Blue Devils take back Hudson Track Coaches title
Which sports team can be considered Hudson County’s premier dynasty?
Is it Hoboken’s phenomenal football run, which has produced six state championships in the last seven years and 66 wins in 67 games? Could be.
How about the Secaucus volleyball team, which has captured five straight state titles and has posted a 187-5 record over the last seven years? Not a bad choice.
What about the St. Anthony basketball team, the legendary Friars who have won a state record 22 state titles over the years? Can’t go wrong there either.
But there’s another impressive string of successes in Hudson County that might have gone unnoticed, but deserves its share of recognition as one of the true dynasties in the local sports scene just the same.
The St. Dominic Academy track and field team recently won the team title at the Hudson County Track Coaches Association Championships at Secaucus High School, completing the double after winning the HCIAA title a week earlier.
SDA defeated second place Memorial 62-54. Memorial’s boys continued their year to remember with a runway victory over Lincoln.
It marks the 19th HCTCA title that the Blue Devils have earned under the tutelage of head coach John Nagel. Last week’s HCIAA title was the 48th such title the Blue Devils have earned in Nagel’s 21 years. That definitely signifies "dynasty."
And this team’s championship run is especially pleasing to Nagel, because he only has four seniors, namely Kathryn Lissenden, Lauren Laviola, Kelly Kinahan and Amy Coughlan.
"We’re not going to disappear in the future," said Nagel, who has been pleased with the work ethic of his talented team, with people like Danielle Biondo, Tai Wilkins, Bernadette Laracy and Cathy Bender all performing well. All four will return for another year.
Wilkins won the 3,200-meter run in 12:36.1, followed closely by teammate Laracy a second behind. Laviola finished fifth in the event.
Biondo finished second in the 1,600-meters to Hudson County Prep’s workhorse Christina Mendoza, with Wilkins (fourth) and Laracy (fifth) close behind. Biondo took third in the 800, while teammate Lissenden, headed for St. Peter’s College in the fall, was second. A true team effort.
"They’re fun to watch," Nagel said. "They’ve gone a long way to maximizing their potential. They’re not the most talented team we’ve ever had, but they have a nice chemistry and they’re coming together. They’ve all made a commitment to being successful."
Nagel is especially pleased because the HCTCA has been a sore spot recently for the Blue Devils. Even dynasties show some signs of faltering from time to time. And it’s been at the HCTCA meet where SDA has faltered somewhat, losing to Kearny, Lincoln and McNair Academic over the last three years.
"The meet always came down to the last event and we were short a point here and there," Nagel said. "That wasn’t the case this time."
Nagel said that he has been impressed with the development of the junior Biondo, who has blossomed into a star.
"I really like the work ethic of Biondo," Nagel said. "She’s working harder than ever before and she’s doing better as a result of the work."
"I’ve really enjoyed watching this group mature," Nagel said. "They’ve matured tangibly, in a slow way. It’s different than in most senses."
And it will lead to possible bigger things down the road, at the upcoming NJSIAA Parochial A state championships.