For Janelle Biamonte, it was the toughest decision she’s had to make in her young teenage life, a choice that was going to affect the Marist High School senior and Secaucus resident forever, one that was certainly predicated on emotion.
When Biamonte took a visit a few months ago to visit the United States Military Academy at West Point to consider playing women’s basketball for Army, she instantly became enthralled with Army’s young and energetic coach, Maggie Dixon.
“A lot of what I knew about the place was based on basketball and based on her personality,” Biamonte said. “How Coach Dixon ran the program and how she handled everything attracted me to want to go there. She was the kind of person that I wanted to be around.”
However, tragedy struck the Army women’s basketball program last month, when Dixon collapsed and later died of a heart irregularity. Dixon was just 28 years old.
At first, Biamonte, who averaged close to 22 points per game last season for the Lady Knights of Marist, didn’t know what she was going to do. She could have either lived up to the verbal commitment she gave to West Point or seek out another college. However, with most Division I schools already given out their allotment of scholarships for the 2006-07 season, Biamonte was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
“I thought it would be better if I went in a different direction,” said Biamonte, a four-time Hudson Reporter All-Area selection and a three-time First Team honoree. “I just couldn’t see myself going there after that tragedy. It wouldn’t have been right. The tragedy changed my whole mind set.”
Luckily for Biamonte, she had another option. Brandeis, the prestigious academic institution located in Waltham, Massachusetts, left the door open to Biamonte if she felt uncomfortable with the military commitment necessary at West Point.
“The coach (Carol Simon) always joked with me, saying that you only have to make a four-year commitment to Brandeis, not eight (like at West Point),” Biamonte said. “It was one of the schools that I did visit and the coach was very enthusiastic about having me. I was still interested, despite making the commitment to Army.”
Brandeis also has a prestigious pre-med program, which is what Biamonte wants to study.
“It has a good medical school and an excellent reputation,” Biamonte said. “I was able to make a choice and it worked out well. I feel it’s what I had to do. It’s tragic what happened and I didn’t expect things to turn out this way, but I’m fortunate to have this opportunity.”
Biamonte will also receive almost a full academic scholarship to attend Brandeis, which is an NCAA Division III school, but one with a fine women’s basketball program.
“I was just very fortunate to still have another option,” Biamonte said…
There hasn’t been a year where all four of the HCIAA baseball and softball races were so wide open, with no true clear-cut favorite in any of the divisions. It should make for a very interesting month of May.
First, the HCIAA Coviello baseball race had a favorite in St. Peter’s Prep until last Wednesday, when Hudson Catholic shocked its fiercest rival, putting the entire divisional race into a total tailspin.
Right now, any of four teams, Prep, Memorial, Bayonne and Hudson Catholic, could actually lay claim to the top team in the division. It’s that close and should make for a gripping playoff race.
In the HCIAA Seglio, just when it appeared as if St. Mary’s of Jersey City was the consummate frontrunner, Hoboken knocks off the Ramblers. And when it looked like the Red Wings would earn the nod as the top dog in that division, St. Joseph of the Palisades brought the Red Wings back to earth with a solid 8-2 win. The Hurricanes of County Prep, the defending champions, are lying in the high weeds, ready to pounce as well.
Sure makes for some exciting baseball for the final weeks of the season.
In the HCIAA Coviello softball race, North Bergen has placed its stamp as being the current frontrunner, but St. Dominic and Holy Family might have something to say about that. In the HCIAA Seglio, undefeated High Tech is the one everyone else is chasing these days, but Hoboken and County Prep are not out of the running yet.
As you can see, a lot of teams fighting for county supremacy. Makes for some memorable moments even before Super Saturday at the end of the month. Bette Davis, in the classic movie, “All About Eve,” said, “Hang on, this is going to be a bumpy ride.” Sure looks that way…
Still no word on a new football coach at Memorial. Rumor has it that the school is waiting for former Bayonne coach Rick Rodriguez to make up his mind whether he wants the job, that it’s his for the taking. But Rodriguez is also apparently in the running for the head coaching job at Elizabeth as well and covets that position.
The longer the powers-that-be at Memorial wait, the harder it will be to field a competitive team in the near future…
The search for a new men’s basketball coach at St. Peter’s College has also taken a little siesta. Apparently, the school’s administration has told athletic director Bill Stein to wait a while before interviewing candidates.
Again, that’s not a good thing, because SPC can’t afford to wait to hire a new coach. They should have one in place now to handle any late recruiting for next year’s team…
— Jim Hague