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Patch's Athlete of the Week honors a Blue Devil who performed well on the playing field during the past week. Prior to selecting the athlete we consult with school district athletic officials on performance across the sports. If you have a suggestion for athlete of the week, please email johnc@patch.com.The winter wasn’t kind to Westfield senior Jon Henry and the rest of his teammates. Trying to find a rhythm in the brutal winter – the snow, the cold, and the ice – was near impossible. But Henry endured in preparation for an outdoor season that promises to be memorable. Henry is this week’s Westfield Patch Male Athlete of the Week. He ran a season-best 50.91 in the 400 meters at Saturday’s Meet of Champions at the John Bennett Indoor Athletic Center in Toms River. Henry was fourth Feb. 18 in the state Group IV race in 51.04 and won the North Jersey, Section 2, Group IV 400 Feb. 13 in 51.96. …
When you are a standout on the Westfield High School NJSIAA Public A championship, you are certainly performing at an elite level. Enter senior Anna Fetter, a one-time synchronized swimmer, who quickly developed into one of the key Blue Devils – which is saying something. Fetter, who won the 100 butterfly, placed second in the IM and swam legs on the first-place 200 medley and 400 relays in Sunday’s 118-52 rout of Vineland in the state final, is this week’s Westfield Patch Female Athlete of the Week. She also was part of school record relays in the 400 and medley relays. Not bad for a girl …
Just a freshman, Westfield High swimmer Caroline Baldwin has the maturity to know that the competition is really about having fun. Blue Devils' coach Jeff Knight sees it every time Baldwin is poised to start a race. "She's a great girl, she has a great head on her shoulders,'' said Knight. "She keeps things..light. You see most girls come off the block with that steely look in their faces. Caroline has smile. She is..very easy going and her teammates gravitate toward her.'' Baldwin, this week's Westfield High Female Athlete of the Week, has an outstanding future, her coach adds. …
Westfield wrestling coach Glen Kurz believes that junior 103-pounder Mike Kalimtzis has flown beneath the radar, meaning that competing behind Blue Devils' unbeaten senior 152-pounder Christian Barber isn't a bad thing. But this is the weekend where the three-year varsity starter can take the forefront. Kalimtzis won his second straight District 11 title last Saturday and is this week's Westfield Patch Male Athlete of the Week. Kalimtzis pinned Linden's Nick Tekula in 62 seconds for the title, and pinned Brearley's Giovanni Fillipone in 36 seconds in the semifinal. Now, chase to the state …
Westfield junior Jessica Cronin is the kind of swimmer any coach would love to have -- a leader, an athlete willing to do anything to help her team succeed. Thursday was a great example. Cronin set a school record in the 100 backstroke, swam first leg on the third-place medley relay team, and set a personal best in the 500 free, placing fourth. All of those points helped the Blue Devils beat Bridgewater-Raritan 97-73 in the North 2 Public A title meet. The Blue Devils will meet the North 1 winner Tuesday. Cronin is this week’s Westfield Patch Female Athlete of the Week. The medley relay …
Westfield High senior captain Nick Boyle is the kind of athlete the Blue Devil’s swimming empire has been built on -- dedicated, passionate and an example for his teammates. He’s also taken a different route. Unlike many other swimmers, Boyle swam club meets to help him with his high school performances. Not the other way around. “He did it to help him get faster,’’ said his coach Jeff Knight. Boyle was second in the 50 freestyle, third in the 100 freestyle and anchored the first-place 200 relay and second-place 400 relay in the 93-77 loss to Bridgewater-Raritan in the North 2 Public A final…
It’s been awhile since a Westfield High School wrestler reached 100 wins. The last to do it was Corey Posey, who finished with 117 in an outstanding scholastic career that ended in 1996 with a third place finish at 152 pounds in the state tournament. Westfield unbeaten 152-pounder Christian Barber is hoping to do two places better and become the Blue Devils’ first state champ since 1976. Barber is tied with former Westfield High star Chris Jordan with 99 career wins and should get it Saturday morning when the Blue Devils host Somerville, Monroe and Randolph in a quad meet. Barber, 29-0 for …
The Westfield High School girl’s basketball team has been through a tough winter. But there have been some bright spots like 41-39 upset victory of rival Scotch Plains-Fanwood Jan. 29. Senior forward Krista Embrett had two points and pulled down seven rebounds in the game and also done what she’s done all season – she played relentless defense. She held Scotch Plains-Fanwood star Aysia Peterson to four points to help out. Embrett is this week’s Westfield Patch Female Athlete of the Week. “She’s very tough,’’ said assistant coach Lindsay El-Koury. “She doesn’t give up and when you tell her to …
Senior Ashley Edwards and teammates on the Westfield High School girls indoor track team have endured a very rough winter. Conditions have been terrible for the runners as they’ve tried to sustain the rhythm of training despite the relentless winter. Edwards, a second place finisher in the 400 at the recent Union County Championships, is this week’s Westfield Patch Female Athlete of the Week. “She’s a great kid,’’ said Westfield coach Jen Buccino. “She’s a student of the sport; she loves what she does and wants to pursue it in college.’’ Edwards ran a 1:00.66, finishing behind Cranford’s …
It has been something of a milestone winter for the Westfield High School hockey team. Three Westfield linemates have scored their 100th career point this season – seniors Henry O’Brien and Nick Attanasio have joined C.J. Meyer, who recently moved into second place all-time on the Blue Devils' scoring list. Meyer, who has more than 170 points, is now second behind Ron Kashlak’s 273 points. Meyer now has more than 170 career points. He passed Brandon Kape’s 161 points earlier this season and is this week's Westfield Patch Male Athlete of the Week. “It’s something to celebrate, he passed …
Westfield junior Taylor Friss wasn’t sure if he’d be active athletically in this winter. He ran junior varsity cross country in the fall and is a catcher on the junior varsity baseball team in the spring. But his friends Eric Saunders and Adam Firestone sensed Friss had some bowling blood in him and suggested he give the sport a chance. Friss had some experience bowling a few years ago at the Garwood Lanes, but high school? “They convinced me,’’ Friss said. Turns out, his friend’s idea was right on because Friss has become something of a super sup for the Blue Devils keglers. Last Saturday he…
Westfield High School’s girl’s basketball team hasn’t had the smoothest of seasons. But the 5-foot-11 senior forward Martina Landeka has been an anchor throughout for teammates and coach Joe Martino. The Blue Devils, who were scheduled to play home games against Freehold Township and Summit Friday and Saturday, are just 2-7. Landeka had a big hand in both victories – she collected 16 points, seven rebounds, a steal and a buzzer-beating, game-winning shot that sunk Colonia 40-38 Dec. 31 in the Len Sepanak Tournament at Ridge High School. Then she hit for 13 more in a 49-37 Jan. 6 win over …
Glen Kurz, the head wrestling coach at Westfield High, would like to have a platoon of athletes with the commitment of senior Erik Gozdieski. The 171-pound Gozdieski, who will bring a 6-3 record into Saturday’s Union County Tournament at Union High, hasn’t missed a workout in three years while he has progressed through the Blue Devils’ program. He is this week’s Westfield Patch Boy's Athlete of the Week. “He does everything right,’’ said Kurz. “He listens to what the coaches tell him. He’s a good kid and has shown some real leadership.’’ Gozdieski had a great day at last Saturday’s quad meet …
Westfield junior Troy Skibitsky has a tireless engine, according to Blue Devils' coach Glen Kurz. When Skibitsky is done with his opponents at either 140 or 145 pounds they know they have wrestled a full six minutes, or whatever amount of time it takes for Skibitsky to pin or score a technical fall. Skibitsky took a 7-4 record at 145 pounds into Friday night's match with rival Scotch Plains-Fanwood. He is this week's Patch Male Athlete of the Week. Skibitsky, who will drop to compete at 140 pounds, pinned three opponents in last Saturday's Westfield sweep of a quad with Madison, Union City…
Leadership is one of the many qualities that have established the Westfield High girls swimming team as a great one through the years. This year, the Blue Devils, off to a 8-0 start, have another list of them. Senior Meg Kaveney is the one out front. "She's a solid swimmer, very versatile,'' said head coach Jeff Knight, whose boys and girls swim next Tuesday against state-ranked St. Joseph of Metuchen and Mount St. Mary at the Westfield YMCA. "She's good.'' Kaveney won the 200 freestyle in Thursday's 122-48 romp over New Providence at the Y. She also swam a leg on the first-place 200…
The Westfield High School girls swimming team has picked up where so many others have left off. The Blue Devils are 6-0 after a 118-52 romp over Oak Knoll Thursday afternoon. The fortunes of the team won’t be changing in the next few years with the likes of another outstanding freshman presently showing their talents. Among the class is freshman freestyler Sara Cronin, whose sister Jessica is a junior on the team and close to breaking the school backstroke record. Sarah Cronin has been joined by classmates Caroline Baldwin, Erica Daniel, Audrey Bangs and Ali McBrearty among the list. Cronin …
Westfield High senior Nick Attanasio’s love of ice hockey probably began the moment he stood up on skates for the first time when he was four. Attanasio, a four-year varsity player, scored his 100th career point --an assist on a goal by senior C.J. Meyer with five minutes left in regulation hat tied Cranford 4-4 in a game the Blue Devils rallied to win 6-4. He has scored seven goals and assisted on nine others for 16 points on the season. The Blue Devils have built an 8-1 record with foundation of players led by Attanasio and fellow seniors Morgan Bungerz (goalie), Meyer (center) and senior …
ATHLETE: Ryan Heine SCHOOL: Westfield YEAR: Senior Highlights: The senior scored with five minutes left in the first overtime to lift Westfield past Scotch Plains-Fanwood 2-1 for its first Union County Tournament title since 1996. It was the second straight year that Heine has beaten Scotch Plains-Fanwood with a game-winner. Last year, his penalty kick sealed a tournament semifinal victory. Heine said that Eric Beyer hit the ball that he scored on. "It was a mid range shot inside the 18,'' Heine said. He added that he was thrilled to help Westfield get its first title in years…
This week in a departure from tradition we are not just honoring one athlete of the week, but rather an entire team for their steller performance on the court. ATHLETES: Westfield High girls tennis team PLAYERS: Starters Lexi Borr, Samantha Borr, Deb Wu; Morgan Murphy and Sarah Murphy; Katherine McKinley and Melissa Morawski. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Team won it's first-ever Tournament of Champions title by beating Red Bank Catholic 3-2. The Blue Devils finished the season with a 21-0 record behind Lexi Borr, who finished the season with a 30-1 record. Borr's 6-7, (4-7), 6-3, 6-1 victory clinched …
Name: Samantha Borr Sport: Tennis Grade: Senior Position: Second singles Record: 15-6. Why chosen: Her 6-3, 6-1 win against Maddie Stearns of Millburn in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association provided what Westfield coach Matt Varhley described as "the biggest point for the team all season.'' Borr's win sparked Westfield's 4-1 win. Westfield beat Millburn 3-2 last month, but Borr lost to Stearns 6-1, 6-0. "I was expected to lose,'' Borr said. "But if I've lost to a person previously, I play better (in the rematch) than if I beat the person.'' Varhley added: "It …
