By Christian Lynch
With the hiring of June Cioffi as the new athletic director, Kingsway was headed into uncharted waters. Needless to say, Cioffi has steered Kingsway towards continued athletic excellence, putting the Dragons in strong contention as the top Group 4 school in New Jersey.
Here is a sport-by-sport synopsis of the spring season:
Golf: Head Coach Dave Young led his squad to an impressive 12-5 record, qualifying for the NJSIAA Tournament. He was assisted by former Head Coach Hank Harrison and Mike Collier. The golf team was able to finish third in the division. Dan Gable and Christian Cendejas led the way, both earning all-conference honors.
On the girls side, Paige Silva was able to win the Gloucester County Championship over her own teammate Carlee Bellapigna,
Girls Lacrosse: Head Coach Maggie Goodman and her assistants Rebekah Keller and Amanda Bushong continue building up this program, which went 8-11. This year’s squad made it to the NJSIAA playoffs where they defeated Northern Burlington.
They also were able to defeat rival Eastern for the first time in school history. They had three all-conference selections, Alex DiSciascio, Taylor Sweeney, and Kyra Traino.
Boys Tennis: Head Coach Ed Moody, assisted by long-time assistant Tom Keating and former player Drew Laverty, led the boys to a 13-7 record. They were 10-5 in the division finishing second. They were able to qualify for the NJSIAA tournament, getting to the second round. They also had four all-conference selections, and Jake McBride made the All-South Jersey Group 4 team.
Boys Volleyball: On April 29, the boys defeated the 13th ranked team in New Jersey, Cherry Hill East, 2-0 (25-17 and 25-12), to earn the program’s 100th win, all under Head Coach Brent Dodulik . He was assisted by Coaches Anthony Badaracco, Drew Owens, Craig Wolfe, John Clendening, Jolen Aldaya, and Ryan Novzen They had a final record of 25-4 and were ranked as high as 14th in New Jersey.
They hosted and won the inaugural Gloucester County Tournament, 2-0, over Washington Township with senior outside hitter Stan Storchevoy being named tournament MVP. They won the Moorestown Tip-off tournament. Senior middle blocker Dayo Adepoju was named the tournament MVP. They also won the Olympic Conference Patriot Division title and defeated Pennsauken in the first round.
Boys Lacrosse: Head Coach Sean Dunn had a young team who went 6-12 this year. With assistants Kristian Ward, Jim Scerbo, and Jamal Hall, Coach Dunn led his young team to their 10th consecutive trip to the state tournament. They were able to advance to the second round of the playoffs for the sixth time in the last seven years. They ended up with five all-conference nominations, led by first-team selection Jay Scerbo.
Baseball: Head Coach Ian Enders and his assistants John Green and Dave Stanton had a phenomenal season, going 16-10 and earning yet another trip to the NJSIAA tournament. It was the sixth straight season with 11 or more wins for this program. For the first time in over 30 years, they qualified for the prestigious Diamond Classic, which is comprised of the top teams in southern New Jersey, and they defeated the 8th ranked team in New Jersey, Ocean City, by a score of 7-2. They had four all-conference selections, including 1st team selections Joe Massing and Zach Listro.
Softball: Head Coach Tony Barchuk and his assistants Dave Dominik and Karyn Pickard once again, showed that they have one of the best teams in all of New Jersey, compiling a 23-5 record. The girls made a run through the Group 4 playoffs before succumbing to eventual state champion and best team in New Jersey, Washington Twp., 5-3. They had four all-conference selections including All-State Group 4 selections Isabella Bradian, Devon Grippe, and Gabrielle Bruno. With many underclassmen on the squad, expectations will be high for this squad next year.
Girls Spring Track and Field: The girls’ squad continued their fine tradition under Head Coach Curtis Custis and his assistants Jen Beckett and Michelle Carrocino. They won their third consecutive West Deptford Relays and their second consecutive Woodbury Relays title. They were able to secure the Tri-County Conference Royal Division title as well as the Gloucester County championship over a tough Delsea squad. They had 11 all-conference selections. Jade Daniels (high jump) and newcomer Emily Hilt (discus) won South Jersey Group 4 championships, while Thaila Cooper (400m hurdles) won her first outdoor state championship in the 400 hurdles.
Boys Spring Track and Field: The Dragons, led by Head Coach Mel Carter and assistants Christian Lynch and Caitlin Hess continued to show that they were one of the better teams in South Jersey. The team highlight for them was their upset victory over Delsea and Deptford at the Gloucester County Championships. Individually, Sam Shinn won the State Group 4 shot put championship. Noah Culbreath won a county championship in the 800 as well. They had an astonishing 18 athletes make the all-conference team.
As evidenced by the wins and accolades compiled this season, Kingsway under the direction of June Cioffi continues to move full steam ahead. Interestingly enough, much of the talent that carried Kingsway to this success returns next year, so the future looks bright.
