There was another local team that played for a state sectional championship this week, but it was the Hudson Catholic softball team, which lost to Immaculate Conception of Lodi, 5-1, in the NJSIAA Non-Public B North championship game Wednesday.
However, this was a breakthrough season for the Hawks, reaching a state sectional title game in girls’ sports for the first time since the school opened its doors to girls seven years ago.
Head coach Jenna Wendolowski, in just her second year as head coach, brought the program to new heights. They won 19 games this season and won their division of the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic League for the second straight season.
“Last year, we reached the semifinals in the sectionals and this year, we got to the finals,” said Wendolowski, who was aperformer at County Prep during her playing days. “Each year, the goal is to do better, so we did that. We only have two seniors on the team, so the prospects look good. Most of our girls were never in the situation to play for a state championship. It’s all new. I think making the next step comes with time and maturity. This was their first time.”
Wendolowski liked the way her team played down the stretch.
“I think we were peaking at the right time,” Wendolowski said. “We got healthy. We started hitting.”
The Hawks utilized a very unique approach when it came to pitching. Wendolowski used two pitchers every single game. Freshman Jillian Ward was the starter and sophomore Miyoksi Suarez was basically the closer. How much each girl pitched depended on how the game was going, but neither went more than four innings.
Then, whenever one girl was on the mound, the other was playing shortstop. It was definitely different.
“I have a lot of confidence in Jillian,” Wendolowski said. “She’s still young and learning. Miyoksi was our starter last year, so she had the experience. They’re both tough girls. I know they both want to be out there, but they also both respond to each other.”
Both Ward and Suarez are also excellent hitters, so they are key cogs in the lineup. Suarez is the team’s leadoff hitter.
“Anywhere I need her, she will go,” Wendolowski said.
The team’s catcher is sophomore Neckolette Nedwell, who handles both pitchers very well.
“She’s quick and aggressive,” Wendolowski said.
Junior Jessica Tyll is the first baseman. She’s been an anchor in the middle of the Hawks’ order all season.
“She’s batting over .400 and has been consistent all year,” Wendolowski said.
Sophomore Elizabeth Moyeno is the second baseman, transferring to Hudson Catholic from Hoboken.
“She was a great addition to the team,” Moyeno said. “Her leadership skills were an asset. She does a good job with the other girls. She just took over.”
Ward and Suarez shared the shortstop duties. Ward eventually became the team’s cleanup hitter.
“She has a lot of power,” Wendolowski said. “She’s aggressive and confident.”
Third base duties have been handled well for the last four seasons by senior Kristin Cunning, who is headed to Albertus Magnus in the fall. Cunning was the Hudson Reporter All-Area third baseman last season.
“I really wish I had the chance to coach her all four years,” Wendolowski said. “She became our best defensive player, like a vacuum over there.”
Junior Ashlee Rivera is the team’s left fielder. Sophomore Dayanara Flores, who is also a multi-talented soccer player, is the team’s centerfielder and No. 2 hitter.
“Dayanara has been just attacking the ball lately,” Wendolowski said.
Senior Elaine Reyes, the other graduating player, manned right field. Reyes is also a fine basketball player at the school.
Freshman Brianna Hernandez was the team’s jack-of-all-trades, getting time at both catcher and pitcher. Junior Nikkitta Huertas also filled in as a key reserve.
So Wendolowski knows that the loss in the state sectional title game wasn’t totally devastating.
“I think we can look forward to better days,” Wendolowski said. “We have a lot of players coming back. We’ve beaten some good teams this year. We beat DePaul and that was a big win for us. We took a big step up this year.”…
Another Hudson Catholic athlete had a sensational track and field season, but that should come to no surprise now.
Freshman Crystal Ortiz capped her unbelievable first year by winning three gold medals at the NJSIAA Non-Public B state championships. Ortiz won the 800-meter run in 2:19.39, won the 1,600-meter run in 5:05.79 and the 3,200-meter run in 11:03.44.
Ortiz then took fifth overall at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions in the 1,600-meter run, crossing the line in an astounding 4:55.18, shaving 10 seconds off her winning time from Saturday. Just a fantastic first year with only bigger and better wins ahead for sure…
Memorial’s Kelvin Almonte capped his sensational season by placing second overall at the Meet of Champs in the 400-meter hurdles. Almonte crossed the line in 53.15 seconds. It was a great year for both athletes who represented their respective schools well…
Former St. Peter’s Prep baseball and football standout Nick Edwards has been named as the head baseball coach at Queen of Peace in North Arlington. It means that now five players from the same Jersey City Recreation Stars of Tomorrow team are head high school baseball coaches _ Edwards, Ron Hayward (formerly Marist, now St. Anthony), Danny Suarez (Dickinson), Jack Baker (Hoboken) and Alberto Suarez (Hudson Catholic). Imagine that, all five were on the same team when they were 15 years old…
Hudson Reporter High School Baseball Top Five: 1. St. Peter’s Prep (26-2). 2. Memorial (16-8). 3. Weehawken (21-9). 4. Marist (17-12). 5. Hudson Catholic (14-11)…
Hudson Reporter High School Softball Top Five: 1. North Bergen (21-8). 2. Bayonne (18-5). 3. Hudson Catholic (16-5). 4. St. Dominic Academy (17-8). 5. Secaucus (16-11).--Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.