Hey Newark Academy Sports readers,

This issue, we, as sports editors, strive to put together a Sports Section that reaches all aspects of the Newark Academy community. Most often, our athletic teams receive recognition, as a whole, for their success during the season; yet, individual accolades are sometimes forgotten. As such, we are proud to bring you a spin-off series (inspired by the renowned Sports Illustrated column “Faces in the Crowd”): “Faces in the Minutemen Crowd.” This series will focus on the accomplishments of individual athletes who are part of our school community.

We hope you enjoy it!

Chewy and Ethan

Molly Alter ’12, Girl’s Tennis (Montclair)

A four-year varsity letter winner, Molly Alter capped off her Minutemen tennis career  with over 70 wins to her credit. At first singles, Alter secured a record of 20-6 in her senior year and led her team to its second consecutive Non-Public B State Championship over Ranney. “This year, our team was a lot of fun as we reached all of our goals to win our conference and our state section, ” says Alter. “It’s been a great four years!” A member of girls tennis since 6th grade, Molly has racked up numerous honors –from 1^st Team All-County to 1^st Team All-Conference. “It’s actually a weird story, ” she recalls. “When I came to NA, I had to decide between tennis and soccer, as both were fall sports. I had been playing tennis since I was 5 years old, but I always liked both sports.” The decision may have been tough then, but Molly has proven herself a formidable opponent in Essex County.  This season alone, she reached the prestigious state singles tournaments round of 16 which surpassed her goal of reaching the round of 32. Alter’s presence for the younger emerging stars such as Rebecca Gorelov ’14 and Hannah Gould ’14 has been great.  “I feel comfortable passing the torch onto the next generation of NA women’s tennis players.”

Carter Beardsley ’13, Football (Summit)

You’ve probably seen him in the hallway offering hugs to everyone in his path. In school, Carter Beardsley does his best to brighten everyone’s day. However, his peaceful and gentle personality is not reflected on the football field. Beardsley, who played in middle school, did not play in his first two years of high school. “I learned a fair bit about the game in middle school, but left it alone in ninth grade,” says Beardsley, “because I didn’t enjoy playing at that point in time.” This season, Carter again found enjoyment in the game, and his presence has certainly helped to fill the gaping void left by 7 members of the Class of 2011: Jordan Jett, Jason Diamond, Jack Lawler, Theo Lester, Zach Shinske, Adam Seltzer, and Hardy Evans. Stating his reason for return, Beardsley states: “It came down to my friends’ influence and encouragement.The team needed as many players as they could get, and people have been trying to get me to join the team throughout  high school.”  According to Nick Lawler ’13, Carter lightens the mood in the locker room and isn’t afraid to crack a joke in nerve-racking situations. Outside of football, he enjoys playing lacrosse, studying psychology, and listening to music.

Lauren and Abby Whelan ’14, Girl’s Soccer (Essex Fells)

These identical twins have added a new dimension to the girl’s varsity soccer team that has fans and coaches alike a little confused. Luckily, to tell them apart, Lauren (#5) is a lefty who typically plays up top as a forward; whereas Abby (#8) is a righty who plays either wings. Still, it’s especially difficult to tell them apart when one scores a goal. (For the record, both girls have 10 goals a piece in their two years on the Newark Academy varsity squad.) These sophomore sisters played an integral role in achieving the 12-1 conference record in a tough Essex County Conference with the team’s only loss coming from Verona, and notable wins over West Orange High School and Mount Saint Dominic Academy. As many may remember, it was Lauren who scored the game winning goal in the second overtime against Saint Dominic, a hometown school. Neither girl loves being the center of attention; still, their excellent play on the field is certainly deserving of recognition. The chemistry that the two have on the field is unbelievable as Lauren says, “We have been playing since we were 3 years old and in all our years, we have never been on separate teams.” Adds Abby, “We just seem to know what the other one is going to do with the ball. It’s hard to explain, but we just have a good feel for each other.” In addition, these sisters have a great relationship  with one another as they are motivated by friendly, sibling competition. Even in the interview, the twins joked with each another that Abby had scored one more goal than her sister this season. Look out for this formidable duo on the field next season during their junior year, as they hope to continue the winning culture of this soccer team.

Christopher Roser ’14, Cross Country (Florham Park)

Chris Roser can run a 5K in 17 minutes and 2 seconds. Simply put: he is able to maintain a 5:29 mile over 3.1 miles. You’re probably staring at the computer, jaw dropped, in amazement. Maybe even in a state of denial. But I assure you –you read that correctly. However, it’s not the mind-blowing times that make Chris such a phenomenal athlete. In fact, he was reluctant to point out his times and accomplishments for this interview. Notably, Roser is modest and enjoys the family atmosphere of the team more than the competitive nature of the sport itself. “When workouts are tough, my teammates are the ones that keep you going. They are some of the funniest, most talented, and nicest people you’ll ever see together on a team,” he said. This season Roser, also a member of the Newark Academy varsity swim team, made Second-Team All-Conference in the SEC Championship and First-Team All-Conference in Preps.