CYAN YELLOW MAGENTA BLACK
THE WEEK IN SPORTS
THORNTON SKIDS A TWO-RUN HOMER IN FIRST
Crusaders Intentionally Top Blue Devil Softballers, 4-3 By DAVID B. CORBIN
Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times
Katie Burns, refusing to be intentionally walked, leaned over the plate and punched an RBI single to center in the bottom of the seventh to give the A. L. Johnson High School softball team a 4-3 win over the Westfield High School girls in Clark on April 27. Sophomore Courtney Thornton skid a two-run home run down the right field line in the first inning to give the Blue Devils an early 3-0 lead.
Katy Brunetto led off the top of the first with a single to center, moved to second on a bunt by Kristen Leonardis and moved to third on a grounder from Liz McKeon. Sue Phillips drove her home with an RBI single to left, then Thornton skid her shot past the right fielder.
The Crusaders fired back with some heavy artillery of their own in the bottom of the first, scoring two runs. Chris Brazaitis drew a walk, Deanna Lynn yanked an RBI triple to left, then Burns grounded out to score Lynn.
The Crusaders tied the score in the second. Erin Lanigan walked, Allie Grill tapped a single to left and alertly darted to second on the throw to the plate. With runners on second and third, Lindsey Carrick punched and RBI single past short.
Both teams displayed good defense and both pitchers, Burns and Lindsey Guerriero were quite effective from the third through the sixth innings, allowing no runs. Burns helped her own cause in the third when she made a leaping snag of a chopper back to the mound and fired the ball to first in time to get the runner. Shortly afterwards, Phillips sizzled a single up the middle and Thornton walked.
Blue Devil Paige Corbett and Phillips combined to prevent any scoring in the third. Corbett snared a line drive in center for the first out, then Crusader Burns beat out a bunt, then advanced to second on a ground out. Lannigan bopped a single to center, then Corbett grabbed the ball and fired it home to Phillips in time to catch Burns.
The Blue Devils had a mild scoring threat in the top of the fourth. Katie Richards hit a Baltimore chop single, then moved to second on Guerriero’s bunt. With one out, the steal sign was on and Richards came face-sliding safely into third. Unfor
tunately for the Blue Devils, Burns fanned the next batter and got the next to ground out.
Another scoring threat was averted by the Blue Devils in the fourth. A single to center by Grill, and 10-foot
RAIDER GIRLS CAPTURE TWO FIELD EVENTS TO PLACE THIRD
Hot Lady Blue Devils’ Late Push Skins Cardinals for Union County Track Title
By DAVID B. CORBIN
Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times
Two late victories combined with placement in eight other events enabled the Westfield High School girls track and field team to snatch the Union County Relay Crown away from the loose grasp of the Plainfield girls at Williams Field in Elizabeth on April 29. When all of the dust had settled after the high winds abated, the Blue Devils totaled 68, the Cardinals totaled 66 and the Scotch Plains
Fanwood girls placed a strong third with 54 points.
A high degree of strategy and teamwork could have made the difference as Blue Devil Head Coach Nancy Carpenter came up with a new combination to win the 4x1,600-meter relay event late in the evening. Jessica Lutkenhouse at 5:55, Sarah Mahran at 6:17.6, Rachel Ackerman
at 5:52.5 and Alexis Anzelone with a fine time of 5:41 outran the field to win in 23:47.5. The Scotch PlainsFanwood foursome finished fourth in the event with a time of 24:52.3.
“It was a new foursome,” said Carpenter. “We did not go with our team that we took to the Penn Relays. We have some so we can move some things around.”
“It was the best time that I have run this year but my best time ever is a 5:30,” said Anzelone. “I think that I can do a lot better and beat my best time. With Maura (McMahon) and the other girls running better, it is definitely helping me out.”
Blue Devils Megan Shutts, Andrea Constandis, Adrienne Blauvelt and Maura McMahon teamed to capture the distance medley relay with a time 13:24. Shutts completed the 1,200-meter leg in 4:06.4, Constandis did the 400-meter leg in 1:07.5, Blauvelt ran the 800-meters in 2:35.1 and McMahon added the finishing touch by running the 1,600-meter leg in 5:34.3.
The Raider girls dominated the team shot put and team discus events. Katie Feighner shoved the metal ball 32’ 9.5”, Christina Hillman had a heave of 30’ 7.75” and Ruth Ruhrer at 29’ 3” combined to total 92’ 8.25” to outdistance Plainfield by more than two feet in the shot put. Rohrer with a whirl of 88’ 3”, Alex Stall with a toss of 80’ 8” and Cari Whitley at 76’ 8” won the discus with a distance of 247’ 7” to inch past Plainfield by just four inches. Hillman, Alyssa Sams and Ruhrer totaled 13’ 4.5” to take
LOOMIS PUSHES PERSONAL BEST 55’ 3.5” IN SHOT
Raider Trackmen Get Edged; Place 2nd at County Relays By DAVID B. CORBIN
Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times
Several opportunities escaped the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School boys as they were edged by the Elizabeth boys for the title, 77-75, in the Union County Track and Field Relays held at Williams Field in Elizabeth on April 29. The Westfield High School boys finished in eighth place with 27 points.
What did not escape the Raiders was the team shot put event. Junior Dan Loomis dazzled the competition by shoving the shot to a personal-best 55’ 3.5” to lead the Raider trio to a first
place with a combined distance of 149’ 11”. Loomis’ first throw of 54’ 11.25” was also a personal best. Jim Feeley heaved the metal orb 49’ 3.5” and Scott Paterson had a push of 45’ 4.5”.
“I came here last year and I had my best throws. I came in here hoping to do the same this year,” said Loomis. “During the week in practice, I was throwing at that level but I was not staying in the circle. I felt that I was ready to throw far this week. I was amped to come here and throw far this week.”
All of the shot putters had to use shots provided by the Elizabeth
judges. “I thought that it would play a big part in the way that I would throw but I guess that it did not,” stated Loomis.
What nearly escaped the Raiders was the team long jump title. Although the Raiders flew away with first in the team long jump with a total distance of 62’ 9.5”, it was not without excitement. Nathan Jones did his thing by leaping 21’ 6” and Darien Aberdeen sailed 18’ 11” but Blair Woodward fouled on his first two attempts and the Raiders were in jeopardy of zeroing in the event.
BUNTAIN, KAHN; CHILNICK, O’CONNOR WIN TITLES
Blue Devil Netmen Finish Second to Summit in UCT
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
By DAVID B. CORBIN
Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times
Although the Summit High School boys tennis team out-netted the Westfield High School boys, 88-80, to capture the Union County Boys Tennis Title, the Blue Devils ruled the doubles scene. Brett Kahn and Ryan Buntain won at first doubles and teammates Jeremy Chilnick and Tom O’Connell followed with the title at second doubles.
Seeded first, Buntain and Kahn made easy work of Jason Reverendo and Tobias Hertz of Rahway, winning 6-1, 6-1, in the preliminaries. Next, Eric Calabrese and Keith Numemaker of Oratory fell to them, 6-0, 6-1 in the quarterfiinals.
Kahn and Buntain hit a bit of a stumbling block early in their semifinals match with Mark Papier and Dave Shanks of Governor Livingston but came back from losing the first set, 4-6, to breeze through the next two sets, 6-2, 6-0.
“I guess psychologically, we weren’t ready to play. We played tentatively but towards the end, we picked it up and it carried over to the second and third sets,” said Kahn.
“When we dropped the first set, we were kind of out of it. We weren’t together. Into the second set, we won the first game. We were back on track and were ready to win. That positive energy kept us going right through to the end,” said Buntain.
Both commented, “We weren’t adjusting to ourselves in the beginning.”
Buntain added, “The only ones who were going to beat us were ourselves.”
Well, Buntain and Kahn did not beat themselves. Instead, they defeated Jesse Stern and Steen Sehnert of Summit, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) for the title.
Chilnick and O’Connell were seeded second and defeated Kwasi Dizzah and Anthony Cato of Plainfield, 6-1, 6-0, in the preliminaries, then beat Tom Rudnicki and Mike Perez of Johnson, 6-4, 6-0, in the quarterfinals.
In the semis, Chilnick and O’Connell had a relatively easy time with Chad Freandlich and Kyron
CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
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David B. Corbin for The Leader and The Times
HOME RUN…Courtney Thornton completes her home run journey.
David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The Times
CLOSE CALL AT HOME…Blue Devil Sue Phillips puts the tag on Crusader Deanna Lynn during the game with Johnson. Lynn scored.
David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The Times
MAKING THE TURN…Blue Devil Heather Dennis, right, clears another hurdle as she makes the turn toward the finish line at the Union County Relays.
David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The Times
BRINGING IT HOME…Raider Nathan Jones, right, gives it all that he’s got in the shuttle hurdles.
Sports Pages 15-21 Governor Livingston Sports Located on Page 19
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