3/23/10 Extra! Extra! Read all about it...

Since the NJBB kind of got on a cross-promoting kick yesterday — and, since today’s “What-if” all-star edition has newspaper ties — The Messenger would like to issue some public service reminders... yesterday (3/22), The Record came out with its postseason bowling feature, and if you weren’t able to pick up a copy in print, here are some linkables (these include video features that did not appear in the newspaper, for obvious reasons):
Boys Bowler of the Year: Priore a natural bowler
Girls Bowler of the Year: Linder focused on fun

You can also visit the northjersey.com boys bowling and girls bowling home pages for All-County teams, Coaches of the Year and Teams of the Year. In addition, the Star-Ledger is running its postseason goodies in today's paper (3/23) — which, if you are unable to obtain, has its own online equivalent at nj.com:
BOWLING: SEASON HONORS, 2009-10

Now, as for TM's alter ego... he is a mild-mannered reporter for The Ridgewood News (and that's as far as the allusions to Superman will go), a weekly paper that does not have its own bowling all-star team. So, if we may take the liberty, the NJBB proposes to take a look at what the RN All-Suburban bowling teams might look like, if TM was asked to write them.

Reminders & ground rules: For the winter sports season, The Ridgewood News publishes All-Suburban hockey, wrestling, boys basketball and girls basketball. The All-Suburban coverage area includes the following schools: Ridgewood, Midland Park, Hawthorne, Hawthorne Christian, Northern Highlands, Indian Hills, Ramapo, Ramsey, Mahwah, Pascack Valley, Pascack Hills, Paramus, River Dell, Westwood, Dumont, Bergenfield, New Milford, Park Ridge, Emerson, Fair Lawn, Paramus Catholic, Bergen Catholic, Don Bosco, St. Joseph and Immaculate Heart Academy. For our purposes, two area schools (Glen Rock, Waldwick) are not on the list, but only because they have no bowling teams (meaning they should know how to get ON the list, wink-wink, nudge-nudge).

FYI, there is some overlap with the GHT listening area, so if some of the capsules look familiar... well, now you know why.

In addition, the RN All-Suburban teams have a special category, either for Freshman or Sophomore of the Year, in order to salute an underclassman that might not get the recognition amid the number of junior and senior standouts. (Bear in mind, this tradition dates back to a time when freshman weren't allowed on varsity, and sophomore varsity players were much rarer). These days, they essentially keep it around to honor an underclassman that did not make the first team, but ought to be a candidate to do so next season.

Anyway, if there was room in a late-March Friday edition of the RN to publish it, we'd have this...

******************************************
The 2010 "Ridgewood News All-Suburban bowling teams":
>Averages in parentheses, lists in alphabetical order.

BOYS TEAM
Rob Andresen, Ramapo, Senior (213)* – In addition to anchoring Ramapo to its first-ever NBIL Division 1 championship and tying for fifth at Bergen County tournament (247–1,314) to help the Green Raiders finish fifth in Groups 3-4, he added a 216–614 at North 1A sectionals, where the team took fourth in a tough Group 4 bracket, a mere two pins behind third-place Fair Lawn.
Chris Auld, Fair Lawn, Senior (215)* – In addition to having the highest average in the NJTCC-Bergen, tying for fifth at Counties (256–1,314) and helping the Cutters finish second in the league and third in North 1A, Group 4, he was an FDU Holiday Team Challenge All-Star (228–673), propelling FL to the semifinals. He also placed 14th at the North Jersey Singles Classic, shooting a 634 qualifying series.
Brian DiMarco, Bergenfield, Soph. (205) – Announced his arrival with a 300 in an early-season NBIL win over eventual Division 1 champ Ramapo, then went on to throw the league’s third-best series (531). He was one of 21 bowlers to average over 200 at Counties (242–1,201), and at the North 1A, Group 4 tournament, he combined with classmate Marc Solangon (State-qualifying 670) to help the Bears score a seventh-place 2,692 (an 897 team average, 30 pins over their season-long norm).
Rob Grippo, Bergen Catholic, Senior (210)* – A classic cranker, he had the second-highest average in the NJTCC-Bergen, notching the Crusaders’ high game (278) and series (709) to lead them to the league title. His third-place effort of 254–1,333 at Counties helped BC to second place overall, and his impressive third-place outing at sectionals (246-227-238–711) was a big reason the Crusaders emerged as North 1A, Group 4 champs. He wound up ninth in the State singles finals (277–1,354) and capped his career with a pair of 211 games at the State team finals.
Kris Jergensen, Mahwah, Senior (202) – Although the Thunderbirds had their share of struggles this season, he was a constant steadying force, posting the team’s high game (243) and series (454) in addition to 21 games of 200+ in NBIL play. He shot a 221–1,110 at the Bergen County tournament, keeping Mahwah in the top 20 of Groups 1-2, and his final career game was a 232 at sectionals, which capped a 585 series and helped the T-Birds roll a Game 3 total of 883, besting their season high by 3 pins.
Brian Kist, Pascack Hills, Soph. (221) – His was the second-highest average in Bergen County, and he powered PH to second place in the NBIL-2 with a team-leading 23 games of 200+. At the County tournament, his 258–1,285 was good for 10th place and helped the Cowboys take third in Groups 1-2. He also had a hand in their runner-up finish in North 1A, Group 2, which sent them to Carolier Lanes, where he earned the medal for third-high game (277) at the State team finals.
Kyle Landau, Ramsey, Junior (227)* – Carried the highest average in Bergen County this winter, adding the second-highest series in the NBIL (541) while helping the Rams to their second straight Division 2 title. In league action, he had 31 games of 200+ and shot a high of 278, and at Counties, he was fourth individually with a 258–1,321. He was also second in North 1A, blasting a series of 258-209-256–723.
Ryan Landau, Ramsey, Junior (206) – Last season’s Sophomore of the Year joins the first team after shooting a 268 high game and 470 high series in league play for the NBIL Division 2-champion Rams. He added 22 league games of 200+, second on the team only to his twin, Kyle, and helped Ramsey place sixth in Bergen County Groups 1-2 with a 229–1,139. At North 1A sectionals, he rolled a 207–576, as the Rams compiled a Group 3-leading 1,049 team game and finished third in the standings.
Kevin Macchia, Ramapo, Soph. (206) – Fired his perfect game in the State individual finals, which was part of a 300-237-193-214-192-237–1,373 qualifying round. He finished fifth overall, falling to Brick Memorial’s Domenick Luongo (a second-team All-State pick), 246-185, in the stepladder. Also took seventh at sectionals (237–674) and, of course, chipped in with the Green Raiders’ league title.
Steve Natoli, Paramus Catholic, Junior (205) – The left-hander built upon his 199 league average by scoring big in tournaments, most notably the North Jersey Singles Classic (3rd place, games of 257 and 276 in elimination round) and the Bergen County tournament (2nd place, 1,366 series and high-game medal for his 299), helping the Paladins to their first overall Bergen crown since 1991. He also had PC’s top game (289) and series (524) in NBIL play and added a 212–580 at sectionals.
Brian O’Flaherty, Pascack Valley, Junior (212) – Kept the Indians on an even keel through some early-season injuries, tossing the highest series (555) and second-highest game (297) in NBIL action. He was 14th at Counties (239–1,243) and kicked it up an extra notch at sectionals, coming within a pin of perfection to take high game honors (299) and sixth place individually (682 series), as PV repeated as North 1A, Group 3 champs. He closed with a team-best 227–431 at the State team finals.
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Josh Taylor, Northern Highlands (196) — A classic example of why the RN created this category: he missed the first-team cut by a hair, but don’t expect that to happen in the future. He helped the Highlanders to a solid third-place finish in the NBIL-1, rolling the third-highest game in the league (290) on the winter. He shot 233–1,071 at Counties and earned second-high game honors (288) at sectionals, on his way to a 656 series that boosted NH to fourth in Group 3.

~~~~~~~~
GIRLS TEAM
Colleen Blake, Immaculate Heart, Junior (165) – A varsity part-timer last season, she bowled in all 39 league games for the NJTCC-Bergen champion Blue Eagles (89-2), posting a high game of 216 and high series of 565. She narrowly missed the cut at the North Jersey Singles Classic (187–490), but she responded with a seventh-place 205–542 the following week at the Bergen County Tournament and led off every Baker game with a strike to help IHA defend its title. She added a 201–512 at North Jersey sectionals and a high game of 203 at the State team finals.
Anastasia DeLeon, Paramus Catholic, Freshman (173) – And then, there are certain frosh you just can’t keep off the first team because of their immediate impact. She was tops among the Paladins in average, high game (234) and high series (401) in NBIL play, tallying five games of 200+, and she led them in scoring at both the FDU Holiday Challenge (453 series) and the North Jersey Singles Classic (435). At the Bergen County Tournament, she tied for 18th with a 190–495 as PC placed 10th.
Sarah Esmenda, Bergenfield, Soph. (163) – Scary to think that the Bears’ top two bowlers are only sophomores, and they already have back-to-back league titles and a sectional championship to their credit. She had Bergenfield’s second-high league average and a high game of 210 in NBIL play, and she tied for 18th at the County tournament with a 181–495. In the Bears’ North Group 3 triumph, she chipped in a 631 series, qualifying for a spot in the State singles finals.
Cassidy Fiore, Bergenfield, Soph. (173) – One of the 2009 co-Freshmen of the Year, she was the other half of the sophomore duo that helped the Bears collect their sixth straight league title, rolling the high game (246) and series (430) among NBIL girls. She finished 10th at the Bergen County Tournament (200–530), then took third at North Jersey sectionals (666 series) and earned the third-high game medal (247) as Bergenfield secured the Group 3 championship and a trip to Carolier Lanes.
Alex Hubelbank, Northern Highlands, Senior (168) – In addition to finishing fourth at the Bergen County Tournament (162-235-184–581) and earning the medal for second-high game, she tallied three of the Highlanders’ top four scores on the day. She added a 197-132-190–519 at the North Jersey sectional tournament, helping NH finish sixth in Group 3, and she led them in league play with a high game of 222, a high two-game series of 414, and four games of 200+.
Nicole Linder, Immaculate Heart, Junior (212)* – Upped her league average by over 20 pins, leading IHA to the NJTCC-Bergen title. She also propelled the Blue Eagles to the finals of the FDU Holiday Challenge (earning an All-Star nod with a 592), then finished 10th at the North Jersey Singles Classic before shooting a 258–655 at Counties, winning the individual title and helping IHA to its sixth straight team crown. She added a 215–606 at sectionals to place 10th, a six-game 1,225 at the State singles finals to finish 11th, and games of 216 and 202 at the State team finals, where the Eagles were third in Group 4.
Nicolette Maggiolo, Ridgewood, Junior (153)* – Didn’t have quite the season she did a year ago, but keep in mind the Maroons graduated all their senior leadership. She stepped into the anchor role and, along with returnees Shelby Taylor and Kendall Tinston, helped the team overcome a slow start (case in point, Ridgewood went from averaging 600 a game at Counties to 724 a game at sectionals). She had a team-leading 616 series in NJTCC-Bergen play and totaled a team-best 209–535 at sectionals.
Megan McNally, Pascack Hills, Senior (173) – Kept the Cowgirls in contention for the NBIL Division 2 title all season, scoring their second-high game (224) and series (388), while throwing six games of 200+ for the eventual league runner-up. She rolled a 225–561 at the Singles Classic, finishing 14th, then shot a 168–452 at Counties, helping PH qualify for the Baker tournament. Her 545 series at North Jersey sectionals boosted the team to third in Group 2, just 69 points behind runner-up Holy Angels.
Emily Ostapczuk, Indian Hills, Soph. (174) – In addition to leading all NBIL girls in average, she topped the Braves with six games of 200+, while adding a high game of 222 and high series of 399 for the Division 2 champs. She finished in the Top 25 at the Bergen County Tournament (171–482), helping IH rally from seventh after morning qualifying to capture the fourth and final semifinal spot. She finished up with a 209–558 at North Jersey sectionals, where the Braves took fifth in Group 2.
Bridget Pyryt, Indian Hills, Soph. (169) – The other of last season’s co-Freshmen of the Year, she made a splash this season at the Bergen County Tournament, placing third individually (243–584) and winning the medal for high game, as the Braves pushed defending champ IHA to the brink in the Baker semifinals before falling. She tossed a 201–463 at sectionals and finished NBIL play with a high game of 223, a high series of 422 and five games of 200+.
Adriana Stapelman, Fair Lawn, Senior (162) – In addition to rolling a 188–482 at the FDU Holiday Challenge, where the Cutters reached the Baker tournament semifinals, she qualified 18th at the North Jersey Singles Classic (168–493) and moved up to finish 16th. She was 23rd at Counties with a 177–487, and in the NJTCC-Bergen division, and she combined with Nicole Munczinski (150 average) to help the Cutters place fourth, recording a 223 high game and 562 high series in league play.
Taylor Strothmann, Immaculate Heart, Soph. (171) – One of the main reasons the Blue Eagles were able to overcome the graduation of four varsity starters. She shot a 182–525 at the FDU Holiday Challenge, where IHA reached the Baker tournament finals, and she qualified 11th at the North Jersey Singles Classic (211–543). Her 221–532 at Counties was good for eighth place, and she finished out the year with a 210–531 at sectionals and a high game of 162 at the State team finals.
SOPHOMORE OF THE YEAR: Carly Bonsignore, Ramapo (149) – The Green Raiders are sure to miss senior Rachel Kammen (152 average) next year, but this two-year varsity mainstay should help soften the impact. She opened some eyes with her team-leading 201–523 at Counties, placing 12th individually while Ramapo took seventh, and she contributed a 439 series to the team's fifth-place showing in North Group 3.

*Indicates repeat selection from 2009

*****************************************

So there you have it. Any comments, corrections, etc. can be sent to NorthJerseyBRG@gmail.com. Tomorrow, the NJBB will unveil the first-ever "Grid of Champions," and on Friday, we will turn The Messenger loose to bring you his own special brand of all-stars... as only he can.