1. SPORTS
The Ocean Star
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015 PAGE 35
CROSS-COUNTRY 36
SOCCER 37
ATHLETES OF THE SEASON 38-39
BY DOMINICK POLLIO
THE OCEAN STAR
RED BANK — When the Point Boro ice
hockey team opened their season in the A
Central division last year they suffered an
8-1 loss to Red Bank Catholic on the road.
On Wednesday the Panthers made another
season-opening trip to the Red Bank Ar-
mory, but this time they settled for a 3-3 tie
in a game they dominated.
“They’re probably more disappointed
than I am,” said head coach Alex DePalma
after the game. “We out-shot them, we out-
played them, we out-worked them – we just
didn’t get the W. If we’re tying one of the
top teams in the state it says a lot for hope-
fully what we can carry on to the next
games we have in our division.”
Point Boro led Red Bank 3-1 going into
the third period and gave up two tough
goals. The equalizer came off the stick of
Red Bank’s Evan Hoey with 25 seconds left
to go in the game.
In comparison to last year the end result
is a confidence booster as the Panthers get
POINT BORO 3 ICE HOCKEY RED BANK CATHOLIC 3
Season-opening battle on the ice ends in tie
Griffin scores one and Colorio
scores two in season opener
STEVE WEXLER THE OCEAN STAR
Boro goalie Chris Belman [right] was a wall between the pipes in their season-opening game against Red Bank Catholic Wednesday night. Belman recorded 20 saves, really setting the tone for the rest of the
season. Point Boro’s Ryan Carr [left, in black] controls the puck during the game against a Red Bank defender. The two teams battled it out to a 3-3 tie for a positive start to the Panthers’ hockey season.
SEE BATTLE PAGE 37
BY DOMINICK POLLIO
THE OCEAN STAR
POINT BEACH — The Garnet Gulls
volleyball team had an exciting and
productive season that propelled
them to the first round of the state
tournament. Point Beach had an up-
hill battle in that game against the 6-
seeded Kinnelon team and lost in
two sets but really gave them a run
for their money, only losing the final
set by two points, 29-27.
It is safe to say the final set of the
season speaks to how much the
team improved throughout this year.
“The area I see the biggest im-
provement over last season was in
our defense with upwards of 380
digs versus 201 last season,” said
head coach Andrew Hanniffy. “In
particular, Erinne [Regan] and Fran
[Iannuzzo] had much higher num-
bers than last season. Alexa Fant
also did a great job standing up to a
lot of hard cross-court hits to keep
the play going.”
Regan contributed a lot on de-
fense but Hanniffy also saw a vast
improvement in her main position
as setter. She had fewer than 30 han-
dling errors in over 550 attempts
throughout the season.
Amid the improvements, though,
Hanniffy did find things that he and
the team would still like to work on
going forward with the program.
“The area I think still needed im-
provement was running offensive
plays to change up the look and that
is something I will continue working
on with the returning players next
year,” explained Hanniffy.
The usual outside, middle and
backside attacks work but changing
POINT BEACH VOLLEYBALL NOTEBOOK
Gulls defense gains experience
STEVE WEXLER THE OCEAN STAR
Olivia Webber goes up for a hit during a Point Beach home game this season. The Gulls made it
to the first round of the state tournament where they fell to six-seeded Kinnelon in two sets.
Point Beach earned a first
round game in the NJSIAA
state tournament
SEE DEFENSE PAGE 37
BY DOMINICK POLLIO
THE OCEAN STAR
NEPTUNE CITY — The bowling season is in full swing and
both the Point Boro boys and girls bowling teams are
ready to get things rolling.
Under the coaching of Dan Drzymkowski the Pan-
thers look to compete in a competitive A Central divi-
sion with the likes of Wall, Ocean Township and Man-
asquan.
“I think like any sport playing as a team, being positive
with each other and showing really that Point Boro is a
worthy opponent, respectable and we’re out to show that
we can compete in this division,” explained the first year
head coach.” As a program we want to win as much as
we can but have a good time doing it. We want to show
that we’re a team, we can compete and the most impor-
tant thing is to have fun with what you’re doing.”
Both teams opened the season against Neptune on
Tuesday. The girls team lost the first game but won the
next two to start the season 2-1. The boys team was
handed three losses to a tough Neptune squad that
boasted a 200+ bowler.
The girls team is a small one but has strong returning
bowlers even though they had to start the season down
a couple teammates.
“I think our girls team is solid and we’re waiting for a
few other players to be cleared to be on the team,” stat-
ed Drzymkowski. “With the addition of them the girls
are definitely going to keep rolling.”
On Tuesday it was senior Allegra Drzymkowski that
anchored the girls team and was happy with the days re-
sults, saying, “I feel good about it. I think we can keep it
up.”
Last year the girls squad reached the Tournament of
Champions, which was a new experience for the senior
who was in her first year with the team. She hopes the
team can repeat that success with added experience un-
der their collective belt.
“I think we did pretty well. We had some pretty great
bowlers,” stated Allegra. “I just want to keep it up. I want
us to keep the momentum up.”
POINT BORO BOWLING NOTEBOOK
Panther teams
begin season
The girls team begins winter season 2-1 &
boys fall to 0-3 after match against Neptune
SEE PANTHERS PAGE 36

2. WWW.STARNEWSGROUP.COMPAGE 36 THE OCEAN STAR FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015 SPORTS
The Point Boro hockey
team is a young squad and
big plays will be made by
underclassmen throughout
the season.
On Wednesday night dur-
ing the Panthers season
opener against Red Bank
Catholic on the road it was
sophomore Tom Colorio
who scored two goals, four
minutes apart in the second
period.
The two goals gave Boro
a 3-1 lead and Red Bank
Catholic fought their way to
a 3-3 tie by the end of the
game.
The performance made a
statement for the Panthers
who lost to Red Bank 8-1
last season and has now giv-
en the team a positive out-
look on the season.
“Definitely high expecta-
tions now,” said the sopho-
more with a smile. “Better
than it was before.”
Colorio, who has been
playing hockey since the
age of three was also tasked
with shadowing Red Bank’s
standout senior Evan Hoey.
“He did a great job shad-
owing him right to the very
end,” said head coach Alex
DePalma. “He did an out-
standing job as a sopho-
more against a big senior
kid who is probably the
biggest, strongest kid in the
conference.”
Outside of playing for
Point Boro Colorio plays at
Brick Hockey Club. He hits
the gym to stay in shape
and strong and works on his
stick handling as much as
he can.
Lucky enough for Col-
orio, his role model hap-
pens to be his coach.
“Right there, Coach De-
Palma, that’s my role mod-
el,” he said. “There’s noth-
ing more you can say - he’s
great guy.”
DePalma is the type of
coach that always puts his
players first and Colorio ad-
mires him as a coach and
mentor.
With his help Colorio
hopes to achieve a personal
goal this winter season.
“I would like maybe 20
goals,” he stated. “That’s a
high expectation for myself
but anything to help my
team.”
The Panthers will look to
his speed and accurate shot
to help them through a
tough A Central division.
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Colorio nets two in season opener
“He did an out-
standing job as a
sophomore against a
big senior who is
probably the biggest,
strongest kid in the
conference.”
ALEXDEPALMA
IceHockeyCoach,PointBoro
POINT BEACH CROSS COUNTRY NOTEBOOK
Young Garnet Gulls ready to improve next year’s team
BY DOMINICK POLLIO
THE OCEAN STAR
POINT BEACH — The Point
Beach cross-country teams
are easily characterized by
their small size, but that nev-
er factored into the amount
of effort they put forth each
race throughout the fall sea-
son.
There were many flashes
of how strong both the boys
and girls teams can be and
with both teams boasting
young runners this past sea-
son they found success in
building the younger runners.
“I think the team has
grown together,” said cross-
country head coach Linda
Feerst. “They work with each
other. They are young so they
will have a few more years
together and our athletes are
working hard to improve
their times.”
The girls team was under
the senior leadership of Con-
nie Pietranico and Jill Lamb
while the boys team learned
from senior Ian Gaynor and
sophomore captain Jim
Dyson.
The girls squad came one
win shy of winning their con-
ference but they were hurt by
the size of their team.
“The girls came so close to
winning their conference,”
explained Feerst. “They
needed one more win with
the public school team
Keansburg, but unfortunately
we were missing two girls for
that meet.”
Their effort to be within
reach of a conference title
speaks to the hard work the
Garnet Gulls put in all sea-
son. Now that the girls team
is only losing two seniors it
leaves behind a handful of
up-and-coming runners to
continue working toward
success.
A standout for the girls
team who shows promise for
the future is freshman Emma
Cupolo. She was always to-
ward the front of the pack
with Pietranico throughout
the season and Feerst is excit-
ed for the runner Cupolo can
become in the future.
Along the same lines, the
boys team only graduates one
senior. The Gulls run in a
tough division but showed
promise against strong com-
petition this season and con-
tinually improve their times.
“The boys team did very
well. They are young and
have grown as a team,” said
Feerst.
Now the two teams turn to
the offseason to keep work-
ing on their craft.
“I tell my runners to con-
tinue to run at least three
days a week just to keep up
with the mileage and to cross
train with swimming, weights
and yoga,” explained Feerst.
In addition to the runners
putting in work during the
offseason, Feerst is always
looking for the best way to
coach her teams. From moti-
vation to new workouts, she
is putting in just as much ef-
fort.
“As a coach I always need to
find new ways to motivate my
runners as well as help them
to be in better shape for the
season,” she said. “I need to
help them enjoy the running
and want to improve them-
selves as an individual as well
as a team.”
The Garnet Gulls have all
the tools necessary to im-
prove. The offseason is where
most of the work will be put in
and next season the efforts of
the young team will show on
the course.
POINT BORO BOYS
CROSS COUNTRY NOTEBOOK
Panthers are running to
keep the legacy alive
BY DOMINICK POLLIO
THE OCEAN STAR
POINT BORO — For the fifth
year in a row the Point Boro
boys cross-country team ran
away with the B South title
but it was no easy task. Led
by senior captain Dylan Pe-
ters, the Panthers put in loads
of effort to achieve the goals
they set at the beginning of
the year.
“I feel that the team per-
formed above and beyond af-
ter setting our goals,” said
head coach Kevin Conheeney.
“The team knew from our
very first training step that
everyone in our conference
would be gunning for us espe-
cially since the Panthers had
won the title for the last four
years. We knew we were a tar-
get so they had to embrace
that fact and cultivate their
talent to protect our legacy.”
The Boro squad cultivated
greatness to claim the title for
the fifth year in a row and it
did not stop there. They
placed fifth in the County
Championship, second in the
Sectional race and eighth in
the Group 2 Championship,
which produced Boro’s first
Meet of Champions competi-
tor since 2008.
Point Boro’s lone represen-
tative was freshman Devin
Hart who, in the eyes of Con-
heeney, represents the future
of the program.
“What I saw was a sense of
confidence and maturity that
blossomed this season,” stat-
ed Conheeney. “The younger
student athletes that were off
the radar realized how im-
portant their training was in
order for our team to stand
up to the challenges that our
competition had in store.”
According to Conheeney
and contrary to past years,
this season’s group of run-
ners never became compla-
cent no matter their spot in a
race. This is an important
trait of a team with a long-
standing legacy and sets the
bar high for the coming years.
As with the girls team, the
boys do not really see an off-
season. Most of the runners
continue running with winter
track and the rest compete in
other varsity sports.
“Winter season is a main-
tenance program with the
goal of keeping these young
athletes healthy and focused
on base and pace,” explained
Conheeney.
As for the coach that con-
tinues to motivate athletes
and produce success, Con-
heeney knows his job is al-
ways a work in progress. He
is aware of the delicate bal-
ance necessary for a coach to
keep his athletes working
hard but not overwhelm
them, while also making sure
their lives stay balanced.
“It is all about the kids. You
are not just preparing them to
run in a race,” he said. “You
are getting them ready to deal
with the challenges that life
will throw at them and give
them some of the skills to
cope with success as well as
the setbacks.”
Any setbacks the Panthers
experienced this season they
pushed through diligently.
They found great success late
in the season and now have
new goals for next season.
The expectations will be even
higher but the runners have
what it takes to keep the lega-
cy running true.
Dominick Pollio covers sports for The
Ocean Star. He can be reached at dpol-
lio@theoceanstar.com or 732-899-7606
Ext 15. Follow him on Twitter @dompol-
lio.
Boro had a runner in the
Meet of Champions for
first time since 2008
Point Boro Panthers find success
BY DOMINICK POLLIO
THE OCEAN STAR
POINT BORO — It was some-
thing special to have a runner
racing in the cross-country
Meet of Champions at the
end of the season, especially
since the last time the Point
Boro girls cross-country team
was represented was in 2010.
Katie Bragen, a junior, ran
the race with the rest of the
team in attendance to cheer
her on. It was Bragen’s first
time in the cross-country
Meet of Champs and was the
exclamation point on a stellar
season for the Panther squad
that qualified as a team for
the Group meet.
“It was one of those sea-
sons where we accomplished
most of what we set out to do
from winning B South to
moving up to fourth in Ocean
County and qualifying to the
Group meet as a team,” said
head coach Billy Kostenko.
“We also make a priority to
emphasize relationships and
team bonding and that was a
huge success too. We really
had a great season together.”
For the fall season the team
gained some valuable fresh-
man that challenged the var-
sity runners and the girls de-
veloped confidence.
“They started to believe
they could do more and the
results, I think, reflect that
growth,” stated Kostenko.
“When I forecast ahead I
start by thinking about those
same things, hoping to re-
cruit some new, strong run-
ners to replace the outgoing
seniors and develop an even
greater level of expectation
for ourselves.”
The beauty of the mem-
bers on the cross-country
team is that most of them
also participate in winter and
spring track and the rest
compete in another sport.
This makes the offseason a
little easier in terms of condi-
tioning.
“I tell them if they are not
playing a sport I expect them
to run with us,” said
Kostenko. “I am pretty sure
all of them are three sport
athletes so a lot of that takes
care of itself.”
When the sports seasons
slow down Kostenko is ready
with new workouts and ideas
to keep his runners motivat-
ed and active.
“I am always on the look-
out for new things to add,
whether it’s singular work-
outs or broader training ideas
or ways to increase our men-
tal output,” he explained.
“There is not really one area
but more just always looking
to add to every area. I feel
like that’s a good way to mod-
el the mindset that I ask of
the girls.”
While success is easily
measured in wins and losses
the Panthers also found it in
camaraderie and the chal-
lenges of the season. It was a
historic season filled with
personal records and Point
Boro hopes to keep that suc-
cess running strong in the fu-
ture.
Dominick Pollio covers sports for The
Ocean Star. He can be reached at dpol-
lior@theoceanstar.com or 732-899-
7076 Ext 15.
The Panthers had momen-
tum on their side for their first
match and junior Emily Viecel-
li bowled the team’s highest
score with a game of 139.
The boys match was a bit
tougher but with senior Jake
Collier bolstering the team they
kept each game close despite
losing out.
“The guys they have a lot of
new people on the team but
they’re really starting to come
into their own,” stated
Drzymkowski.
Collier who has been on the
team since his freshman year
and bowls regularly year round
hopes the team finds success
and builds upon last year’s re-
sults.
“We did pretty well. It’s al-
ways fun just to make it to the
Shore Conference,” said Collier.
“There’s a lot of wild card
teams and a bunch of good
players in our division but I
think we have a chance.”
Before the team really gets
down to winning the senior
hopes to teach the newcomers
a few things about the sport of
bowling.
“Lane courtesy. Just to be
nice - it’s a friendly sport,” ex-
plained Collier. “It’s not really
competitive or aggressive. It’s
fun to just bowl with each oth-
er.”
Collier hopes he can reach
the Shore Conference tourna-
ment and the Tournament of
Champions this season. On
Tuesday he bowled the high
score for the boys team with
192.
If both the boys and girls
team keep bowling the way
they did on Tuesday their sea-
son should see lots of success.
Drzymkowski has confi-
dence in his teams and looks
forward to what the season
holds, saying, “I think moving
on we’re going to keep on go-
ing, keep on working on being
consistent and I think we’ll be a
respectable opponent with any-
one we meet.”
The teams went up against
Wall Township yesterday but
the match occurred too late for
today’s paper. Boro hits the pins
again on Monday against Man-
asquan. The match is set to be-
gin at 3:45 pm at Shore Lanes.
Dominick Pollio covers sports for The
Ocean Star. He can be reached at dpol-
lio@theoceanstar.com or 732-899-7606
Ext 15. Follow him on Twitter @dompollio.
Panthers emphasize camarederie and fun
PANTHERS
FROM PAGE 35

3. WWW.STARNEWSGROUP.COM FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015 THE OCEAN STAR PAGE 37SPORTS
the season underway. There
are only two seniors on the
Point Boro squad but DePal-
ma and the rest of the young
squad now know they can
hang with the best of them
with hard work and disci-
pline.
“With us we’re going to
have to work for everything,”
explained DePalma. “We
don’t have that goal scorer so
everything we do we’re going
to have to do with hard work.
That’s the way we practice.”
Working hard on the ice
for Boro Wednesday was
sophomore Tom Colorio who
scored two goals. His first
gave the Panthers a 2-1 lead
with 7:24 left in the second
period and his third came
four minutes later to put
Boro up 3-1. Tyler Griffin had
scored the Panthers first goal
early in the first period.
Aside from the goal-scor-
ing, Colorio’s biggest contri-
bution came on the defensive
side as he was tasked with
covering Red Bank’s standout
senior Hoey.
“He knew he had a big
challenge coming in,” stated
DePalma. “I told him we’re
not playing Hoey, we’re play-
ing Red Bank, but your job is
to cover him. Your job is to
not take a penalty and cover
him.”
Colorio kept Hoey to only
one goal and with the help of
Chris Belman between the
pipes Point Boro had a phe-
nomenal start to the season.
“It went better than what
we expected. Nothing more
you can say. The effort was
there, everything was there
and we got the tie,” said Col-
orio. “We just have to keep it
going, keep the effort up and
we can beat practically any
team if we keep playing like
this.”
Players have been skating
and playing hockey through-
out the offseason to prepare
for the winter season. The
young team has a strong
foundation beneath them and
with Wednesday’s tie, a new
surge in confidence.
The Panthers take to the
ice at Ocean Ice Palace
against St. John Vianney
tonight in their second game
of the season. Faceoff is set
for 5:10 p.m.
For video highlights of the
season opener watch the
Ocean Star Sports Show on
youtube.com
Colorio holds Hoey to one score
BATTLE
FROM PAGE 35
up the attack would keep de-
fenses on their toes and slow
down the block. Outside
shoots, back slides, back ones
and tandem attacks would
bring a variety to the Garnet
Gulls offense.
Outside of the in-play of-
fense and defense, volleyball
games can be lost and won at
the service line and Point
Beach kept themselves in
tough games with strong
serves all season.
“I think we did well with
our serving with a few more
aces than last year but also
several times where a server
got a good six- or seven-point
run,” stated Hanniffy. “We
did have a few service errors
at critical moments, which
probably cost us a match or
two.”
On the other hand, the
serve receive was not as
strong as Hanniffy would
have liked, although the team
ended up with a decent ace
differential with 147 aces for
and around 95 against.
“Our passing didn’t end up
quite as solid as I had hoped
as it was a real hurdle getting
most of the girls to get com-
fortable with hand passing,”
explained Hanniffy. “We end-
ed up with a good ace differ-
ential, which I think shows
we covered the court pretty
well and put the ball in play
and at least gave Erinne [Re-
gan] a chance to get the ball
out to Maddie [White].”
The Garnet Gulls coach
feels the team ended two or
three wins shy of where he
thought they would be. As
the offseason begins the play-
ers will continue to work to
improve their game, especial-
ly the younger players that
will return next year.
With his first season as the
varsity coach under his belt,
Hanniffy felt he did well
preparing the team in prac-
tice with showing the team
game situations and working
on coverage responsibilities.
He also knows there is room
for improvement in his
coaching and looks forward
to making the changes.
“I think what I could have
done better was in games, us-
ing timeouts a few points ear-
lier,” he said. “Also, I’d like to
have rotated in the bench
players some more but that is
difficult when every game
counts and it can be a big mo-
mentum changer.”
All of the bench players
saw a lot of practice time and
junior varsity game time,
which lays a solid foundation
for next year. The Garnet
Gulls will be losing their big
outside threat in White but
with a solid defense and
knowledge of where to be on
the court in certain situa-
tions, the defense will create
opportunities for other play-
ers to step up and attack.
Dominick Pollio covers sports for The
Ocean Star. He can be reached at dpol-
lio@theoceanstar.com or 732-899-
7606 Ext 15. Follow him on Twitter
@dompollio.
Beach aims to vary attack
DEFENSE
FROM PAGE 35
POINT BEACH GIRLS SOCCER NOTEBOOK
Gulls push through injuries
to find success on the pitch
BY DOMINICK POLLIO
THE OCEAN STAR
POINT BEACH — Injuries are
an all too common occur-
rence when it comes to
sports and for the Point
Beach girls soccer team it be-
came another challenge to
face late in the season. Al-
ready a young team with only
two seniors in Katie
Gesumaria and Kate Mal-
colm, the Gulls shuffled per-
sonnel around and pushed
through to end up with a re-
spectable overall record of 11-
5-2.
“Our goals are always to
make the state tournament as
well as the Shore Conference
Tournament and we achieved
both. We also seek to win our
conference and we placed
second,” said head coach
Adam Curtis. “We lost in the
semifinals for our region for
the fourth year in a row. We
look forward to winning our
region next year.”
The Gulls took a big hit
with injuries to Malcolm and
Willow Nicolaides that called
upon Gesumaria to move
from her usual attack posi-
tion to a spot on the defense.
The senior performed well
and stepped up to keep Point
Beach competitive in the fi-
nal stretch of games.
The injuries also called
upon many younger players
to step their game up and re-
ally push the varsity learning
curve. Under the seniors’
leadership Curtis thought the
young players performed
well.
“With so many of our re-
turning starting players in-
jured, players who are both
young in age and in high
school experience had to step
up and start on varsity,” ex-
plained Curtis. “They did
very well and the depth and
the quality of our program
has greatly benefitted from
their effort. Going forward
the team needs to stay
healthy and focus on improv-
ing their skills.”
Curtis simply advises his
players to stay fit and to play
as much soccer as possible.
Some of the players are mem-
bers of club teams and con-
tinue playing soccer through-
out the year while others
participate in other varsity
sports like basketball and
track to stay fit.
Now the upside of having a
young team is that the major-
ity of the players will be re-
turning next season all with
the same collective knowl-
edge and experience that
comes with playing with each
other.
“As a coach, each year I
have to assess which system
of play will work best for the
players we have and their
strengths,” stated Curtis.
Knowing the majority of
who will return and seeing
their capabilities on the field
helps Curtis figure out how
he would like to tackle next
season.
It is always a work in
progress and the Gulls have
learned to take it in stride. If
Point Beach stays fit and
healthy and commits to
working on their skill set in
the offseason, they will re-
turn a force to be reckon with
on the pitch next year.
Dominick Pollio covers sports for The
Ocean Star. He can be reached at dpol-
lio@theoceanstar.com or 732-899-
7606 Ext 15. Follow him on Twitter
@dompollio.
Beach season ends in
states in semifinal round
for fourth year in a row

4. WWW.STARNEWSGROUP.COMPAGE 38 THE OCEAN STAR FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015 SPORTS
DEFENSIVE
TANNER
SMITH
— GULLS —
SCHOOL Point Pleasant Beach GRADE Senior
KEY STATS For the second year in a row Point Beach’s Tanner Smith has been named the defen-
sive athlete of the season for football. The senior tallied 82 tackles on defense for the Garnet
Gulls. 14 of those tackles were for a loss in addition to five sacks on the quarterback. He always
played with authority and really revved up the Gulls defense in times of need. What made Smith
even more of a threat was the fact he also strived on offense in the tight end position. He was a
strong and often-used blocker and hauled in a touchdown reception in his final year with Point
Beach. Smith is looking to play football at the next level.
HONORABLE MENTIONS Point Boro’s Devin Connelly finished with 33.5 tackles, two fumble
recoveries and four interceptions. Gene Franceschini of Point Pleasant Borough was an excellent
player at the linebacker position for the Panthers. He led the team with 46.5 tackles, four of
which were for a loss. Franceschini also had a pivotal interception and blocked field goal in Point
Boro’s win over Lakewood for a share of the B South division title.
ATHLETES OF THE SEASON
FALL 2015
MALE
DYLAN
PETERS
SCHOOL Point Pleasant Boro GRADE Senior
KEY STATS The senior captain and often first place finisher for Point Boro, Dylan Peters always
left it all out on the course for the Panthers. Boys head coach Kevin Conheeney could not have
higher praises for the senior who has been a crucial part of the team since his freshman year. In
his four year tenure with the Panthers, Peters has not lost a B South division race. He was the
only Boro runner to break 16 minutes with a time of 15:56 at the Ocean County Championships.
At the sectional race for Group II he picked himself up after taking a fall for a seventh place finish
that helped propel the team to the Group II Championship. Peters has a work ethic and leadership
quality that the rest of the team looked up to and learned from all season.
HONORABLE MENTIONS The Panthers won the B South division for the fifth year in a row and
Point Pleasant Borough’s Devin Hart traded first place finishes with Peters all season. Hart, only a
freshman, was the first male from Point Boro to qualify for the Meet of Champions since 2008.
Hart contributed his success to having Peters as a running partner all season and to having
Conheeney as a coach that continually pushed him to be better. He is the future of the program.
— PANTHERS —
FEMALE
KATIE
BRAGEN
— PANTHERS —
SCHOOL Point Pleasant Boro GRADE Junior
KEY STATS A member of the girls varsity cross-country team since her freshman year, Katie
Bragen qualified for the Meet of Champions for the first time this season. It was an impressive
feat and with another year still left in her high school career she aims to return next year. Bragen
had a strong season, leading the girls team to a B South division title. The junior took first place
at the Thompson Park class meet and went undefeated as an individual and a team in the B South
division. She took fourth place at the Ocean County Championships and second place at the sec-
tional race for South Jersey Group II. Bragen then clocked in at seventh place in the Group II
championships, which punched her ticket to the Meet of Champions.
HONORABLE MENTIONS Danielle Tsougarakis of Point Pleasant Borough was always close
behind Bragen, whether it be in practice or in various meets. Cross-Country is a team sport and
Tsougarakis was a key contributor in every race. Connie Pietranico of Point Beach was the senior
leader of the Gulls team. She hit her best time of 24:08 at the Ocean County Championships.
Cross Country
SCHOOL Point Pleasant Boro GRADE Senior
KEY STATS At the helm for the Panthers in a historic season was senior quarterback Noah
Husak. In the air he contributed four touchdowns on 381 yards passing but it was on the ground
where he did the bulk of his work. Husak carried the ball 180 times for 813 yards and 13 touch-
downs. His charisma and command of Boro’s option offense made it difficult for defenses to get
a good read on what play was about to be executed. His success helped lead the Panthers to an
8-2 season and to a share of the B South Division title.
HONORABLE MENTIONS Point Borough lineman Dominic Infante showed how important the line
is when it comes to high school football. Playing both sides of the ball, Infante was a force when
it came to blocking and a menace when it came to defense. His offensive push on the line
helped the Panthers run game stay strong all season. Point Beach wide receiver Connor Kells
reeled in 19 receptions for 496 yards and seven touchdowns. He was successful on special
teams with 245 kick return yards and a touchdown.
OFFENSIVE
NOAH
HUSAK
— PANTHERS —
OFFENSIVE
JACKIE
BOUD
SCHOOL Point Plesant Boro GRADE Junior
KEY STATS Only a junior, Jackie Boud really came into her own as a field hockey player this
season. Head coach Melissa Moberg was impressed with how Boud adapted to her new posi-
tion this year at center mid. She would take command of the field and always knew the best
place to play the ball to best serve her team. She finished the season with two goals and
three assists, which speaks to her unselfish style of play. Boud and the Panthers reached the
first round of the state tournament and put up a fight in a 1-0 loss. Boud will play a pivotal
role in next year’s team as the Panthers hope to find consistency with their lineup. Her
aggressive and smart play will only help Point Boro as they continually strive to improve upon
the prior year’s results.
HONORABLE MENTIONS Hanley Hanrahan and Devin Mueller of Point Boro always seemed to
be in the right place at the right time. The duo contributed the majority of the Panthers’ goals
throughout the season. Their quick reflexes served them well around their opponents’ goalies
and their shots always landed in the right spot with authority. Neither Mueller or Hanrahan is
a senior and, along with Boud, is the future of the Point Boro field hockey team.
— PANTHERS —
DEFENSIVE
ALLEGRA
DRZYMKOWSKI
— PANTHERS —
SCHOOL Point Pleasant Boro GRADE Senior
KEY STATS The Point Boro field hockey team is losing a strong defender in Allegra
Drzymkowski after this year. The senior played defense on the left side of the field and was
never afraid to take on an opponent. Her quick reflexes and power came in handy when oppos-
ing teams tried to push the pace. Drzymkowski always managed to get her stick on the ball,
which frustrated her opponents. It will be difficult to fill the void left behind after she gradu-
ates but Drzymkowski also leaves behind a legacy for the younger players to emulate. She was
a team player with a positive attitude that continually looked to improve as an individual as
well as a team.
HONORABLE MENTIONS Shea Blake of Point Pleasant Borough played a pivotal role on
defense for the Panthers. The center back was the last line of defense before the goalie and
boasted a striking power seldom seen on the field hockey field. This came in handy when the
Panthers needed a clear or needed someone to pass the ball in play on a corner. Blake was a
smart player that helped command the defense and is another player that will be missed next
season. Point Boro has a tough job on their hands in replacing the graduating class.
Field Hockey
Football

5. WWW.STARNEWSGROUP.COM FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015 THE OCEAN STAR PAGE 39SPORTS
OFFENSIVE
ARIS
PAPOUTSAKIS
SCHOOL Point Pleasant Beach GRADE Sophomore
KEY STATS The Point Beach boys soccer team fought tooth and nail every game this season.
Leading the offense was sophomore Aris Papoutsakis with 17 goals and six assists. His relentless
pursuit of the ball on offense served the Garnet Gulls well. He has impeccable foot skills that he
used to weave his way through defenders and create open shots. His ability to create space also
helped when it came to opening up opportunities for teammates. Towards the end of the season
Papoutsakis suffered an injury that kept him sidelined until the state tournament. He fought
through the injury and him and the Gulls almost got the best of Shore Regional to move on in
states. Papoutsakis will be a big part of the Gulls offense next year.
HONORABLE MENTIONS Sam Monaco of Point Boro literally used his head to help the Panthers to
a 16-3-1 season. The tall senior captain was difficult to defend and always managed to find the ball
on corners and throw ins. His presence in the box will be missed next year.
— GULLS —
DEFENSIVE
NICK
DUDA
— PANTHERS —
SCHOOL Point Pleasant Boro GRADE Junior
KEY STATS Point Boro’s sweeper, Nick Duda, seemed to be all over the field all of the time this
fall season. With speed and finesse Duda made it difficult for opponents to even reach the
goal. On defense he had 10 SHO and gave up an average of .7 goals per game. He was a big
part of why the Panthers found success this year and really helped out Tyler Haines who
played in goal for Boro. Duda will play a key role in the Panthers defense next season and will
continue to make it difficult for opponents to get a chance at goal.
HONORABLE MENTIONS Point Boro goalie Tyler Haines put out some strong performanc-
es between the posts for the Panthers. In a game the Panthers lost in PKs Haines made
a critical save to give Point Boro a shot at the victory. Joe LaDuca of Point Beach boast-
ed speed that caught opponents off guard. LaDuca could also play balls up field to his
forwards and finished the season with a few assists.
OFFENSIVE
REAGAN
GOULD
SCHOOL Point Pleasant Beach GRADE Junior
KEY STATS When it came down to it the name Reagan Gould was usually repeated more than
once during any given game this season. Point Beach’s star forward finished a strong season
with 27 goals and 13 assists. Gould created opportunities with her foot skills and the ability to
strike an accurate and forceful ball with either foot. What made her the ultimate contributor on
the pitch was her ability to dish out the ball as well. To have double digit assists in addition to
over 25 goals is an impressive feat. Her unselfish play helped propel the Garnet Gulls deep into
the state tournament. Only a junior, this year’s success has made Gould even hungrier for next
year and a shot at a state title.
HONORABLE MENTIONS Devon Wondolowski of Point Pleasant Borough was a scoring
machine for the Panthers. She tallied 29 goals as well as nine assists. The sophomore worked
up top with junior Kaitlyn Seitter and the duo could find each other blind folded. Wondolowski’s
foot skills helped her create space in the box to put the soccer ball past the goalie.
— GULLS —
DEFENSIVE
RACHEL
BAILEY
— PANTHERS —
SCHOOL Point Pleasant Boro GRADE Junior
KEY STATS If you were to place a bet on whose jersey would be the dirtiest at the end of a soc-
cer game your best bet would be Point Boro’s Rachel Bailey. The junior has perfected the slide
tackle and knows exactly when to utilize it. With a high soccer IQ, Bailey always had the best
angle for defense and knew just what needed to be done to keep opponents away from goal.
She knew when to clear a ball and when to challenge for the ball. Her defensive prowess and
aggressive approach to the ball made it tough for opponents to get anywhere near goal. Making
her even more of a threat, Bailey could bring the ball up and become an offensive threat. She hit
two goals and dished out an assist in a season where the Panthers won a sectional title. Bailey
will be the back bone of the Panthers defense next year.
HONORABLE MENTIONS Point Beach’s Toni Abdy made a name for herself in goal this year.
Only a freshman, she recorded six shutouts and made 133 saves on 189 shots. She gained a lot
of varsity experience this year and will be a great asset to the Gulls in the coming years.
Girls Soccer
NATALIE
DIKUN
— PANTHERS —
SCHOOL Point Pleasant Beach GRADE Senior
KEY STATS In her final season as a Garnet Gull, senior Alexa Fant made many contributions on
the volleyball court. Dressed in a separate jersey than the rest of the team to signify her posi-
tion as libero and her prowess as a defensive specialist, Fant scooped up 89 digs with the
Garnet Gulls this year. She was always there to track down tough free balls to the corners and
small tips over the block. Fant also played a big role in serve receive against tough serves that
otherwise would have put Point Beach on their heels. Along with White, Fant served as a vocal
leader on the court during games and helped Beach rally from behind more than once.
HONORABLE MENTIONS Maddie White of Point Pleasant Beach was a force on offense but
also contributed a lot on defense. Instead of being subbed out when she rotated to the back
row, White would play all around. She helped contribute to the Gulls’ 308 digs this season.
Gymnastics
SCHOOL Point Pleasant Beach GRADE Senior
KEY STATS When the going got tough out on the volleyball court the Garnet Gulls knew they
could turn to outside hitter, Maddie White for momentum. Not only could she strike the volley-
ball hard, White could place it any spot on the court. She was an intelligent hitter and knew
when to hit offspeed, go line or cross-court and when to utilize the opponent’s block. White fin-
ished her senior year with 163 kills and 45 aces from the service line. Serving is an integral part
in staying consistent on the volleyball court and White could get runs started that brought Point
Beach back into a game or furthered their lead in a game.
HONORABLE MENTIONS Olivia Webber of Point Pleasant Beach was the middle hitter that cov-
ered the net from pole to pole. When the offense needed to switch up the attack from White,
Webber was there as an option. Only a sophomore, Webber will be big part of Beach’s offense.
Volleyball
Boys Soccer
Girls Tennis
SCHOOL Point Pleasant Boro GRADE Senior
KEY STATS: Point Pleasant Borough senior Natalie Dikun served almost as a second coach
throughout the gymnastics season. As a leader and experienced member of the team, Dikun
helped head coach Jenn von Doehren teach the younger members of the squad. She still managed
a successful season of her own with 12 first place finishes. Dikun qualified for the Shore
Conference Meet and the State Sectionals Meet.
HONORABLE MENTIONS Riley Larsen of Point Boro learned a lot her freshman year. She qualified
and competed alongside Dikun in the State Sectionals Meet where she placed eighth on the vault.
Larsen also placed second on vault at the Shore Invitational.
KYLEE
KELLS
— GULLS —
SCHOOL Point Pleasant Beach GRADE Sophomore
KEY STATS: Kylee Kells played the majority of her season as Point Beach’s third singles player
but filled in when the team was plagued with injury. Kells went 18-2-1 on the season and won
the Ocean County Title for third singles. Kells will be a key player on the court for Point Beach in
the coming years.
HONORABLE MENTIONS Megan Sutphen of Point Pleasant Borough was also very skilled with
the racket this season. She usually filled the role of a first doubles player but would play third
singles when called upon. Sutphen had the highest win percentage of the Panthers this season
including the times she played third singles.
OFFENSIVE
MADDIE
WHITE
— GULLS —
DEFENSIVE
ALEXA
FANT
— GULLS —

6. WWW.STARNEWSGROUP.COMPAGE 40 THE OCEAN STAR FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015