Category: WOODSTOWN

Wolverines find way to finals

Clark, Woodstown blank Palmyra to reach first berth in South Jersey Group 1 softball final since 1979

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PALMYRA — The last time the Woodstown softball team played in a sectional final, none of their current players were even born. Probably not a lot of their parents either. Heck, it’d be another five years before Wolverines coach Rob Hildebrand even entered the game of the life.

The seventh-seeded Wolverines earned their first trip to the sectional finals since 1979 Tuesday when they shut out Palmyra behind record-setting Leah Clark 5-0 for their 10th straight win.

Ellie Wygand set Woodstown’s single-season hits record in the game.
Leah Clark set Woodstown’s single-season wins record for a pitcher.

They will travel to fifth-seeded county rival Pennsville (17-7) Thursday for the 3 p.m. South Jersey Group 1 title. The winner is expected to host the state semifinals.

“A long time, a long time,” Hildebrand said. “(Girls soccer coach) Kieran Keyser came and supported us and he was like ‘ok, since 1979,’ and then he texted me back and said ‘holy crap, we’re getting old, that’s 47 years ago!’ It doesn’t sound like that long ago for us old people, but it really is. Almost 50 years ago.

“We have a banner in the gym. The first year my wife coached and my father-in-law helped her, he would always motivate the girls in the gym with look at that banner and see that first year 1979 and get our names on the banner for the division. Using that as motivation is kind of how they did it. I think it sinks in (with the current team). They do talk about it. I think they really want to leave a mark on it; we aren’t done yet, really you’re going to be kind of forgotten about unless you win this South Jersey championship.”

Clark, who set Woodstown’s single-season wins for a pitcher with the shutout, said she was “super excited and proud of everyone for getting us to this point” and “impressed with how much we’ve grown as a team and learned to work with each other to be able to win games like these.”

Senior outfielder Ellie Wygand called it a “huge blessing” and she was “grateful beyond measures” to be part of such an “amazing experience with an amazing group of girls.”

“Going into this year we were seen as the underdogs as a younger team and I am really proud of how the team has shown up and I fully believe we deserve to be in this position,” Wygand said. “It’s been a long time since Woodstown has been in the finals, but this group of girls is truly special and even though it took a while, the 2025-26 Woodstown softball team definitely deserves it.”

The Wolverines (19-8) had to work for their bit of history. They were being no-hit by Palmyra left-hander Jasmine Martinez for four innings, but came to life in the fifth.

They loaded the bases on a one-out walk to Gracie Hitchner and singles by Karly Spears and Macie Moore. The Panthers got the second out at the plate, but Wygand broke the scoreless tie with a two-run bases-loaded bouncer past a diving shortstop.

Wygand had two hits in the game, setting the Woodstown single-season hits record, which she said “came to me as a complete surprise.” The senior outfielder now has 44 hits this season, breaking Tulana Mingin’s 2022 record of 43. She went over 100 career hits two weeks ago.

“After the first four innings we were starting to get a little frustrated because we absolutely knew we could hit her and when that top of the fifth inning reached I knew something had to be done to get us on top,” she said. “My hit wasn’t the best hit, but it got the job done and put us on the board and that’s all that matters.”

The Wolverines scored three runs in the seventh inning with two outs to put it out of reach. Talia Guardascione had an RBI double and Clark and Maddie LaPalomento had run-scoring singles.

“We weren’t hitting at all in the beginning of the game, but these girls just never give up,“ Hildebrand said. “They have quality at-bats. Even if they struck out they’re quality at-bats. They see so many pitches that by the time we get to that third time up at bat they start hitting these girls. I think it’s not a coincidence when it happens over and over again. It kind of felt like it was to be due.

“When you know you have your MVP up it’s going to come through more times than not – and she did.”

Clark, meanwhile, was virtually unhittable in the circle. She spun a two-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts to record her 17th win of the season. She had a one-hitter through 5 2/3 innings. In three playoff games this spring she has allowed just 12 hits, three earned runs and struck out 31.

“It’s ice in the veins, it really is,” Hildebrand said. “I don’t know how she can be that way, but things don’t get to her. Whenever she has adversity to face she digs down deeper, becomes a bulldog and pushes through. She’s had so many times shes had bases loaded with one out, no out, and she gets out of it without any damage. Just time in and time out she just knows when to beat down. She just never ceases to amaze me.

“Two years ago when I took this job over I got told by countless people you’re going to suck (that year) because you have no pitching; she’s not a varsity style pitcher, you’re not going to win. I don’t know whether that’s true or not, I hadn’t seen these girls yet. Obviously she proved that wrong last year and for as good as she was last year she’s only been better (this year).”

Clark said she got a big jolt of confidence when she struck out Martinez in the first inning with one out and a runner on second. The Panthers put two go-ahead runners in scoring position in the fourth with one out and two tying runners in scoring position in the sixth with two outs and Clark got out of both jams to keep the shutout alive.

“I feel like during the playoffs I’ve really picked up the pace in the circle and thrown better than during the regular season,” she said. “I think it’s partially because the stakes are so high and the energy is up, but also partially because I’m just not ready for my last high school season to be over yet.”

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WP: Leah Clark. LP: Jasmine Martinez. 2B: Ellie Wygand (WO), Talia Guardascione (WO).

GROUP 1 SECTIONAL FINALS
Thursday’s games
(Records, power points in parenthesis)
SOUTH: No. 7 Woodstown (19-8, 21.259) at No. 5 Pennsville (17-7, 22.191)
CENTRAL: No. 8 Florence (15-5, 18.83) at No. 7 Bound Brook (14-12 21.005)
NORTH I: No. 4 Indian Hills (19-8, 28.094) at No. 2 Midland Park (25-3, 32.675)
NORTH II: No. 4 Dayton (16-12, 22.889) at No. 3 Whippany Park (19-7, 26.917)
Power points to determine host team in state semifinals

MOC qualifiers

Here are the Salem County qualifiers for Wednesday’s Meet of Champions and the result they posted in Saturday’s Group I state meet

NJSIAA MEET OF CHAMPIONS QUALIFIERS
Wednesday, Pennsauken H.S.
BOYS
400: Josh Crawford, Woodstown 50.24; 3. Kylee Goodson, Penns Grove 50.25
800: Josh Crawford, Woodstown 1:55.64
110 Hurdles: Bryan Garlic, Penns Grove 14.90
4×800: Woodstown (Karson Chew, Jacob Marino, David Farrell, Josh Crawford) 8:05.23
4×400: Woodstown (Anthony Costello, Karson Chew, Michael Turner, Josh Crawford) 3:23.10; Penns Grove (Bryan Garlic, Tommy White, Luis Colon, Kylee Goodson) 3:27.28
Javelin: Gary Simonini, Schalick 168-11
High Jump: Tommy White, Penns Grove 6-2
Discus: Ethan McLean, Schalick 144-8
Long Jump: Will Roy, Penns Grove 22-10.75; Danny Knight, Pennsville 22-2.25

GIRLS
Long Jump: Ramiyah Jones, Salem 17-8
Javelin: Naveah Robinson, Schalick 120-10
Triple Jump: Ramiyah Jones, Salem 35-11
High Jump: Kami Casiano, Woodstown 5-2

Wolverines double up

Woodstown 4×800, 4×400 relay teams win Group 1 titles on final day of state meet, Crawford becomes one of Salem County’s winningest state champions, Penns Grove’s Garlic wins 110 hurdles; Wolverines second in team standings, Penns Grove T-4

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

SOMERSET – Woodstown’s “Four Horseman” boys 4×800 relay team that was making headlines and smashing records from the first day somebody got the bright idea three years ago to put them on the track together ran their final Group 1 race as a unit Saturday and went out on their terms – leaving the pack in their dust.

The celebrated quartet of Karson Chew, Jacob Marino, David Farrell and Josh Crawford won their third straight Group 1 4×8 title in 8:05.23. Not as fast as last year’s winning time, but a lot faster than when they won it for the first time in 2024. They led wire-to-wire, increased their lead after every leg and won by a whopping seven seconds. 

But that wasn’t the end of it. The 4×800 lead and anchor – Chew and Crawford – helped bring the Wolverines a second state title on the second day of the Group 1 meet at Franklin High School, winning the 4×400 relay in the final event of the meet. They were joined on that relay by Anthony Costello and Michael Turner and turned in a 3:23.10, more than a full second ahead of runner-up Camden, the foursome they were second to here last year. Penns Grove was third.

“Everything went well this year,” Chew said. “The first day wasn’t too eventful for us, but we woke up on the second day with fire in our blood for a win. And that’s exactly what we did.

“Everyone did their job in both races to get us two championship titles. A big shout out to our juniors on the relay who really held it down. David (Farrell) and Michael (Turner) were absolutely key parts in each relay’s win. And all of us seniors went out there and made our last state championships as memorable as we could.”

“I’m very emotional about it for those guys because of the great careers that they’ve had,” Wolverines coach Tom Mason said. “I’m very proud of them. They’re going to be hard to replace, they really are.”

Woodstown’s relay teams weren’t the only Salem County state champions crowned Saturday.

Penns Grove’s Bryan Garlic was declared the winner of the boys 110 hurdles final after race winner Jaleel Dickerson-Dempsey of Camden was disqualified for going out of his lane and impeding another runner. Garlic ran a “relaxed and smooth” PR 14.90 to Dickerson-Dempsey’s 14.32.

The Penns Grove senior was going to Wednesday’s Meet of Champions anyway, but now he’s going, along with long jumper teammate Will Roy, as a state champion.

“At first I was confused because they said he was DQ’d but I didn’t really know if he was DQ’d or not because he was still on the list,” Garlic said. “At the end they said he was DQ’d, I took the first-place medal, I was happy. It didn’t feel right because he got DQ’d, but I’m still grateful to be in the position I am now.”

Garlic didn’t really see what happened in the race until he watched it on video. As the fifth seed in the final he was running in Lane 2 and the incident occurred in the middle of the track. Dickerson-Dempsey was in Lane 4 as the top seed, hit a hurdle and it moved into the adjacent lane and interfered with New Milford’s Luke Johnson in Lane 5. 

The ruling wasn’t immediate. Race officials conducted an inquiry, talked with Dickerson-Dempsey about what happened and handed down a decision after several minutes had elapsed. Garlic said he spent his time trying to find an official to get a better understanding of the situation. Johnson got to re-race against the clock and ran a 15.26 in the do-over to finish second behind Garlic.

Woodstown’s relay wins were a bit more clear cut.

Chew led the 4×800 out with a 2:00.84 leg, good for a one-second lead. Marino stretched to three seconds when he passed baton and Farrell, who replaced graduated Cole Lucas this season, extended it to six seconds with splits of 57.14 and 1:04.02. Crawford brought it home against a brutally gusting headwind, posting splits of 56.58 and 1:02.13.

“To be honest with you, after Farrell’s (leg), in my head they’re going to be state champions because no one is going to catch ‘The Machine,’” Mason said, referring to Crawford. “I don’t care what town they’re front, they’re not catching The Machine with a 25-meter lead, and they didn’t. They powered through, man. It was great.”

The Wolverines were equally impressive in pulling off the 4×400, a race they really wanted after Camden took them down last year. 

Anthony Costello started it off with 51.46 that had them third behind Camden and Penns Grove, but Chew got them back in front with a 49.32. They were running second when Turner passed the baton to Crawford after a PR lap. The Wolverines’ anchor was a back-and-forth battle with Camden’s Jaiden Steele down the stretch. Once he got the lead he steadily pulled away and won by more than a second to give Mason his first-ever 4×400 state title in 127 seasons of coaching track.

“The last race was something I had to prove to myself but also to other people,” Crawford said. “Not doing what I wanted to in the previous races I needed a confidence booster and prove to myself that I’m still a part of that team. I ran a 48 against Camden who we’ve gone back and forth with two years now and last year them stealing the state title by a long shot shows that our entire team had a goal in mind, we practiced consistently and we made it happen.”

With his two wins, Crawford became one of the all-time winningest state championship in Salem County history. He has now 13 indoor and outdoor state titles in his career.

“It definitely surprised me,” he said. “It’s kind of bad to say but they kind of blur together. I never thought I would even get one. I thought I would be a one event person, like the 4-x800 was my event and I didn’t see myself being a multi-event athlete winning state titles in not just the 4×8 multiple years but other events for multiple years as well.

“I think it shows that anyone can do it. I was once a 2:20 800 meter runner and barely got under 60 seconds my first time running the 400, but when you’re surrounded by the right coaches, the right teammates, any of that can come through if you have discipline and the mindset to make it happen.”

The Sacred Heart signee also qualified for the MOC with a second-place finish in the 400, but isn’t expected to run it. Saturday third-place finishers Kylee Goodson (Penns Grove 400, 0.01 behind Crawford), Gary Simonini (Schalick boys javelin) and Ramiyah Jones (Salem girls long jump) among others are expected to receive MOC wildcard spots.

The Wolverines’ Saturday showing helped them bounce back from a tough opening day to finish second in the team standings to Glassboro. They started the day in fifth place, with 14 points, 12 behind Glassboro.

“They battled after yesterday,” Mason said. “We scored 24 points within 40 minutes today. That brought us back into it.”

Garlic’s bump to the hurdles win gave Penns Grove enough points to finish tied for fourth. Metuchen claimed the girls title, winning a do-or-die 4×400 to edge Glassboro by two points.

NJSIAA GROUP I TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS
Saturday’s Results

BOYS
TEAM SCORES: Glassboro 63, WOODSTOWN 52, Camden 45, PENNS GROVE 40, New Milford 40, New Providence 26, Manville 26, Wallington 20, Woodbury 19, Boonton 17, Bound Brook 16, Dayton 16, SCHALICK 15, Newark Tech-Essex 13, Shore 12, Wallkill Valley 12, Haddon Twp. 11, Kinnelon 10, Waldwick 10, Hasbrouck Heights 10, Whippany Park 9.5, PENNSVILLE 9, Florence 8, Buena 8, Midland Park 7, Indian Hills 6, Mountain Lakes 4.5, Burlington City 4, Audubon 4, McNair 4, Butler 4, Pequannock 4, Thrive Charter 3, Metuchen 2, Botoga 2, SALEM 1, Gateway 1, Highland Park 1, Empowerment 1, Verona 1, Eagle Academy 1, Saddle Brook 1.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
(Winners, Salem County point scorers (top 6))
(Top 2 finishers guaranteed spots in Meet of Champions, x-projected MOC wildcard)
400: 1. Noah Seveland, Waldwick 49.87; 2. Josh Crawford, Woodstown 50.24; 3. x-Kylee Goodson, Penns Grove 50.25; 4. Karson Chew, Woodstown 50.89
110 Hurdles: 1. Jaleel Dickerson-Dempsey, Camden 14.32; 2. Bryan Garlic, Penns Grove 14.90
4×800: 1. Woodstown (Karson Chew, Jacob Marino, David Farrell, Josh Crawford) 8:05.23
200: 1. Ivan Bempah, New Milford 21.79
1600: 1. Jayran Rodriguez, Manville 4:22.61
4×400: 1. Woodstown (Karson Chew, Anthony Costello, Michael Turner, Josh Crawford) 3:23.10; 3. Penns Grove (Bryan Garlic, Tommy White, Luis Colon, Kylee Goodson) 3:27.28
Shot Put: 1. Patrick Szabo, Wallington 50-6.5; 3. Aidan Taulane, Woodstown 49-0; 4. JaKai Ingram, Penns Grove 48-6; 6. Connor Wariwanchik, Pennsville 48-2.5
Javelin: 1. Brady Shine, Hasbrouck Heights 192-4; 3. x-Gary Simonini, Schalick 168-11
Triple Jump: 1. Moses Robles, Glassboro 47-8.5
High Jump: 1. Moses Robles, Glassboro 6-4; 4. x-Tommy White, Penns Grove 6-2

GIRLS
TEAM SCORES: Metuchen 56, Glassboro 54, Audubon 47, Shore 39, Verona 33, Haddon Twp. 31, Delaware Valley 25, Whippany Park 22, Hasbrouck Heights 20, Roselle Park 20, Maple Shade 16, Hawthorne 15, SALEM 12, Burlington City 12, Mountain Lakes 11, University 10, Henry Hudson 10, Cresskill 10, SCHALICK 9, Manville 9, Woodbury 8, David Brearley 8, Academy Charter 8, Midland Park 8, Waldwick 8, Indian Hills 9, Kinnelon 7, Buena 6, Wallkill Valley 6, Butler 5, WOODSTOWN 5, Paulsboro 4, Clayton 4, Pequannock 3, Bound Brook 2, New Providence 2, Florence 2, Dayton 1, Highland Park 1, Saddle Brook 1
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
(Winners, Salem County point scorers (top 6))
(Top 2 finishers guaranteed spots in Meet of Champions)
400: 1. Gwendolyn Neale, Verona 58.28
100 Hurdles: 1. Casey Birdwell, Haddon Twp. 15.05
4×800: 1. Haddon Twp. 9:41.69
200: 1. Makenna Bruns, Metuchen 25.35
1600: 1. Alexandra Klein, Shore 4:53.96
4×400: 1. Metuchen 4:03.64
Discus: 1. Sunny Moore, Glassboro 156-0
Long Jump: 1. Erika Townsend, Glassboro 17-9, 3. x-Ramiyah Jones, Salem 17-8
Pole Vault: 1. Cassara Yannarelli, Henry Hudson 10-6

Long jumper Will Roy (L) and hurdler Bryan Garlic brought state championships back to Penns Grove from the state Group I meet this week. Top photo: Woodstown’s three-time 4×800 state champion relay team.

Woodstown wins

Wolverines dodge a bases-loaded no-out threat, turn away Buena in South Jersey Group 1 quarterfinals

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – Sometimes the biggest inning in a game isn’t one in which you score. Sometimes it’s the inning you prevent a run from scoring.

Woodstown had one of those kinds of innings Friday in its South Jersey Group 1 quarterfinal game with Buena. The Chiefs had bases loaded and none out in the fifth inning of a close game, but the Wolverines kept them off the scoreboard and by doing so gained an extra bit of momentum to finish off a 5-1 win.

“That was the game ,” Wolverines coach Marc DeCastro said. “It was a giant momentum switch.”

The second-seeded Wolverines (19-8) had been clinging to a 2-0 lead since the first inning when the Chiefs put together their biggest threat of the game. It started with Ricky Beesix and Donato Vai singling off Blake Rodriguez and Richie Wilson getting ahead 2-0 prompting DeCastro to bring in Drew Sutton midcourt.

Sutton completed the walk to Wilson loading the bases. Now it gets weird. Jorge Rios missed the squeeze and the Wolverines caught Beesix in the rundown with the other runners failing to move up behind him. Sutton got Rios to fly out and then catcher Ty Coblentz gunned down Vai trying to steal third.

“That was a weird inning,” Coblentz agreed. “I had a good feeling we were going to get out of that, I did, because (with) Drew on the mound, I knew he could get a strikeout or two and I knew we’d make a play or two. I was very ecstatic in that moment (of the third out). That was the third out that was a big out. It’s almost a tie ballgame at least, could’ve been even worse.”

Sutton carried on for a three-inning save, giving up two hits and an unearned run in the seventh. Even though they might not have been as sharp as usual, pitcher Walker Battavio, Rodriguez and Sutton combined to hold the Chiefs to three hits and struck out five. The Wolverines haven’t given up an earned run in their last three games.

“I only had like five minutes to warmup,” Sutton explained. “I don’t think I’ve really ever done that before. It was kind of weird, but I did good. I just hit my spots.”

The Wolverines took the lead with two runs in the first. The first run scored when the Chiefs threw away Tommy Tucci’s grounder to third. The second scored on Sol Elmer’s RBI single.

It stayed that way until the sixth. Bolstered by the momentum of their fifth-inning escape, the Wolverines scored three insurance runs in the sixth. Lucas Fraley had a two-run double and Tommy Tucci doubled home a run.

The Chiefs scored their run on a single, an error and Wilson’s RBI single.

The Wolverines now host Pennsville in the semifinals Wednesday. They’ve been to the semifinals three years in a row and for the fifth time in the last six years. They eliminated Pennsville from the tournament each of the last two years.

Buena0000001-13
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WP: Walker Battavio. LP: Jackson Murray. 2B: Luke Fraley (WO). Tommy Tucci ((WO).


Boy, oh Roy

Penns Grove long jumper Will Roy brings home Salem County’s only state title on first day of the NJSIAA Group I Track Championship, 4 others finish second to qualify for Meet of Champions

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

SOMERSET – Will Roy stood at the top of the runway facing his moment of truth. The way he would be remembered in this year’s Group 1 state championship meet was riding on what would happen in the next few seconds.

He had just gotten bumped from the lead in the boys long jump to Pennsville’s Danny Knight and if he wanted it back the Penns Grove junior would have to stick the landing on the final jump of the final event of the day. He needed to stand and deliver.

With a title on the line, Roy confidently bolted down the runway and hit a final jump of 22-feet, 10.75-inches to reclaim the gold medal.

“It was either a do or die,” he said. “It was either I get second place or I go on and be a state champion and take it back to my hometown.

“I was just trying to keep myself calm and not really get into my head about the jump. Everything was really good. The runway was good, the launch takeoff was good, the landing was good and I knew it was going to be a good jump all the way.”

It wasn’t the first time he needed to deliver in the clutch. During the sectional meet it came down to him needing a big final jump to qualify for the state meet and he nailed it with the same confidence he showed Friday. Penns Grove jumpers coach Damien Ware said Roy has “that (Michael) Jordan clutch gene.”

“One thing about Will is he’s a worker,” Ware said. “We put him through a lot of work, a lot of grind, in practice and he does it. Whatever we ask him to do he’s going to put his head down and do it. He’s been growing since his freshman year. He started out in the 20s, got to the 21 and today he almost skipped the 22s altogether.”

Roy moved to the top of the leaderboard on his second jump of the competition (21-11.25) and held it until Knight set the Pennsville school record (22-2.25) on his final jump.

“He knew what he had to do and went and did it,” Ware said. “He heard the jump, he knew he had to jump further than that to win and he did it. It was just a look. He said let’s go, bro, and he went and did it. It’s exciting for the kid because we see the work he’s put in and when you see it pay off there’s no better feeling.”

Knight had been stretching his PR in small increments each of the last three weeks and it all came together with a big burst here.

“It was the best jump I could ever think of,” Knight said. “I could’ve gotten my leg up higher, but I’m still grateful for what I got. I was not expecting that at all. Me and (Pennsville track coach Mike) Healy were talking about the school record holder (21-1) and it was like 1980-something. I was like ‘what.’ He said you got it next year. I said I got it today. It happened.”

Roy and Knight were among five Salem County athletes to qualify for the Meet of Champions. The others were all event runner-ups –Schalick’s Navaeh Robinson (girls javelin) and Ethan McLean (boys shot put) and Woodstown’s Josh Crawford (boys 800). Three others — Salem’s Ramiyah Jones (girls triple jump) and Woodstown’s Aidan Taulane (boys discus) and Kami Casiano (girls high jump) – placed third and will be looking for a wildcard spot.

Glassboro leads both team leaderboards. Woodstown (fifth) and Penns Grove (T-8) are both in the top ten in the boys race. Schalick is currently tied for ninth in the girls standings.

NJSIAA GROUP I TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS
Friday’s Results
BOYS
TEAM SCORES: Glassboro 26, Camden 23, New Providence 22, Manville 16, WOODSTOWN 14, Newark Tech-Essex 12, New Milford 12, PENNS GROVE 10, Bound Brook 10, Kinnelon 10, Wallington 10, Wallkill Valley 10, SCHALICK 9, Buena 8, PENNSVILLE 8, Haddon Twp. 6, Woodbury 6, Shore 6, Whippany Park 6, Dayton 6, Indian Hills 4, Burlington City 4, Pequannock 4, Thrive Charter 3, SALEM 1, Gateway 1, Saddle Brook 1.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
(Winners, Salem County point scorers (top 6))
(Top 2 finishers guaranteed spots in Meet of Champions)
4×100: 1. Camden 42.16
800: 1. Zacchaeus Harrigan, Glassboro 1:55.00; 2. Josh Crawford, Woodstown 1:55.64
100: 1. Jawan Brownlee, Camden 10.76
400 Hurdles: 1. Connor Killian, New Providence 55.33; 6. Grady Buzby, Salem 57.48
3200: 1. Jayran Rodriguez, Manville 9:17.53
Discus: 1. Patrick Szabo, Wallington 165-5; 2. Ethan McLean, Schalick 144-8; 3. Aidan Taulane, Woodstown 140-6
Long Jump: 1. Will Roy, Penns Grove 22-10.75; 2. Danny Knight, Pennsville 22-2.25
Pole Vault: 1. Jake Markey, Bound Brook 13-6; 6. Sal Longo, Schalick 12-0

GIRLS
TEAM SCORES: Glassboro 26, Audubon 21, Whippany Park 20, Roselle Park 20, Shore 18, Metuchen 18, Hasbrouck Heights 12, Verona 11, SCHALICK 9, Delaware Valley 9, Hawthorne 9, Woodbury 8, Burlington City 8, David Brearley 8, Manville 8, Academy Charter 9, Midland Park 8, SALEM 6, Maple Shade 6, Buena 6, Kinnelon 6, WOODSTOWN 5, Butler 5, Clayton 4, University 4, Cresskill 4, Mountain Lakes 3, Florence 2, New Providence 2, Waldwick 2, Haddon Twp. 1, Highland Park 1, Dayton 1.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
(Winners, Salem County point scorers (top 6))
(Top 2 finishers guaranteed spots in Meet of Champions)
4×100: 1. Glassboro 48.49
800: 1. Gwendolyn Neale, Verona 2:12.06
100: 1. Skylar Boyd, Rosselle Park 12.63
400 Hurdles: 1. Gina Minichiello, Hasbrouck Heights 1:02.50
3200: 1. Alexandra Kline, Shore 10:40.04
Shot Put: 1. Sunny Moore, Glassboro 42-2
Javelin: 1. Ava Forstenhausler, Roselle Park 121-3; 2. Naveah Robinson, Schalick 120-10
Triple Jump: 1. Riley Wright-Ohillips, Whippany Park 39-1; 3. Ramiyah Jones, Salem 35-11; 6. Jaelynn Jarmon, Schalick 35-0.5
High Jump: 1. Riley Wright-Phillips, Whippany Park, 5-2; 3. Kami Casiano, Woodstown 5-2


Salem County sweep

All three Salem County teams in the South Jersey Group I baseball quarterfinals won Friday; stories posting to the website soon

SJ GROUP I BASEBALL
Friday’s quarterfinals
(1) Schalick 5, (8) Audubon 1
(4) Maple Shade 4, (5) Wildwood 3
(6) Pennsville 13, (3) Haddon Twp. 7
(2) Woodstown 5, (10) Buena 1
Wednesday’s semifinals
(4) Maple Shade at (1) Schalick
(6) Pennsville at (2) Woodstown

SCHALICK 5, AUDUBON 1: Jamari Whitley takes a no-hitter into the fifth, gives up three hits, strikes out career-high 13 in 6 1/3 inningsfans career-high. Cooper Willoughby and J.T. Fleming deliver big hits in four-run sixth that breaks the game open.

PENNSVILLE 13, HADDON TWP. 7: Coach Matt Karr said Logan Streitz “may have just played the best game in Pennsville baseball history.” The senior went 4-for-5 at the plate with two doubles, the go-ahead three-run homer and seven RBIs, made a game-saving unassisted double play with bases loaded, then threw two innings of no-hit relief to slam the door.

“As he rounded third (after the homer) I just said to him ‘You are the man,'” Karr said. “I had no other words.”

WOODSTOWN 5, BUENA 1: The Wolverines scored two runs in the first inning and three pitchers held the Chiefs off the board until the seventh inning. The Wolverines survived a crazy fifth inning in which they survived a bases-loaded no out situation, picking off two runners on the base paths.

Look for full stories soon elsewhere on the website.

Don’t call it an upset

Woodstown, Pennsville both beat higher seeded opponents on road to reach South Jersey Group 1 softball semifinals; Woodstown’s Clark fans 16 in record 16th win, Eagles’ Jackson gets 250th coaching win

SJ GROUP i SOFTBALL
Tuesday’s semifinals
(5) Pennsville at (1) Audubon, 3 p.m.
(7) Woodstown at (3) Palmyra

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

BUENA – Even as much as he’s seen it, it never ceases to amaze Woodstown softball coach Rob Hildebrand the depth with which his team digs and finds a way to win.

The Wolverines faced their biggest test of the season Thursday, a win-or-go-home matchup with second-seeded Buena on the road in the second-round of the South Jersey Group I playoffs. They fell behind early, got it tied, turned back a couple serious threats, then won it with two runs in the eighth inning, 3-1.

The win keeps their run towards the first sectional final since 1979 alive and sends them to third-seeded Palmyra (18-7) in the semifinals Tuesday.

The Wolverines (18-8) have won nine in a row and 12 of their last 13. During the nine-game winning streak, they trailed at some point in five of the games.

“Team effort again,” Hildebrand said. “I can’t stress enough from our bench and how loud it was – I couldn’t hear – to our bottom of the lineup coming through to Leah (Clark) digging deep, striking out, leaving bases loaded twice … it was nothing short of amazing that they always consistently just dig deep when they have to all year long and don’t give up.

“It’s nothing short of shocking when we got in that situation to know we would pull it out because it hasn’t proved otherwise the entire year. We haven’t taken the roller coaster ride. It’s up the entire year of them not giving up.”

It was a true pitchers’ duel between Clark and Buena freshman Gracie Dixon.

Clark, a senior, gave the showing of her career, giving up three hits, a first-inning run, turning back bases-loaded situations in the first and eighth innings, and striking out a career-high 16 of 24 outs. After giving up a run-scoring single followed by a two-out walk in the first, she retired 14 in a row (nine by strikeout) before giving up a double to Dixon, who was thrown out at third on a relay from Ellie Wygand to Talia Guardascione aggressively trying to stretch it into a triple. 

Dixon, meanwhile, gave up seven hits, three runs and struck out 10.

The Wolverines reached Dixon for the tying run in the third on Macie Moore’s RBI single then took the lead for the first time in the eighth. Guardascione’s one-out single to right brought home Wygand with the go-ahead run and Kendall Young singled home Guardascione with an insurance run.

The Chiefs threatened in the bottom of the inning, but Clark remained vigilant in the circle. It looked like it was going to be an easy finish as she retired the first two batters, but Laylani Muniz kept the inning alive when she reached on an error. Hildebrand then raised a few eyebrows by intentionally walking Dixon, a .667 hitter with 23 extra-base hits, 41 RBIs and two hits already in the game, putting the trying run on base to get to the bottom of the lineup that had 13 strikeouts. 

“It’s not necessarily something you want to do, but our gameplan going in all along was if we ever had an opportunity to walk this girl and she looks like she’s going to be able to hit, we’re going to walk her,” Hildebrand said. “To be honest with you, if the bases were loaded with two outs I still might have done it because none of the bottom of the lineup had really even made contact with the ball.”

A passed ball put both runners in scoring position. Clark walked Makenna Feaster to load the bases, then killed the threat by striking out the last batter of the game to complete her 16th win of the season, tying Anna Marino for the most by a Woodstown pitcher since 1979.

“It’s all in the players and the bench,” Hildebrand said. “Every single person has a role and they’re all pulled in on it, they’re all bought in on the team. It’s consistently a team effort. All we’ve got to do is sit back and watch. Do we make mistakes, sure, but when it’s a clutch time they just come through. It’s nothing short of amazing. It’s just so fun to watch.”

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WP: Leah Clark. LP: Gracie Dixon. 2B: Gracie Dixon (B)

Weber sharp for Pennsville

PITMAN – Graillyn Weber was brilliant in the circle and at the plate and Pennsville beat Pitman 8-0 to give coach Beth Jackson her 250th career coaching victory — all of them with the Eagles.

Weber, a sophomore, fashioned her second straight playoff shutout, another five-hitter with four strikeouts. She had not spun a shutout in 27 previous appearances before these playoffs. At the plate she was 2-for-4 with a double.

Her defense helped keep the shutout alive. They turned a double play to end the sixth inning and Lily Edwards made a game-ending running catch in deep centerfield with a runner on third.

The Eagles jumped on top with three runs in the first inning. The first run scored on an error after Edwards and Weber opened the game with a single and double, respectively. Kenzie Widener’s ground out chase home the second run and Reagan Wariwanchik’s RBI single brought him the third.

“I told my dad last night about being the away team and we get to bat first, jumping out, getting some runs and setting the tone,” Jackson said. “That’s what they did today. We sent nine people to the plate in the first inning. We had to come to play. It’s win or go home.”

As sharp as Weber was in the circle, that’s all they needed. But they added single runs in the third and fourth and stretched the lead with three in the fifth. Taylor Bass singled home the run in the third, Wariwanchik had another RBI single in the fourth, Kylie Harris, Avery Watson and Widener drove home runs in the fifth.

Edwards had three hits for the Eagles. Weber, Wariwanchik and Bass had two apiece.

Jackson tried to keep her milestone under wraps for as long as possible. Her step-daughter made a poster commemorating the milestone and her husband had been talking it up, but beyond that not many actually knew it was near.

“I didn’t say anything, I didn’t want to tell anybody, I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it,” she said.

But it is a big deal. Through 17 years coaching at her alma mater, she is 250-124. She followed a coach who had 558 career wins.

“It’s a nice accomplishment,” she said. “All the girls have their accomplishments and whatnot, it’s nice to have one of your own. It wouldn’t happen without them. It’s a testament to them and the great program we have and the great players that Pennsville always has. It’s always nice to coach at your alma mater and know the winning continues and the tradition. It’s just a nice feeling to have all of that. Just to see everything continue. It’s nice and heartfelt.”

The Eagles (16-7) now face top-seeded and defending champion Audubon (19-9) in Tuesday’s 3 p.m. sectional semifinals.

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WP: Graillyn Weber. LP: Cassidy Batten. 2B: Graillyn Weber (P).

Thursday playoff report

Woodstown wins a pair of third-set tiebreakers to lock down a spot in SJ Group 1 boys tennis finals; Wolverines win their girls lacrosse playoff opener; includes scores from Thursday’s South Jersey Groups 1&2 playoff action

BASEBALL
South Jersey Group I Tournament
Schalick 23, Cape May Tech 0
Audubon 3, Gateway 0
Wildwood 10, Paulsboro 0 (Tues.)
Maple Shade 2, Riverside 1
Haddon Twp. 19, LEAP 1
Pennsville 6, Pitman 5
Buena 8, Glassboro 2 (Wed.)
Woodstown 12, Clayton 0 (Wed.)
South Jersey Group II Tournament
Barneget 16, Salem Tech 1
(Story on website)
SOFTBALL
Penns Grove vs. LEAP, Rutgers-Camden, 6 p.m.
South Jersey Group I Quarterfinals
Audubon 10, Riverside 0
Pennsville 8, Pitman 0
Palmyra 3, Gateway 2
Woodstown 3, Buena 1, 8 inns.
(Story on website)
GIRLS LACROSSE
South Jersey Group I Tournament
Woodstown 11, West Deptford 8
(See story below)
TENNIS
South Jersey Group I Semifinals
West Deptford 5, Pt. Pleasant Beach 0
Woodstown 4, Haddon Twp. 1
(See story below)

Tennis: Woodstown plays for title

WESTMONT — Luke Shaw and the doubles team of Connor Miller and Josh King both came all the way back from dropping the first set to win third-set tiebreakers and lift Woodstown to a 4-1 win over Haddon Twp. for a spot in the South Jersey Group I boys tennis championship match.

The Wolverines (14-8) will play at top-seeded West Deptford (23-1) in the title match Tuesday. It’s their first trip to the SJ Group 1 boys final since 2019 — and first under head coach Jesse Stemberger — when they lost to Middle Twp. 3-2. Stemberger was the program’s assistant coach when it made the South Jersey final four straight years from 2016 to 2019.

Shaw lost the first set at third singles to Grady Carson, then evened the match 6-2 and won the pro set 10-5. Shaw was 9-9 at third singles, 10-10 overall, entering the match. Carson had won his last six matches and 13 of his last 15.

“Luke’s win was a little more intense because we had two points and if he wins, the match is over,” Stemberger said. “After losing the first set he told his parents he wasn’t going to lose. He took control of the second set, built a lead in the tiebreaker and closed it out with a big first serve on his first match point.”

Miller and King dropped their first set to Sylar Kennedy and Jack Considine at second doubles 5-7, then won the second set 6-3 and the pro set 10-4. Miller and King were 13-4 entering the match (2-1 in third-set tiebreakers). Kennedy and Considine had won their last five matches

“They didn’t have the pressure, but they wanted to win and basically followed the same script as Luke,” Stemberger said.

WOODSTOWN 4, HADDON TWP. 1
Nathan Keating (HT) def. Drew Stengel, 6-4, 6-2
Mason Shimp (WO) def. Declan Gallagher, 6-4, 6-4
Luke Shaw (WO) def. Grady Carson, 2-6, 6-2, 10-5
Vincent Merendino-Nick DiTeodoro (WO) def. Cristian Picerno-Shea Anderson, 6-4, 6-1
Connor Miller-Josh King (WO) def. Sylar Kennedy-Jack Considine, 5-7, 6-3, 10-4
Records: Woodstown 14-8, Haddon Twp. 14-8.

GROUP 1 SECTIONAL FINALS
Tuesday’s matches
Central: Edison Magnet (7-12) at Metuchen (14-0)
North I: Pascack Hills (15-4) at Glen Rock (16-3)
North II: Glen Ridge (8-12) at Verona (17-5)
South: Woodstown (14-8) at West Deptford (23-1)

Girls lacrosse: Woodstown wins opener

WOODSTOWN — Delaney Walker added four more goals to her school-record total and Emma Morgan added another assist to that all-time school record, powering Woodstown to an 11-8 victory over West Deptford in the first round of the South Jersey Group 1 playoffs.

Walker’s four goals ran her career total to 243. Morgan extended her assist record to 85 and also scored a goal.

Blair Baldi, Arianna Hyman and Emma Perry all scored twice for the Wolverines (10-7), who now travel to second-seeded Rumson-Fair Haven (14-5) for Monday’s quarterfinals.

Record-setting Wolverines

Walker (goals), Morgan (assists) set all-time school records in Woodstown’s 16-2 lacrosse rout of Nottingham

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

TRENTON – There haven’t been many things in Delaney Walker’s life that have kept her on pins and needles as much as this last week in anticipation of her piece of history.

The Woodstown senior was on the cusp of becoming the girls lacrosse program’s all-time leading goal scorer, but the game had to get here.

One scheduled game was called off. A replacement game was found, but it was postponed by the weather. Then there was the prom and then Memorial Day weekend.

When the game finally arrived Tuesday, Walker wasted little time making history. She scored three of her five goals during the Wolverines’ 16-2 rout of Nottingham in the first quarter to set the goal-scoring record. She broke the mark of 236, set by current Woodstown assistant Abby Evans between 2015 and 2018.

Walker now has 239 career goals with at least one South Jersey Group I playoff game in front of her.

“Oh my God, it was painful,” she said of her week of waiting. “I had prom weekend (where she was a member of the Prom Court), so I had a lot of fun,, but that milestone was still in the back of my head. Today in school I was so excited to leave my eighth period class and go on the bus. And with the bus ride being an hour and 15 minutes that was hard too.”

Walker tied the record with her second goal after the Wolverines won a draw and raced all the way down the field to score. She broke the record with about four minutes left in the quarter when she cut in towards the goal and fired a high shot into the cage.

“I can breathe now,” she said. “Now that it’s here it just means I can accomplish my goals, but I have to keep working. It’s not the end.”

The players surrounded her with a group hug and then she shared a moment with the former record holder.

“I told her I was sorry (to have broken her record),” Walker said.

Ironically, when she got in her car to drive home from the trip she noticed the last three digits on the odometer: 2-3-8.

“That’s like a sign from God,” she said.

The UMass-Lowell signee needed 68 goals coming into the season to break Evans’ record. She put a big dent in it with a career-high 12 in her previous game against Haddon Heights. 

“At the start of the season the record was really like messing with my head a little bit,” she admitted. “I really didn’t think I was going to get it until Haddon Heights came around and I dropped out 10 and I was like, OK, now it’s here.”

Walker wasn’t the only record-setting Wolverine in the game. When Emma Morgan assisted of Walker’s record-breaking goal, she became the Wolverines’ all-time assist leader. Morgan has been there for Walker a lot, most notably assisting on her 100th and 200th career goals.

“We work really well together,” she said. “It was good to share that with her.”

Woodstown senior Delaney Walker (17) broke the Wolverines’ all-time goal scoring record Abby Evans (L) set between 2015 and 2018. Combined, they’ve scored 475 goals. Top photo, Walker and Emma Morgan (12) both set all-time school records in Tuesday’s game at Nottingham.


TCC Showcase

Here are the tresults of the Tri-County Conference Showcase at Pitman GC

GIRLS

Clearview’s Stella Bernardi survived a double bogey on her final hole and a late charge from her twin sister Lydia to win medalist honors. Stella made four birdies in a 1-over-par 74. Lydia made four straight birdies (7-10), a bogey and a par over her final six holes to finish with 75. Salem/Cumberland Challenge winner Nicole Tarquinio of Cumberland finished fourth (81). Salem Tech’s Hannah Kormann was the top Salem County finisher (108, T-11).

TEAM SCORES: Clearview 149, Washington Twp. 184, Williamstown 204, Kingsway 221, OLMA 222, Salem Tech 223, Schalick 243, Pennsville 247, Delsea 252.
TOP 5 INDIVIDUALS: Stella Bernardi, Clearview 74; Lydia Bernardi, Clearview 75; Tessa Reilley, Washington Twp. 79; Nicole Tarquinio Cumberland 81; Adrienne Abalos, Gloucester Catholic 92.

SALEM TECH (223): Sophia Conto 115, Hannah Kormann 108.
SCHALICK (243): Lena Virga 118, Miya Watkins 125.
PENNSVILLE (247): Abigail Bohn 121, Makenna Minguez 126.

BOYS

Kingsway sophomore Nick Fargnoli made three birdies and shot 1-under-par 69 to win medalist honors and lead the Dragons to the team title. Schalick finished second and Woodstown was fourth. Schalick’s Jaxon Weber was the top Salem County finisher, (75, T-5). Teammate Mikey Nelson, the Salem/Cumberland Challenge runner-up, was T-14 (82)

TEAM SCORES: Kingsway 297, Schalick 338, Pitman 343, Woodstown 368, Triton 384
TOP 5 INDIVIDUALS: Nick Fargnoli, Kingsway 69, Christopher Parrish, Kingsway 73; Christian Trabosh, Washington Twp. 73; Ryan Stankoski, Clearview, Clearview 73; Michael Links, Kingsway 75; Jaxon Weber, Schalick 75

SCHALICK (338): Jaxon Weber 75, Mickey Nelson 82, Reed Bucolo 92, Shawn Kelly 89.
WOODSTOWN (368): Logan Jones 97, Jack Bucksar 93, Nate Valente 94, Alejandro Vazquez 84.
SALEM TECH: Thomas Conto 122.
PENNSVILLE: Trevor Hann 103.

Girls medalist Stella Bernardi (C) is flanked by runner-up Lydia Bernardi (L) and third-place finisher Tessa Reilley.

TEE ASSIGNMENTS
1A: Bradyn Skokowski (Triton), Landen Hedrick (GCIT), Christopher Parris (Kingsway), Thomas Luu (Clearview)
1B: Cole Murray (Delsea), Mac Weldon (Highland), Nick Fargnoli (Kingsway), Ryan Stankoski (Clearview)
2A: Austin Tennyson (Deptford), Jaxon Fretz (Williamstown), David Dempsey (Delsea), Jack Kessler (Kingsway)
2B: Braydon Lewis (Triton), Dylan Simonson (Williamstown), Jake Bowen-Ashwin (Pitman), Jaxon Weber (Schalick)
3: Colin Buri (Triton), Evan Hall (GCIT), Christian Trabosh (Washington Twp.), Michael Links (Kingsway)
4: Joseph Nolan (Cumberland), Logan Jones (Woodstown), Max Pappalardo (Pitman), Mike Gallagher (Washington Twp.)
5: David Prante (Deptford), Madden Goss (Timber Creek), Nate Valente (Woodstown), Mikey Nelson (Schalick)
6: Nick Landi (Triton), Jack Bucksar (Woodstown), Joey Zubert (Pitman), Anthony Beach (Gloucester Catholic)
7: George Schultz (Timber Creek), Alejandro Vazquez (Woodstown), Zack Payne (Gloucester Catholic), Reed Bucolo (Schalick)
8: Manntram Patel (Cumberland), Sam Adams (Pitman), Shawn Kelly (Schalick), Luca Calabro (Highland)
9: Jackson Venuto (Clayton), Braxton Gillis (Overbrook), Trevor Hann (Pennsville)
10: Kyle Lex (Clayton), Daniel Atanasio (Salem Tech), Caden Thomas (Pennsville)
11: Angel Gonzalez (Wildwood), Thomas Conto (Salem Tech), Jeffrey Boyd (Overbrook)
12: Nicole Tarquinio (Cumberland), Tessa Reilley (Washington Twp.), Stella Bernardi (Clearview), Adrienne Abalos (Gloucester Catholic)
13: Maahishee Patel (Cumberland), Kendall Stewart (Kingsway), Lydia Bernardi (Clearview), Kaci Adams (Williamstown)
14: Julia Świerczyński (Woodstown), Camryn Heil (Clearview), Olivia O’Neill (Kingsway), Lena Verga (Schalick)
15: Sophia Conto (Salem Tech), Hannan Meloro (Clearview), Isabella Gordon (Williamstown), Emily Devecchis (Washington Twp.)
16: Hannah Kormann (Salem Tech), Claudia Bui (Delsea), Amelia Voronov (OLMA), Jess Alameno (Wildwood)
17: Leigh Ann Nage (Clayton), Gianna Spinelli (OLMA), Miya Watkins (Schalick), Abigail Bohn (Pennsville)
18: Madison Traister (Clayton), Kirra Ritz (Delsea), Makenna Minguez (Pennsville)

Top photo: TCC Showcase boys medalist Nick Fargnoli of Kingsway (C) is flanked by runner-up teammate Christopher Parrish (L) and third-place Christian Trabosh.