ment. Congratulations to all team members and our championship coaching staff for their dedication and effort throughout the season. The Athletic Department joins the entire Ranney community in celebrating the schools 50th Anniversary. With the addition of this fall’s championship titles, we now have 86 championship banners hanging in the Gerhard Pavil-ion. It is remarkable to note that every one of these championships has been won in the last 15 years! I have been fortunate to witness each of these achievements and know how much it takes for a team or an individual to be so successful. The banners represent what it takes: dedication, hard work, commitment, perseverance, overcoming challenges, overcoming injuries, great players, great coaches and very supportive fans. The Ranney Athletic Department offers high quality sport programs that challenge student-athletes to reach and surpass their potential. Practices provide the opportunity for teams to develop chemistry, teamwork, leadership and a competitive environment. Ranney athletes are eager to learn, practice and compete. Such motivation is nec-essary to a team’s success. We encourage and expect success in the classroom, success on the field, court or pool, and most importantly, students are held to the highest standards in regards to character and honor. Our athletes are role models and school ambassadors on campus and in the community. That is what true champions are made of. I would like to congratulate all of our student-athletes and coaches who have participated in the fall athletic pro-gram. I would also like to congratulate the athletes, coaches and other athletic supporters who have participated in Ranney Athletics over the past fifty years and have built the foundation of what Panther Pride is today! With the start of winter sports right around the corner, we look forward to another outstanding season of Panther Athletics. Go to www.ranneyschool.org for all of our winter schedules and results. With Panther Pride,

Tom Moriau Director of Athletics

A MESSAGE FROM THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

KNOWLEDGE, VISION, HONOR

… and Panther Pride

of their teammates. Good luck to Veronica Maccia ‟10, Anna McGinty ‟10, Taryn Pontolil-lio ‟10, Katherine Rodriguez ‟10 and leading-scorer Taylor Swanner ‟10. Returning next season are current juniors Sara Kleinman, Sydney Shapiro, Adrianne Wyckoff and Alexis Wyckoff; sophomores Kelly Elsas and Maura Guyler; and freshmen Brynn Bresnahan, Alana Grieco, Coury Saker, Alexandra Seneca, Erika Serhus and Ash-leigh Shay.

VARSITY GIRLS SOCCER

MIDDLE SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY

P A G E 6 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 1

VARSITY GIRLS SOCCER 2009 RECORD: 5-11-0

Brynn Bresnahan ’13 Kelly Elsas ’12 Alana Grieco ’13 Maura Guyler ’12 Sara Kleinman ’11 Veronica Maccia ’10 Anna McGinty ’10 Taryn Pontolillo ’10 Katherine Rodriguez ’10 Coury Saker ’13 Alexandra Seneca ’13 Erika Serhus ’13 Sydney Shapiro ’11 Ashleigh Shay ’13 Taylor Swanner ’10 Adrianne Wyckoff ’11 Alexis Wyckoff ’11

Coach Anna Lazic

MS BOYS CROSS COUNTRY 2009 RECORD: 7-1

Erik Bovino ’15 Sean Callahan ’15 Joseph Cantatore ’15 Christopher Centrella ’16 Abhimanyu Choudhary ’16 Zachary DiGiaro ’16 Michael Discenza ’14 Adam Doynow ’16 Alexander Frattellone ’14 Bradley Grayson ’14 Andrew Grover ’14 Michael Kelly ’14 Randy Lai ’15 Vincent Morano ’14 Marc Owitz ’14 Grant Parker ’14 Frank Platas ’14 Tej Seelamsetty ’15 Michael Stavola ’14 Zachary Sullens ’16 George Thomas ’14 Liam Wall ’14 Nielsen Walzog ’14 Connor Wilson ’16

MS GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

2009 RECORD: 1-7

Kaitlyn Gill ’14 Claudia Payor ’15 Rachel Staats ’16 Alexis Noel Szepesy ’14 Sarah Vates ’14 Aeslyn Vlahos ’16

Coach Nancy King

The Varsity Girls’ Soccer team battled tough opponents, injury and illness this fall to finish with a 5-11 record. Beginning in July, the girls came together for training sessions to work on individual skills and cardiovascular fitness. Senior captains Ve-ronica Maccia, Katherine Rodriguez and Taylor Swan-ner led the team through summer training and into pre-season practice. The team was enthusiastic from the beginning, work-ing hard to improve and be successful. The girls considered themselves a family and had fun both on and off the field.

The emphasis of this year’s program was on the education and technical development of indi-vidual players in order to con-tribute to and further the lar-ger team goals. The success of this year’s team is not meas-ured by overall record, but by improvement and persever-ance in the face of adversity. The girls were showed heart and spirit and took pride in their team and school. The team will graduate five senior athletes who will be missed not only for their skill, but for their leadership and support

Taylor Swanner ’10

The Boys’ and Girls’ Middle School Cross Country teams began this season with the goal of becoming well-trained and highly competitive. Beginning in preseason, the team worked on endurance, speed, agility and overall core strength. Proper run-ning form was stressed at all times. Coach King kept practices interesting and stimulating by varying the plan, while enforcing that balance is key to becoming a strong runner. Each prac-

tice was defined by a differ-ent set of skills to promote all-around conditioning. While the team stayed focused and trained hard, they had fun, enjoyed being a team and always sup-ported each other.

The season highlight came at the end when the boys’ team won their first Great Pumpkin Run Title at the Gill Invitational. The boys had an outstanding season, starting strong with a win against each of the three teams in the first meet and finishing behind only one opponent on the schedule. Over the season, both the boys’ and girls’ teams saw exceptional improvement in overall conditional and race speed.

Standing out on the course this fall was team captain, Liam Wall ‟14. Liam is a dedicated runner who com-petes in the USATF Devel-opmental Program, in ad-dition to the school team. Liam placed 10th in the USATF-NJ Junior Olympic Championship this fall and will go on to compete in the regional championship.

Also breaking away from the pack this year were sixth graders, Christo-pher Centrella and Zachary DiGiaro. Chris and Zach were among the top eight runners from the first meet. Both are accom-plished individual swim-mers and both found suc-cess in their first year run-ning in team competition. Coach King looks forward to next season, when Chris and Zach will lead the Pan-thers as the eighth grade talent moves up to varsity.

The high point of the sea-son came with the an-nouncement at the Great

Pumpkin Run, indicating that the boys’ team placed first. A cross country meet is won by 7 pairs of feet, 5 who score and 2 who hold off the competition from placing closer to first. The team is made up of 30 runners; 24 boys and 5 girls. The win was received by everyone as a total team effort; an ending earned and deserved by the entire team. Coach King reflected on the season, “it is not easy to build team spirit in such an individualized sport like distance running, but our team was all about team spirit.”

Alexis Wyckoff ’11

Liam Wall ’14

2009 PUMPKIN RUN CHAMPIONS (Halloween)

P A G E 7 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 1

provided a developmental environment for players to gain as much instruction and playing time as possible, while learning the game. Spe-cifically, the team focused on core skill development like using the ball to beat an op-ponent through quick, pre-cise passing, and moving off-ball to create and use space. Improving these technical skills ultimately led to total team development.

The highlight of the season came as a 6-2 win over Rut-gers Prep and a 4-1 win over Rumson Country Day. There were many notable individual performances, but the suc-cess of the season came from a great all-around team ef-fort. John Mejia ‟15 led the team in scoring with seven goals. John was promoted to the blue team for the CJAL

This fall saw a tremendous turnout for Middle School Boys Soccer. The goal of the white team was to develop the players individually and employ those skills to the team effort. The white team

MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER WHITE

VARSITY FALL CREW

MS BOYS SOCCER WHITE 2009 RECORD: 5-4-0

Andrew Aboujaoude ’14 Amanjot Arora ’14 Nishan Bindra ’15 Daniel Blumenkrantz ’16 Karl Brand ’16 Daniel Bushway ’14 Philip Cantave ’16 Nelson Chan ’16 Jerome Cohen ’16 Matthew Elkwood ’14 James Geraghty ’16 Dillon Kelly ’15 Matthew Kumar ’16 Michael Kumar ’14 Adam Macioszek ’15 Daniel Mahlof ’15 John Mejia ’15 David Paasche ’15 Sohum Pandey ’15 Alexander Petrocelli ’15 Mohnish Rachuru ’15 Jackson Risucci ’16 Tristan Sickles ’15 Alec Silverstein ’14 Jacob Wahba ’16 Dylan Zucker ’15

Coach Ian McNamara

Play-offs and Championship, along with seven other team-mates: Karl Brand ‟16, Daniel Bushway ‟14, Philip Cantave ‟16, James Geraghty ‟16, Dil-lon Kelly ‟15, Michael Kumar ‟14 and Jackson Risucci ‟16.

Karl Brand ’16

of Coach Repoli, the novices fo-cused on learning the basics of the sport while Coach Meharg helped the varsity, the more experienced row-ers, to focus on fine-tuning their stroke. The varsity alternated between technique-oriented practices and endurance-oriented practices. The goal was for the individuals to row to-gether as a cohesive unit. As the squad progressed through the season, the varsity group began preparing to race.

The varsity team traveled to Philadelphia on October 24 for

their first regatta – the famed Head of the Schuylkyll Re-gatta. Craig Sla-ter ‟12 competed in the Men’s Single race and finished 22nd out of 42, with a time of 18:33.5. Rowing in the Women’s Single was Meghan Rennie ‟11 who finished 24th out of 29 (22:51.1).

In the Men’s Quad race, Mi-chael Morrongiello ‟11, Conor Fitzgerald ‟10, Victor Gainor ‟12 and Phillip Allen ‟12 came in at 27 out of 30 (21:16.7). And in the Women’s Quad, Yasmin Meleis ‟11, Emily Thacher ‟11, Julia Bontempo ‟11 and Hannah Simpson ‟12 finished 25th out of 28 (22:40.7).

Coach Meharg was particularly proud of this team. The rowers’ enthusiasm was evident as they took to the river every day, re-gardless of the conditions. They always gave their best, whether the water was flat as glass or tossing like the ocean. The sea-son ended as the rowers came together, achieving the cohesive-ness and unity necessary to the sport. “Their rowing was the best I had seen all season and I look forward to the test of the spring season,” said Coach Me-harg

This fall, the varsity crew club had their first non-traditional rowing season and competed in their first national regatta. The main season for crew is spring, but the fall off-season practice allowed the rowers more time and experience on the river. Coach Meharg and Coach Re-poli, both seasoned, competitive rowers, dedicated their time to building a foundation for a suc-cessful rowing program.

Based on experience and per-formance, the squad was di-vided into a varsity group and a novice group. The overall goal for the fall season was for indi-viduals to improve their rowing technique. Under the direction

VARSITY FALL CREW

Philip Allen ’12 Jane Bamberger ’11 Julia Bontempo ’11 Peter Bontempo ’13 Conor Fitzgerald ’10 Victor Gainor ’12 Jordan Hesslein ’13 Kathryn Lionetti ’13 Christopher Lombardi ’10 Sarah Mahlof ’11 Yasmin Meleis ’11 Michael Morrongiello ’11 Adam Nickel ’12 Molly O’Neill ’13 Meghan Rennie ’11 Nicholas Schwarzkopf ’13 Hannah Simpson ’12 Craig Slater ’12 Emily Thacher ’11 Taylor Veralli ’13

Coach Chris Meharg

Coach Christine Repoli

Craig Slater ’12

Alexander Petrocelli ’15

Yasmin Meleis ’11, Emily Thacher ’11, Julia Bontempo ’11, Hannah Simpson ’12

P A G E 8

V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 1

quickness and strength, with a

focus on injury prevention. Ac-

cording to Coach Winnicker,

“Our hope is to continue these

programs throughout the school

year and summer in order to

impress the importance of off-

season workouts, as well as gen-

eral all-around wellness. This is

the direction we must go in to

become more competitive at

both the Middle School and Up-

per School levels.”

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING TIPS…

SUMMER TRAINING

& EDGE TRAINING

Continuing the strength and

conditioning program from last

year, Ranney student-athletes

were offered both summer and

fall training sessions. Under the

direction of Strength and Condi-

tioning Coach Alex Winnicker,

the summer workouts were con-

ducted on campus and the fall

sessions were held at the EDGE

Sports Academy in Tinton Falls.

This year, the seven week sum-

mer program grew to four days

a week, two days for Middle

School training and two days for

Upper School training. Our suc-

cessful partnership with EDGE

continued with a fall offering of

two days a week, one and a half

hours per day. The sessions

were geared to improve agility,

The fall season is complete and now is the perfect time for stu-

dents to focus on what they will do to become a better, more

efficient individual athlete. To improve athletically, time and

effort must be put into training sessions; skills need to be devel-

oped on the field of play; studying must be done to understand

the intricacies of the game; and speed, strength, power and agil-

ity need to be further developed through rigorous and properly

constructed workouts. In addition, mental skills need to be fine-

tuned as they are essential for competitive success. Of course,

physical training is key to sporting success, but without mental

sharpness, athletes can fall short of their goals.

To begin mental training, set goals. Set goals that are challeng-

ing and effective in influencing behavior. Goals should be

“SMART”: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-

based. Goals should focus on both short-term and long-term.

They should relate to outcome (win/lose), but also to the per-

formance process. Set goals for practice and competition. And,

record and evaluate goals constantly. Individual goals are not

fixed; they can change and should be adjusted to meet needs

and varying situations. Most athletes probably already have

these goals in mind. Now is the time to put them down on paper

and post them somewhere that is accessible, daily. The off-

season provides the opportunity to think about, clarify and start

making strides towards their goals.

Here is a brief, four-step process to setting goals:

1. WRITE – Writing down and posting the goal makes it

“real.”

2. IDENTIFY – Achieving goals is process oriented and

before determining the process, one must decide what

skills and abilities need to be developed during that proc-

ess. Strength? Quickness? Speed? Technique? What

brings one closer to the desired goal?

3. LIST – Think about specifics concerning what was identi-

fied and what process is needed to develop the desired

skills. Think about exercises, consult a coach or expert

and come up with what is needed to reach your goals.

4. TODAY – What are you doing today to get closer to your

goal? Tomorrow? Every step is important, no matter how

far removed from the ultimate goal they may seem.

Goals provide training motivation and as one achieves more

and more, confidence will soar, leading to further improve-

ment and perhaps loftier goals. Next season is just around the

corner, so start setting goals and start working. The earlier

you start, the more prepared you will be and the easier it will

be to realize your ultimate goal.

P A G E 9

VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY

The Varsity Cross Coun-try Boys’ and Girls’ teams completed a successful and rewarding fall sea-son. During preseason preparation, the teams established their goals for this year – the boys were determined to finish amongst the top teams at the Patriot Championship and to improve on last year’s standing at the state tournament. The girls aimed to finish 2nd in the Patriot Champion-ship, improving on last year’s finish. The hard work and training paid off for both teams; the boys finished 2nd at Patri-ots and moved up one spot in States and the girls, aiming for 2nd, fin-ished 1st in the Patriot League Championship!

On October 27, the team traveled to Pennington School to race in the Pa-triot Conference Champi-onships. The girls’ team, finishing 1st, earned the title of Patriot League Champions by just 2 sec-onds difference. Two Panther runners finished in the top ten, earning medals. Senior captain

Nora Fadil finished in 4th place and junior Jac-queline Korey came in 9th. The boys’ team came in 2nd with three runners medaling in the top ten. Senior Jack Scilla came in 5th, senior Christo-pher Tomasetta came in 9th and senior Wil-liam Miller finished 10th.

A week later, the team competed in the New Jer-sey Prep School State Tournament at Blair Academy. The season was starting to take its toll on the team with both squads entering the race plagued with injuries and several runners sidelined. However, that did not stop the two squads from running strong during the competition. The boys finished in 4th place with an average time of 19:41 – the best finish ever for the team. Senior Jack

P A N T H E R T R A C K S

VARSITY BOYS CROSS COUNTRY 2009 RECORD: 3-2

Peter Goldberg ’12 Jeremy Lessing ’10 Alex Lin ’12 Tor Miller ’12 William Miller ’10 Anthony Papetti ’12 Jonathan Rosenthal ’12 Jack Scilla ’10 Matthew Simpson ’10 Christopher Tomasetta ’10 Stephen Triano ’11 Manik Uppal ’10

VARSITY GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY 2009 RECORD: 2-2

Nicole Auletta ’11 Audrey Bradley ’11 Rachel Brodsky ’10 Michelle Drappi ’11 Nora Fadil ’10 Lauren Harris ’12 Krista Irons ’10 Helly Kharkover ’12 Jean Kineavy ’11 Jacqueline Korey ’11 Anike Oladeji ’12 Jinelle Park ’11 Simrit Sandhu ’12 Jaya Sondhi ’12 Michelle Yau ’10

Coach Noel Delgado

Scilla came in 8th, earn-ing himself a medal. The girls’ team finished the race in 5th place. Nora Fadil ‟10 paced the Pan-thers, coming in 12th.

This fall marked several other individual achieve-ments, as well. Senior Christopher Tomasetta was named a 2009 Wendy’s Heisman Award state finalist. The award recognizes the most esteemed students who demonstrate stew-ardship at school, sports-manship on the field and service in their communi-ties. During the season, several runners hit per-sonal bests on the course. Notably, Jack Scilla ‟10 ran a new school record of 17:37 at Shark River versus Neptune. Jack is looking to compete at the collegiate level, as is Nora Fadil ‟10.

2009 CROSS COUNTRY INDIVIDUAL AWARDS: Nora Fadil ‟10 – 5th Place Medal, Patriot Conference Jacqueline Korey ‟11 – 9th Place Medal, Patriot Conference Jack Scilla ‟10 – 5th Place Medal, Patriot Conference Peter Goldberg ‟12 – 8th Place Medal, Patriot Conference Christopher Tomasetta ‟10 – 9th Place Medal, Patriot Conference William Miller ‟10 – 10th Place Medal, Patriot Conference Jack Scilla ‟10 – 8th Place Medal, Prep “B” State

Nora Fadil ’10

2009 PATRIOT LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

2009 BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Jack Scilla ’10

P A N T H E R T R A C K S

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CROSS COUNTRY

2001 Alexandra Salani ‟05 Monmouth County Frosh Champion

2003 Alexandra Salani ‟05 NJISAA State Champion

2004 Alexandra Salani ‟05 NJISAA State Champion

2006 Girls Varsity Cross Country NJISAA State Champions

2006 Girls Varsity Cross Country Patriot Conference Champions

2009 Girls Varsity Cross Country Patriot Conference Champions

BOYS SOCCER

2008 Boys Varsity Soccer Patriot Conference Champions

GIRLS SOCCER

2005 Girls Varsity Soccer Patriot Conference Champions

2006 Girls Varsity Soccer Patriot Conference Champions

2006 Girls Varsity Soccer NJISAA Prep “B” Champions

GIRLS TENNIS

2003 Samantha Halpern ‟06 & Phyllis Thangaraj ‟07 NJISAA Champions, 2nd Doubles

2006 Laura Church ‟10 & Kathryn Lowry ‟08 NJISAA Champions, 1st Doubles

2006 Kate Rennie ‟08 & Courtney Siebert ‟07 NJISAA Champions, 2nd Doubles

2007 Laura Church ‟10 & Alison Mancuso ‟09 NJISAA Champions, 2nd Doubles

2008 Laura Church ‟10 NJISAA Champion, 3rd Singles

2008 Girls Varsity Tennis Patriot Conference Champions

2008 Girls Varsity Tennis NJISAA Non-Public South “B” Champions

2009 Girls Varsity Tennis NJISAA Non-Public South “B” Champions

2009 Girls Varsity Tennis NJISAA Prep “B” Champions

2009 Laura Church ‟10 NJISAA Champion, 3rd Singles

2009 Melissa Cantave ‟12 & Natalie Cantave ‟12 NJISAA Champions, 1st Doubles

2009 Grace Farren ‟11 & Mariel Pearl ‟11 NJISAA Champions, 2nd Doubles

FALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Through the Years

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P A G E 1 2 RANNEY ATHLETICS THROUGH THE YEARS

SPOTLIGHT ON ATHLETICS: Emmett Walling, Assistant Athletic Director & Varsity Swim Coach

As Emmett Walling approaches the 30-year mark of his tenure at Ranney School, he reflects on the growth and development of the Athletic Depart-ment over the years.

Emmett Walling was hired by Mr. Ranney, school founder, 29 years ago. As a teacher and coach, Mr. Walling was charged with enforcing Mr. Ranney’s main objective – to teach students to write with clarity and purpose while striving to be a well-rounded individual; to develop in mind, body and spirit. Mr. Ranney founded the school with a strong and rigorous academic curriculum from which a physical education discipline emerged. Coach Walling was an integral part of the development of today’s Athletic Depart-ment.

In 1978, the Physical Education Department was born with the completion of the gymnasium. The following year saw the completion and opening of the swimming pool. The athletic program was small and there wasn’t al-ways a strong commitment to sports. To start, the facilities and playing fields were in need of major transformations. The Cross Country team trained on a course that was cut through a corn field, the original baseball field was located in the small area between the GPA and the Middle and Upper School building, the softball field was located in a swampy area bor-dering Hope Road and the tennis courts were there, but the pavement was old and cracked. Likewise, the track was made of asphalt and the surface, fractured. In the beginning, Ranney Athletics consisted of soccer, basket-

ball, swimming, cheerleading, baseball, softball, tennis and a major component of the physical education curricu-lum was devoted to ballroom dancing. At that time, students did not always come prepared or apply themselves fully and this bothered Mr. Ranney deeply. His attempt to motivate students to come prepared for physical educa-tion resulted in a program known as JUGS. When a student received three unprepared strikes, he or she would be required to return to school on Saturday morning for three hours of vigorous exercise. The JUGS program quickly taught students how to prepare for school.

In the early 1990s, the Athletic and Physical Education programs began to see great change. Equipment and athletic gear was supplied and stocked. The staff grew in numbers, an athletic trainer was hired and more teams and clubs were added in each season. Playing fields were relocated and facilities were renovated and maintained. The recent addition of the turf at Karagianakis Field is perhaps the most noticeable improvement. Additionally, the Tushar Bhatnager Fitness Room was constructed and includes state-of-the-art workout equipment, available to both physi-cal education classes and Panther teams. The fitness room was improved upon again, last year, through a generous donation from the Walker family.

The transformation into the quality, successful athletic program of today came from the hard work and tremen-dous support from many individuals over the years. The support for the Athletic Department began with Dr. Lawrence Sykoff and the school administration and much gratitude is due to a visionary Board of Trustees; a dedicated Athletic Director, an outstanding faculty, sup-portive parents, talented coaches and most of all, the best student-athletes anyone could hope for.

As Coach Walling reflects, he recalls the humble begin-nings of the Ranney Athletic Department. The Saturday morning JUGS program initiated an unimaginable transformation. The growth is impressive and he is proud to be a part of the foundation, as well as the driv-ing force that has given us today’s successful program.

HIGHLIGHTING COACH IAN MCNAMARA

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This fall, we welcome Ian McNa-mara to the Ranney Athletic Com-munity as Assistant Athletic Direc-tor. His primary focus will be in Lower School Physical Education organization and management, but he also contributes as a physical education teacher and athletic coach.

Born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, Ian witnessed, first-hand, the country’s system of legal racial segregation known as apart-heid. Because of the unrest and tur-moil caused by apartheid, Ian took advantage of opportunities that al-lowed him to travel to many differ-ent countries and work abroad. He graduated from the University of Port Elizabeth with a degree in Hu-man Movement Science. He went on to complete a graduate degree and received his Diploma of Higher Education. His education encour-aged a desire to explore and experi-ence other cultures.

Ian’s first adventure was to Eng-land, known to his countrymen as the “soggy island.” He spent two years doing odd jobs throughout

the United Kingdom, allow-ing time for his greater pas-sion… golf. And in his pas-sion, as luck would have it, Ian found a job at the Old Head Golf Links as a full-time golf caddy. He spent two years at Old Head, rub-bing elbows with top golf professionals including Mark Brooks, the 1996 PGA Cham-pion.

Retiring from his “professional” golf career, Ian decided to return to his native South Africa to focus on a career in education. A detour to Uganda allowed him to pursue another passion – coaching. In the impoverished East African country, Ian worked to establish soccer academies for underprivi-leged children. With the help of sev-eral multinational corporations and countless fanatical soccer players and coaches, Ian built four acad-emies that trained over 500 chil-dren between the ages of 6 and 16. In 2003, his group was invited to two European youth soccer tourna-ments, the Tivoli Cup in Denmark and the Gothia Cup in Sweden. The

team won the Tivoli Cup, a tour-nament limited to 16 select teams from countries all over the world. Following the win, Ian took the team to the Gothia Cup, the world’s largest single football event. Over 160 teams from around the world competed for divisional championships. It was at the Gothia Cup that Ian ex-perienced “one of the greatest moments in my life.” Ian’s team, made up of sixteen twelve-year olds from the streets of one of the poorest countries in the world, left their beat-up home for the first time, only to return again as champions. The team won the Gothia Cup, earning status as the “Under-13 Soccer Champions of the World.”

With a few years of work and a lot of experience, Ian was recruited by the International School of Uganda in 2005. He accepted a position as Director of Athletics and turned his focus to program development and growth. When he began, there were just over 200 students from kinder-garten to twelfth grade. In four years, the school grew to enroll over 500 students. In his spare time, Ian led the ISU teams to the Interna-tional Schools of Southern and Eastern Africa tournament champi-onships in soccer, volleyball and basketball, as well as a number of local league championships. With much more success and experience, Ian again looked abroad to expand his career in yet another culture. And, that was when he found his way into the Ranney School com-munity.

Exciting times lie ahead with many opportunities for development (Ian’s niche) in the Athletic Depart-ment. Ian has started work by initi-ating a Lower School intramural swim program, planning for a new climbing wall, and developing golf and equestrian events for the spring. He is thrilled to be a part of such a vibrant community and is excited by the potential within his new “home.”

MIDDLE SCHOOL FIELD HOCKEY The Middle School Field Hockey team completed an outstanding fall season. The goal from the beginning of the season was to start every game strong and never quit. Not once did the team give up as evident in their final record of 7-2-1.

The team took advantage of additional after-school practices, twice a week. The coaches structured this

time for game-situation drills and scrimmages to help the girls prepare for competition. Practicing good stick skills and ball control were important goals for every practice. Combining the two, the girls were able to use drills and skills from practice in game situations. Staying focused in practice helped them to stay focused in games.

The team’s first win against Neptune set the tone for

the season. The girls were nerv-ous going into the game, but after winning 3-0, they realized what they were capable of ac-c om pl i sh in g . From that point forward, the team had a new-found confidence in their ability that helped them to accomplish one of the most successful seasons in Ranney his-tory.

The team outscored their opponents 20-9 overall and eight of their ten games ended in shut-out victories. Ricky Leigh Geisler ‟14 led the team in scor-ing and Giavanna Marchese ‟15 controlled the midfield play. The coaches saw significant improvement from sixth graders Ashton Clancy, Ashleigh Conroy-Zugel, Kate Crilly, Natalie Lombardi, Brianna Marchese and Tessa Payer.

VARSITY FIELD HOCKEY

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MS GIRLS FIELD HOCKEY 2009 RECORD: 7-2-1

Elise Birde ’14 Ashton Clancy ’16 Ireland Clancy ’15 Ashleigh Conroy-Zugel ’16 Kate Crilly ’16 Charlotte DeMarco ’15 Ricky Leigh Geisler ’14 Milan Genovese ’15 Caroline Korey ’14 Natalie Lombardi ’16 Brianna Marchese ’16 Giavanna Marchese ’15 Alexandra Murphy ’14 Alexandra Natsis ’15 Tessa Payer ’16 Briana Richardson ’14 Elisa Stavola ’15 Christina Stewart ’14

Coach Leslie Mildenberg

Coach Jonna Gilbert

Christina Stewart ’14

VARSITY GIRLS FIELD HOCKEY 2009 RECORD: 1-12-2

Raaga Agraharam ’12 Sarah Bartosh ’12 Kayla Birde ’13 Kaitlyn Bovino ’12 Mary Breton ’10 Shaye Cooper ’13 Casey Dellosso ’13 Christina Kalinowski ’13 Hanna Miller ’12 Stephanie Moser ’11 Montana Pflaster ’13 Dana Rizzo ’13 Teny Sahakian ’13 Kendall Torpey ’13 Alexa Volpe ’12

Coach Eileen McEnery

Coach Jonna Gilbert

The 2009 Varsity Field Hockey team had a thrilling fall season. A young program with plenty of new talent, the group set the foundation for a promising fu-ture. After graduating eight start-ers last year, the team took on a new identity with 13 freshmen and sophomores. The team faced many challenges, but came out as victors with much experience to apply towards the future.

The captains, sophomore Sarah Bartosh and senior Mary Breton, provided excellent lead-ership on and off the field. They successfully guided their team-mates through the ups and downs of the season. The team was able to conceptualize game plans and employ them on a daily basis. Many goals were scored, games were won and lost, but fifteen young women learned the values of commitment and perse-verance.

First-year player Kayla Birde had a stand-out year on the for-ward line. She was an instrumen-tal player and contributor in

every game. Her hustle and de-termination changed the out-come of several contests as she led the team in scoring.

Sophomore goalkeeper Sarah Bartosh was essential to the team’s success. She anchored the team inside the defensive circle and ended the season with a total of 99 saves. Her resolve and pas-sion were unmatched.

Freshman Dana Rizzo injected the team with energy and elec-tricity in her first season playing field hockey. Her vivacious style of play was something the pro-gram lacked in past years. She contributed several key goals for the Panthers and assisted on sev-eral game-winning goals.

And, the end of the season brought about an exciting honor for sophomore Hanna Miller. Hanna was named to the New Jersey State Prep “B” Schools All-Star 1st Team for the sport of Field Hockey. The honor recog-nizes her as one of the top four-teen field hockey players in the Prep School League.

The coaches are extremely proud of the team’s accomplishments, improvements and promise for the future. The young team gained much experience this year and the coaches look forward to the 2010 season! Congratulations to all!

Alexa Volpe ’12

Alexandra Natsis ’15

Christina Kalinowski ’13

FALL FESTIVAL

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The 2009 Varsity Boys’ Soccer team started this year with a pre-season training trip. The trip provided an opportunity to be-gin to work together as a group, to initiate team chemistry and to set individual and team goals. The team was determined to be competitive in each game, shoot-ing for a play-off berth in the state tournament. The team set specific goals to score 3 goals or more per game and to keep op-ponents to no more than 2 goals per game.

The season was full of memora-ble moments. The team began competition with an exciting 2-1 win at home against Ewing. The game-winner was scored with a mere 20 seconds remaining in regulation. Later, on the road at Saddle River, the team pulled out a thrilling 1-0 win in a game that proved to be a tough defen-sive battle. And, mid-season, they had a strong win over Mon-mouth Academy with each sen-ior adding a goal. But the defin-ing moment came during the

Prep School State Tournament. At Rutgers Prep, the Panthers scored just minutes after half-time to make the score 2-1. The team had an intense amount of momentum and pressed hard for the second goal. An error allowed the opponent a penalty kick and an eventual third goal. Instead of succumbing to pres-sure or frustration, the team played on, refusing to quit. Coach Ling was never more proud as the team maintained composure and fought hard for the remainder of the game.

Leading the team in scoring was senior Matthew Haines. Jun-ior Yousef Hozayen led the team in assists. Goalie Madison Price ‟13 recorded 3 shutouts in his first year on varsity. The de-fense was anchored by Zachary Marc ‟10 and Eric Hurd ‟10 while Patrick Fermo ‟10 played a key role as sweeper, keeping pressure off of goal.

As they complete their soccer careers at Ranney, seniors Max

Bennink, Patrick Fermo, Matthew Haines, Eric Hurd and Zachary Marc can be proud of their contributions to the program. In his first year playing, Max was a natural leader and contributor. Co-captains Matthew Haines and Eric Hurd led the team, on and off the field. Matt’s speed and scoring ability were top on the team while Eric drove the team with never-ending momentum in the midfield. A quick learner and consistent contributor, Zachary Marc controlled the defensive unit from the back. Patrick Fermo was irreplace-able as sweeper for the past three years. Best of luck to all the seniors as you move on!

VARSITY BOYS SOCCER VARSITY BOYS SOCCER

2009 RECORD: 7-9

Hamdi Albana ’11 Neil Amin ’12 Parth Amin ’11 Max Bennink ’10 Mamoun Chater ’13 Keith Chiarello ’12 Jonathan DeCarlo ’11 Patrick Fermo ’10 Patrick Glodkowski ’12 Mitchell Green ’11 Matthew Haines ’10 Yousef Hozayen ’11 Eric Hurd ’10 Christopher Johnson ’11 Alexander Karagianakis ’12 Conor Keenan ’13 Val Kharkover ’12 Zachary Marc ’10 Thomas Najmy ’11 Madison Price ’13 Kyle Reid ’11 Renzo Severino ’11 Joseph Triolo ’13 Anton Yevelev ’11

Coach Mike Ling

Coach Justin Campbell

Madison Price ’13

October 3, 2009

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MS GIRLS TENNIS 2009 RECORD: 3-2

Jeeda Ani ’15 Alexis Auletta ’15 Rachel Bernstein ’14 Skylar Bradley ’16 Paulina Braka ’15 Emily Brodsky ’15 Briana Cerami-Guarino ’14 Giulia DiGuglielmo ’14 Audrey Effenberger ’15 Alanna Frattellone ’15 Jacqueline Lee ’15 Gabriella Mahoney ’15 Jessica Nicholson ’14 Carla Papetti ’16 Sabrina Park ’15 Samantha Picard ’15 Ruchi Raval ’16 Elizabeth Rennie ’16 Peri Rohl ’16 Remi Rohl ’15 Stephanie Roslansky ’15 Megan Singh ’16 Amanpreet Singh ’14 Hannah Stamer ’16 Francesca Toto ’14 Shruthi Vaidyaselvan ’16 Jillian Villany ’15 Anne Marie Weiland ’16 Anna Xia ’15 Sana Zaidi ’16

Coach Barbara Bongiovanni

Coach Alex Winnicker

A record number of students turned out this fall for the Middle School Girls’ Tennis team; many playing com-petitively for the first time. From the beginning of practice in August, the coaches and players dedicated their time and focus to learning the game and how to play competitively. It was clear from the start that this team was motivated and passionate about the game, their team and their season. Because of the large roster, the group was divided into Blue and White teams. Coach Winnicker worked with

the white team, emphasizing fitness, conditioning and sport-specific skills. Coach Bongiovanni led a more experi-enced blue team in a competition-based schedule.

The season began with a perfect opener against Princeton Day School. The blue team shut out their biggest rival, in a match consisting of five doubles matches. The 1st Doubles team of Paulina Braka ‟15 and Giulia DiGuglielmo ‟14 swept their oppo-nents 8-0, as did Samantha Picard ‟15 and Stephanie Roslansky ‟15 at 4th Doubles. The 2nd Doubles team of Rachel Bernstein ‟14 and Jillian Villany ‟15 also won big, 8-1. Briana Cerami-Guarino ‟14 and Fran-cesca Toto ‟14 won 8-2 playing 3rd Doubles. Also winning 8-2 was the 5th Doubles team of Jessica Nicholson ‟14 and Anna Xia ‟15. The Panthers won a second match against PDS later in the season. The end of the season came with another exciting match against Wardlaw-Hartridge. The Pan-thers won a closely-played match, 3-2. Rachel Bernstein ‟14 and Briana Cerami-Guarino ‟14 sealed the vic-tory for Ranney in their 8-5 win at 2nd Doubles. Also winning was 3rd Singles player Sabrina Park ‟15 and 1st Dou-bles team, Stephanie Roslansky ‟15 and Jillian Villany ‟15.

Stephanie Roslansky ‟15 led the team with an individual record of 4 wins and only 1 loss. She began the season playing 2nd and 3rd Doubles.

With hard work and determination, she ended the season at 3rd Singles. According to Coach Bongiovanni, Stephanie has an incredible work ethic and has improved greatly over the course of one season.

The team was successful in always playing to the best of their abilities. While winning was the desired out-come, the girls put improvement and sportsmanship above it. Team co-captains Briana Cerami-Guarino ‟14 and Giulia DiGuglielmo ‟14 were key figures in uniting the team. They helped impress the importance of teamwork, respect and sportsmanship. For the past three seasons, eighth graders Rachel Bernstein, Briana Cerami-Guarino, Giulia DiGug-lielmo, Jessica Nicholson and Francesca Toto have made countless contributions and displayed out-standing dedication to the Middle School Tennis program. Best of luck to the girls as they move on to Upper School!

MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS TENNIS

Giulia DiGuglielmo ’14

JUNIOR VARSITY GIRLS TENNIS tomed to playing doubles. Anisha Prasad ‟12 had a particularly tough match against Rut-gers Prep, but she worked extra hard to achieve the win. Leah Chaise ‟13, Alexandra DeMarco ‟13 and Cierra Horsting ‟12 each played singles with enthu-siasm and success. Rachel Burstiner ‟13 and Alexsandra Taylor „13 were the team’s most versatile players, always willing to take on a new partner or compete at singles when needed. Jood Ani ‟12 and Louise Cerami-Guarino ‟12 were consis-tently tough competitors and always willing to adopt a new strategy to improve their games. And, Chelsea Coniaris ‟10 and Rupa Patel ‟10 had too much fun when they were asked to play doubles together.

Congratulations to all on a great season!

The goal of the Junior Varsity Girls Tennis team this fall was to gain experience, improve upon individual skill, always play to full po-tential and… to have fun! The Panthers were successful in achieving all this and so much more. The team finished with a solid winning record of 9-2, with the only losses coming during very close matches. And it was during one of these, the last match at Peddie School, when the girls played their best tennis of the season. Elizabeth Betesh ‟11 masterfully controlled the ball and had her opponent running cross court the entire match. In dou-bles play, Jood Ani ‟12 and Louise Ce-rami-Guarino ‟12; Rachel Burstiner ‟13

and Pooja Sondhi ‟10; and Chelsea Coniaris ‟10 and Rupa Patel ‟10 all played three strong sets, holding strong but eventually falling in the third.

The highlights of the season were on an individual level. Each team member had her own personal victories on the court. Coach Bon-ney-Sprague was especially proud of the girls who played singles matches, when they were accus-

JUNIOR VARSITY GIRLS TENNIS 2009 RECORD: 9-2

Jood Ani ’12 Elizabeth Betesh ’11 Rachel Burstiner ’13 Louise Cerami-Guarino ’12 Leah Chaise ’13 Chelsea Coniaris ’10 Alexandra DeMarco ’13 Cierra Horsting ’12 Rupa Patel ’10 Anisha Prasad ’12 Pooja Sondhi ’10 Alexsandra Taylor ’13

Coach Heidi Bonney-Sprague

Anisha Prasad ’12

Rachel Burstiner ’13

Sabrina Park ’15

With the culmination of the 2009 fall season, the Panthers are looking forward to the start of winter sport competition. Each year, the Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Basketball teams host an invitational tournament at Ran-ney School over the holiday break.

This year, the 16th Annual Panther Classic features four boys teams and four girls teams from across the state. The format for the tournament features a set schedule on the first day of competition. The championship games and consolation games will be played on day two. Awards will be given to the 1st and 2nd place teams. Individual honors will also be awarded for MVP and All-Tournament Team members.

Last year, the Ranney Boys’ Basketball team won the championship and Aaron Absatz ‟09 received the Most Valuable Player Award.

PANTHER CUBS

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Wet weather moved Panther Cubs indoors most week-ends but did not dampen enthusiasm… The Panther Cubs soccer program had 86 children from grades K-5 and 24 parent coaches. Trophies were given out on Saturday, November 14 at the final game of the sea-son. Winter Cub sports begin on January 9 with bas-ketball (grades K-5) and swimming (grades 2-5). Par-ents are encouraged to help coach basketball. No ex-perience is required. Coach Walling and members of the aquatics staff will coach the Panther Cubs swim-mers. Swimmers must be deep-water certified in order to participate. As with all Cub sports, the focus of the winter season will be on skill development, sports-manship and love of the game.

The Panther Cubs program has a great affect on all involved. Many of the fall soccer coaches have already signed up to help with basketball. One new parent signed up for the entire year, saying that the Panther Cubs program is a great way for new families to be-come part of the school community, getting to know other children as well as adults.

The Panther Cubs program aims to instill a positive attitude, sports-manship, confidence and high moral standards while teaching the fun-damentals of sport. Participants, parents, coaches and fans have done a great job of emphasizing participation, camaraderie and fun!

Announcing the 2009 PANTHER CLASSIC

2009 Panther Classic Schedule

Friday, December 18

3:30 pm Boys – Calvary Academy vs. Monmouth Academy

5:00 pm Girls – Calvary Academy vs. Villa Victoria

6:30 pm Girls – Ranney School vs. New Jersey United Christian Academy

8:00 pm Boys – Ranney School vs. New Jersey United Christian Academy

Saturday, December 19

11:00 am Girls – Consolation Game

12:30 pm Boys – Consolation Game

2:00 pm Girls – Championship Game

3:30 pm Boys – Championship Game

Clockwise, from top left: Taylor Swanner ’10, Rich Mejia ’09,

Hanna Miller ’12, Alexa Volpe ’12, Craig Slater ’12, Mohamed

Albana ’09, Aaron Absatz ’09

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LOWER SCHOOL INTRAMURAL SWIM

This fall, Ranney School offered its first Intramural Swim Program for Lower School students. Emmett Walling, Head Swim Coach and Aquatics Director, paired up with Coach Ian McNamara to work with fourth and fifth grade swim-mers over a six-week period. The group was divided into two with half practicing on Mondays and half on Tuesdays. On Fridays, the full squad came together for intrasquad meets.

With a roster of thirteen, six boys and seven girls, the low coach to swimmer ratio allowed for plenty of individualized instruction. The young swimmers learned and practiced the four different strokes of competitive swimming. They were encouraged to swim the free-style, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. In addition to practicing race-style swim-ming, the coaches also focused on breath control, endurance, flotation, propulsion, starts, basic turning and water safety. The group progressed quickly, showing much improvement over the duration of the program. Not only did the swimmers master new skills, they all improved their times during the swim meets.

The intrasquad swim meets allowed the swimmers to explore what it is like to be on a team and to compete at a higher level. During the meets, they used the score-board and touch pads to record times, just like the interscholastic athletic swimming program does. This encouraged the younger swimmers to consider competitive swimming as they get closer to “Moving Up” to Middle School.

The Lower School swim program con-cluded on Friday, November 13 with a final intrasquad swim meet. Overall, the first Lower School Intramural Swim Program was a great success. The rising student-athletes worked hard, developed skills and had a lot of fun. The program encouraged them to build new friendships and new re-lationships with the coaches while developing self-esteem and confi-dence in a positive environment.

Coach Walling and Coach McNamara are proud of the Lower School Swim team and look forward to running another program this spring.

LOWER SCHOOL INTRAMURAL SWIM

Kyra Conley ’17 Christopher Dellosso ’18 Taylor Gill ’17 Luke Grover ’18 Alya Hozayen ’18 Katie Juhase ’18 Laura Lehrfeld ’18 Keenan Maher ’17 Evan McGovern ’17 Katy McGovern ’18 Christian Pacifico ’18 Julianna Poupard ’17 Jari Walzog ’18

Coach Emmett Walling Coach Ian McNamara

Katy McGovern ’18 & Alya Hozayen ’18

Katie Juhase ’18

Back row, from left to right: Coach Ian McNamara, Katy McGovern ’18, Taylor Gill ’17,

Katie Juhase ’18, Laura Lehrfeld ’18, Alya Hozayen ’18, Kyra Conley ’17, Coach Emmett

Walling

Front row, from left to right: Christian Pacifico ’18, Keenan Maher ’17, Jari Walzog ’18,

Luke Grover ’18, Evan McGovern ’17

Missing from photo: Christopher Dellosso ’18, Julianna Poupard ’17

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The Middle School Sports Award Banquet was held on Monday, November 16. The Upper School Banquet was held on Thursday,

November 19. Each fall coach had an opportunity to speak about their season and highlight individual accomplishments. The fall

champions received special recognition and awards. The coaching staff also presented awards to outstanding individuals from

every team. Each program concluded with a speech from a student. At the Middle School Banquet, eighth grade tennis player,

Giulia DiGuglielmo, gave a reflective speech to end the evening. At the Upper School Banquet, senior cross country member

Christopher Tomasetta concluded the night with a few thoughtful words.

Following are the individual team awards for the 2009 fall season:

PANTHER FALL SPORTS AWARD BANQUETS

2009 MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAM AWARDS BOYS CROSS COUNTRY MVP Liam Wall ’14 Coach’s Award Vincent Morano ’14 Coach’s Award Marc Owitz ’14 Sportsmanship Award Andrew Grover ’14 Most Improved Connor Wilson ’16 GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY MVP Claudia Payor ’15 Coach’s Award Rachel Staats ’16 Sportsmanship Award Sarah Vates ’14 Most Improved Aeslyn Vlahos ’16 FIELD HOCKEY MVP Giavanna Marchese ’15 Coach’s Award Elise Birde ’14 Coach’s Award Alexandra Murphy ’14 Sportsmanship Award Christina Stewart ’14 Most Improved Brianna Marchese ’16 MS BOYS SOCCER BLUE MVP Joseph Katerba ’14 Coach’s Award Jack Boyan ’16 Coach’s Award Jihad Chater ’14 Sportsmanship Award Joseph Murphy ’14 Most Improved Mackenzie Marcellino ’14 MS BOYS SOCCER WHITE MVP Philip Cantave ’16 Coach’s Award Daniel Bushway ’14 Coach’s Award Michael Kumar ’14 Sportsmanship Award Andrew Aboujaoude ’14 Most Improved James Geraghty ’16 MS GIRLS SOCCER BLUE MVP Alessandra Johnson ’14 Coach’s Award Kenna Conley ’14 Coach’s Award Madison Pflaster ’14 Sportsmanship Award Kristen Guyler ’15 Sportsmanship Award Chloe Triolo ’15 Most Improved Brooke Fromkin ’15 MS GIRLS SOCCER WHITE MVP Elizabeth Paasche ’16 Coach’s Award Madison Wood ’16 Coach’s Award Natalie Yang ’16 Sportsmanship Award Francesca Lionetti ’16 Most Improved Arianna Palmeri ’16 MS GIRLS TENNIS MVP Giulia DiGuglielmo ’14 Coach’s Award Rachel Bernstein ’14 Coach’s Award Briana Cerami-Guarino ’14 Coach’s Award Audrey Effenberger ’15 Coach’s Award Carla Papetti ’16 Sportsmanship Award Jessica Nicholson ’14 Sportsmanship Award Francesca Toto ’14 Most Improved Stephanie Roslansky ’15

2009 VARSITY TEAM AWARDS BOYS FALL CREW MVP Conor Fitzgerald ’10 Coach’s Award Peter Bontempo ’13 Coach’s Award Craig Slater ’12 Sportsmanship Award Jordan Hesslein ’13 Most Improved Victor Gainor ’12 VARSITY GIRLS FALL CREW MVP Yasmin Meleis ’11 Coach’s Award Jane Bamberger ’11 Coach’s Award Molly O’Neill ’13 Sportsmanship Award Hannah Simpson ’12 Most Improved Kathryn Lionetti ’13 VARSITY BOYS CROSS COUNTRY MVP Jack Scilla ’10 Coach’s Award Peter Goldberg ’12 Coach’s Award Jeremy Lessing ’10 Sportsmanship Award Matthew Simpson ’10 Most Improved Jonathan Rosenthal ’12 VARSITY GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY MVP Nora Fadil ’10 Coach’s Award Lauren Harris ’12 Coach’s Award Jacqueline Korey ’11 Sportsmanship Award Audrey Bradley ’11 Sportsmanship Award Anike Oladeji ’12 VARSITY FIELD HOCKEY MVP Sarah Bartosh ’12 Coach’s Award Kayla Birde ’13 Coach’s Award Alexa Volpe ’12 Sportsmanship Award Kendall Torpey ’13 Most Improved Kaitlyn Bovino ’12 VARSITY BOYS SOCCER MVP Patrick Fermo ’10 Coach’s Award Matthew Haines ’10 Coach’s Award Eric Hurd ’10 Sportsmanship Award Yousef Hozayen ’11 Most Improved Zachary Marc ’10 VARSITY GIRLS SOCCER MVP Alexis Wyckoff ’11 Coach’s Award Sara Kleinman ’11 Coach’s Award Veronica Maccia ’10 Coach’s Award Taylor Swanner ’10 Most Improved Taryn Pontolillo ’10 VARSITY GIRLS TENNIS MVP Charlotte Fleming ’11 Coach’s Award Laura Church ’10 Coach’s Award Grace Farren ’11 Coach’s Award Mariel Pearl ’11 Sportsmanship Award Melissa Cantave ’12 Sportsmanship Award Natalie Cantave ’12 Most Improved Diane Scavelli ’11 JUNIOR VARSITY GIRLS TENNIS MVP Rachel Burstiner ’13 Coach’s Award Allie DeMarco ’13 Coach’s Award Louise Cerami-Guarino ’12 Sportsmanship Award Alexsandra Taylor ’13 Most Improved Jood Ani ’12

P A G E 2 0 COLLEGE RECRUITING TIPS FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES

FRESHMAN YEAR

STUDY. Stay focused academically. The grades you earn now will determine admission to college, initial NCAA eligibility and ultimately, your future success.

PLAY. Take advantage of every opportunity to play your sport, in order to improve and be seen. Attend camps, join clubs or leagues. But, do not exclude other activities. College coaches and admissions counselors look for well-rounded student-athletes.

RESEARCH. Start looking at colleges. Consider the different levels of college athletics (Division I, II, III). Also, start thinking about what you might like to study and possible career goals. Request academic and admissions information from college admissions offices. NCAA sport programs cannot provide athletic recruiting information (other than a standard questionnaire and camp information) until September 1 of your junior year.

P A N T H E R T R A C K S 235 Hope Road, Tinton Falls, New Jersey 07724

For many high school student-athletes, competing in sports at the college level is a goal. When considering compe-tition at the next level, you need to be proactive, responsible and aware of eligibility and recruiting rules. Here is a brief guide or “timeline” for the potential college-bound student-athlete:

A FEW DOs AND DON’Ts OF RECRUITING…

Understand that recruitment is a long process and you should focus on building a relationship with your future coach and college. Here are a few tips to follow throughout the process:

DON’T BE PRESSURED. Communicate your timeline and ask coaches about theirs. Don’t feel pressured into making a premature decision if your timeline is different than one of your team-mates. Don’t allow your high school or club coach to pressure you into making a decision quickly; only you can choose your future.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Visit schools. Don’t take for granted what you might learn by being on campus and meeting your potential team-mates. Consider the school as a whole, not just the athletic program. Find out admissions re-quirements, and make sure you feel certain before making your final decision. It is a life decision, not a four year choice.

DO ASK QUESTIONS. Ask coaches about their recruiting timeline and what their roster needs are. Ask about coaching and recruiting philoso-phies. Be prepared to answer their questions and be honest.

SOPHOMORE YEAR

MAKE A LIST. Start to narrow your college criteria and make a list of 10 to 20 schools. Towards the end of this year, start planning UNOFFICIAL VISITS. An unofficial visit is one that is paid for by you or your parents. You may make as many unofficial visits as you like, at any time. Also, consider attending summer sport camps at the schools you are most interested in.

RESUME. Create a resume that highlights your academic, athletic and extracurricular accomplishments. Then, write an INDIVIDUALIZED letter of interest to send to each school on your list. Your letter and resume can be sent by regular mail or email. Verify the coach’s name and mailing/email address on-line and ask a parent or coach to proofread before sending the letter. Return ALL questionnaires and requested info to the schools you might consider. If you know you are definitely not considering a particular school, let that coach know. Likewise, if you are very interested in a particular school, let that coach know. The recruiting process is like a job interview process. Coaches are “interviewing” MANY student-athletes for their programs. Be honest, proactive and responsible in order to stand out from the crowd. Coaches will not chase you for information; they will move on to another prospect. Remember that college coaches are restricted by NCAA rules re-garding phone calls and off-campus contacts. E-mail is the most efficient way to corre-spond until you have finished your junior year.

VIDEO. Prepare videotapes to send to coaches. Videos should include at least 15 minutes of unedited game footage and can also include highlights of your play. Make sure you can be identified by jersey color and number.

JUNIOR YEAR

ACADEMIC ELIGIBILITY. At the beginning of this year, register at www.eligibilitycenter.org. Register to take the ACT and/or SAT and use the Eligibility Center code (9999) as a score recipient. Request copies of your transcript and SAT/ACT scores. Start including them when sending out your resume. You can take the SAT or ACT more than once and can use your best sub-scores. The writing component of the ACT or SAT is not used to determine NCAA qualifier status.

NARROW THE LIST. Begin narrowing your list of potential colleges. Some factors to consider: academic profile, level of athletic competi-tion, type of school, distance from home and cost of attendance. Be realistic when focusing your list.

UPDATE YOUR RESUME. Update your resume and resend it to the colleges on your list. Include a new letter and your upcoming competi-tion schedules. Provide information on your high school schedules, leagues, tournaments and summer camps. Use email to start sending up-dates more frequently.

SENIOR YEAR

OFFICIAL VISITS. An official visit is any visit to a college campus during which expenses are paid for by the college. You can take up to 5 official visits to DI and DII institutions. Typically, college coaches invite recruits to campus for official visits, but you can let them know ahead of time if you are interested. Before a coach can invite you on an official, you are required to provide them with a copy of your high school tran-script (DI only), SAT/ACT/PLAN scores and register with the Eligibility Center.

SCHOLARSHIP. Most college-bound athletes can expect to receive athletic scholarship offers during the beginning of their senior year. DI and DII institutions can offer athletic-related financial aid (athletic scholarship). DIII institutions do not.

NLI. The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a voluntary program administered by the Eligibility Center. By signing a NLI, you agree to attend the institution in exchange for athletic financial aid. The NLI is a binding contract. The NLI “signing periods” are differen t for each sport. Go to www.nationalletter.org for more information.

VERBAL COMMITMENT. This phrase is used to describe an athlete’s commitment to a college before signing a NLI. A college-bound stu-dent-athlete can announce a verbal commitment at any time. While verbal commitments are common, they are NOT binding. Only the signing of a NLI accompanied by a financial aid agreement is binding on both parties.

CONGRATULATIONS! Once you decide on your college, enjoy your senior year! Continue to work hard on the field and in the classroom… you will need the practice for the challenges that lie ahead!