By Tyler Park ’14, Sports Editor

Newark Academy’s winter sports teams’ seasons are now well underway. The Sports section of The Minuteman would like to use this juncture to examine their progress and discuss their goals moving forward.  There have been varying degrees of success thus far, but all of our athletes are focused on having successful finishes to their seasons. So, without further ado, a team-by-team analysis of the Newark Academy winter sports landscape.  All records are as of January 23, 2014.

Girls’ Basketball

The Girls’ Basketball team is off to a very strong start.  They are 8-2, including big wins over MKA and Livingston.  The Lady Minutemen have been extremely effective in their 3-2 zone defense, which senior captain Taylor Smith believes has been very important for their early success. “It’s something we practice every day through a bunch of different drills,” she said.  Led by Smith, Hernell Gabriel ’15, and Jocelyn Willoughby ’16, this team has generated dozens of turnovers in every game with their pressure defense.  Willoughby has scored an incredible 25.7 points per game on the offensive end, and she has been supported by Smith, Gabriel and guards Isabelle Catabran ’17 and Rachel Neiman ’15, among others.  Look for this team to make deep runs in their tournaments as the season moves forward.

Boys’ Basketball

The Boys’ Basketball team has struggled at times, but they have shown improvement in recent weeks. Senior captain Eric Szlosek has been the team’s leading scorer, with Gebereal Baitey ’15, Sam Wood ’15, Alex Tarowsky ’14, and Riley Kolek ’15 also contributing.  Guard Nick Martino ’15 recently returned from an injury, and sophomore forward Dan Ratner has stepped up, so the team is looking to improve on their 4-6 record.  “We’ve focused a lot more on stepping up the defensive intensity,” said Szlosek.  When asked about what his team’s goals are moving forward, Szlosek was succinct. “Win,” he said.

Wrestling

 The wrestling team faces a disadvantage in every match due to the relatively low numbers on the squad.  However, the team has persevered through this difficulty to give it their all in each and every bout, resulting in a strong 8-5 record.  “Since we know that we have to forfeit some weight classes, we all go out with the mindset that we have to make up for that by pinning our opponents,” said senior captain Pat Gerish.  The team has been led by Gerish, Brendon Seyfried ’15, and Steve Bonsall ’16.  Nate Tsimikas ’14 and Charlie Austin ’15 have also offered strong contributions. A major goal for this team is to win their conference, a feat that has never been accomplished by a Newark Academy wrestling team.  “In order to win, everyone has to do their job,” said Gerish.  There are certainly high hopes and a lot of desire on this team.

Fencing

Both the boys’ and girls’ fencing teams are off to strong starts this season.  The girls’ team enjoyed a fantastic team win over West Essex, as every team member fenced well to earn a hard-fought victory. Standout fencers include Kasey Iverson ’14, Grace Alofe ‘14 and Sydney Persing ’15. The boys’ team has also had a successful beginning to their season, winning their first four meets including a 14-13 win over Governor Livingston, with Lyle Poisson ‘14 scoring the last point with a dramatic win.  “That was the most exciting meet I’ve seen in my high school career,” said Alofe.  Poisson, George Haglund ’16, David Parker ’14, and Will Delaney ’14 have all had strong seasons.  Both teams are also looking forward to an excellent future, with freshmen Rose Parker, Catherine Benoit, Shane Iverson, and Matthew Lim showing a lot of promise early in their careers.

Swimming

The boys’ and girls’ swimming teams have each had some great moments early in their season.  The boys scored an excellent win over West Essex in their first meet, clinching the victory on the last relay of the meet.  The girls earned a crushing 60-19 win over Morristown Beard, highlighting their season so far.  Standouts have included seniors Chris Roser, Bill Ulrich, and Esther Neibart, and there have also been a number of strong young performers on each team, including Mark Berger ’17.  “He’s only a freshman, but he has been swimming extraordinarily well this season,” said Ulrich. The team will look to continue to build as a team moving forward.  “I hope we can win a banner just like we did last year,” said Ulrich.

As the winter sports season moves on, a common thread between all of the teams is that they would all appreciate as much support as possible from the community.  Come out and cheer for the Minutemen as tournament play begins!