While most of the attention at Monday’s annual meeting of the NJSIAA was focused on controversial proposals that were voted on there were other items on the agenda at the Pines Manor in Edison. One of the highlights of the luncheon was the honoring of this year’s sports awards recipients from across the state with 7 coaches from the shore saluted.

The group includes longtime tennis coach Sue Rogers who coached the girl’s team at Pinelands for many years before moving to Barnegat when that school opened in 2004. She also spent ten years coaching the boy’s teams while at Pinelands. This fall saw her Bengals team win the B South title, her 7th divisional championship as a coach.

Rogers has also been a Challenger/Special Olympics coach for the past seven years and was honored by the United States Tennis Association.

Other coaches who received sports awards were:

Basketball - Dawn Karpell, St. John Vianney
Softball - Tom Erbig, Middletown South
Track - James Schlentz, Colts Neck
Lacrosse - Amy O’Keefe, Rumson
Gymnastics - Liz Porter, Holmdel
Bowling - Dave Clampfter, Howell

Saluted for his many years of officiating football and basketball was Sam Riello, a former standout football player at Brick High School in the early 60’s who is a member of the Brick Township High School Wall of Fame and the Jersey Shore Sports Hall of Fame. Sam is still active and served as a supervisor of officials for this past weekend’s state sectional championship games.

Toms River South’s Cameron Geerinck and Lacey’s Robert Biele each broke school records by scoring 28 goals during the boys’ soccer season so it’s no surprise they head up the Shore Sports Network All-Shore Team. Other first-team members include Indians defender Mike Tapp, Shore Regional’s J.T. Kessler who led the Shore Conference in scoring for the second straight year with 38 goals and 20 assists and CBA Midfielder Matt Thorsheim who was named the Shore Sports Network Player of the Year last week.
You can view the complete list of All Shore Soccer teams at shoresportsnetwork.com

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