By Kayla Cohen ‘21 and Suie Choi ‘20, Sports Editors

Newark Academy sports have had an especially successful school year. From achieving personal milestones to becoming team champions, NA athletes have given their all to create a successful athletic program. Here are the top 10 sports accomplishments of 2019:

#10 Football Overtime Win

The football team was small in numbers this past season, and therefore found it difficult to win many games. However, their final victory displays the culture of dedication that is a part of NA sports. Football’s final game ended up going to overtime against Harvey, and with the help of the 10 graduating seniors, NA was able to win its first game of the season.

#9 Seniors on Boys’ Lacrosse Score Their 100th Goals

Will Mulligan ‘19 and Jack Snyder ‘19 scored their career 100th goals two days apart from each other in wins over Blair and Nutley. Only six athletes have previously scored 100 goals in NA boys lacrosse history.

#8 Boys’ Cross Country Wins Non-Public B Title

At the cross country group championship in Holmdel Park, the boys’ team finished first in the Non-Public B final and moved on to compete in the Meet of Champions. Five runners all placed in the top 18 to help Newark Academy win over both Bishop Eustace and Montclair Kimberley Academy. Coach Guelich emphasized the team effort of this victory:“We like them running together in meets with the knowledge that they’re going to do better and run stronger with each other.”

#7 Boys’ Tennis Wins Back-to-Back Essex County Titles

Boys’ tennis won consecutive Essex County Tournaments with a 5-0 win over Livingston. Senior Alex Kotzen and sophomore Sam Goidel won first and second singles, respectively, and were helped by first doubles team Drew Flanagan and Aaron Ramos. #WeOverMe

#6 Girls’ Tennis Wins Sectional Non-Public B Title

Girls’ tennis defeated Gill St. Bernards 3-2 in order to take home the Non-Public B North Sectional title. Players Julia Schwed ‘21, Joyce Wang ‘20, Veronica Zhang ‘19, Melanie Kramarchuk ‘22, and Gianna Porcek ‘20 all won their matches in order to win the close sectional tournament.

#5 Boys’ Track and Field wins Prep Championships

Boys’ Track and Field won the Prep B State Championships hosted at Newark Academy. The team took the title for the 6th straight year with a close victory over Montclair Kimberley Academy. The boys placed first in the 4x400m relay with an impressive time of 3:48.96. Although many runners took first in their events, the athletes scoring 4th, 5th, and 6th made up a larger portion of the score, showing how this victory was truly a team effort.

#4 Ivy Bethea and Samantha Keller Score Their 1,000th Career Point

Co-captains of Girls’ Basketball, Ivy Bethea and Sam Keller, both reached their career 1,000th point in the same game. Ivy Bethea scored her 1,000th point on a 3-pointer in the second quarter while Sam Keller scored her 1,000th point on a layup in the first quarter. Only two other girls have ever reached 1,000 career points in school history:  Brenda Baldazi ‘92 and former New Jersey Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year, Jocelyn Willoughby ’16.

#3 Golf’s 2019 Season

Golf has had an incredible season this year with both individual and team accomplishments. Golf won the North Jersey Non-Public B title with a score of 325, earning a spot in the Tournament of Champions. NA Golf has not won this title since 2010. In addition, Nate Drogin and Antoine Chouraqui have had huge personal milestones this season. As a freshman, Drogin won the Prep B individual title and placed first in the Essex County Tournament. Chouraqui earned his first career ace, the second in NA history, on April 17th.

#2 Girls’ Track and Field Wins SEC Championships

The girls’ track team won the Super Essex Conference title and defeated Malcolm X. Shabazz High School by a score of 145.5-131 (the team had previously lost to Shabazz in the regular season). Track and field is a sport that requires many different types of athletes and runners; Coach McCall explains: “Track and field frequently is a sport that loves its all-stars.” Senior Giulia Socolof had an especially outstanding performance at the SEC championship in which she placed first in the 400m Hurdles and Triple Jump (also breaking her own school record), and placed second in the 100m Hurdles and 4x400m Relay.

#1 Girls’ Swimming Wins Essex County Tournament

The women’s swim team, led by co-captains Bridget Bowen ‘19 and Wenni Iben ‘19, made NA history when they won the Super Essex Conference (SEC) Championship on January 21, 2019. The success was particularly notable because the score truly reflects a team effort as the team dominated the majority of the group swim relays. While they did not a win a single individual event, they won two out of the three relays, which is the area in which the team can get the most points.