Coming off of a successful Winter Track season, the Spring Track team looks forward to a successful season. Being outdoors allows the team more practice time and should ensure the team’s success. With the start of Spring, the team members are also able to participate in different events such as the steeplechase, throw the discus, the long jump, throw the javelin, and the triple jump.

Last year, the Boys Track team won a Non Public B State Championship. This big win included individual wins in boys shot put, discus, and pole vault. With key team members graduated and in college, the coaches look forward to this year’s seven seniors stepping up and contributing to another title. With seniors Sean Bruche, Garrett Jordan, Drew Riley, and Billy Tenzca taking high placings in Winter State Championships, they are expected to do even better in Outdoor’s States and qualify for the Meet Of Champions again. This season, some key returners are Andrew Huismen, Tim Theobald, Conner McKowen, and Drew Riley are ready to lead the team to success. The boys look forward to getting outside and starting up their season at their first away meet against Mater Dei on April 4.

The Girls Spring Track team also had a successful winter season with senior Alexandra Preckajlo placing first in the shot put, Junior Sheila Magrini finished sixth in the high jump, and senior Megan Theobald finishing third in the 55 hurdles and placing sixth in the pole vault. This year,  the team looks forward to key returners Alexandra Preckajlo, Megan Theobald, Megan Lawson, Erin Dailey, Jill Haggerty, and Sheila Magrini taking charge of the team and leading the underclassmen to place in the Spring State Meet and to lead more of their teammates to qualify for the Meet Of Champions. Senior Megan Lawson stated, “I am excited to start the spring season and lead the team again (as she was a captain during the winter and cross country season). In the spring, we are given more opportunities to practice and excel in dual meets.” With the other captains and their teammates starting practice already, both the girls and boys teams are ready to start their season off strong.

Come out and support the boys and girls track team at their dual meets coming up soon! Check the school website’s calendar for more information on their upcoming meets. Go Roses!

By Alex Preckajlo ’17, Staff Writer

The St. Rose Girls Golf Team returns from a good 2016 season this year, intent on growing more and placing higher in both the Monmouth County Tournament and the Shore Conference Tournament. With a winning record at the end of the last season, the returning seniors of Sam Boehmcke, Sam Loori, Ava O’Shaughnessy, and Hannah Gammond, as well as newcomer Ellyn Stoll, are looking for another solid year.

This season, matches against Holmdel and Rumson-Fair Haven are highly anticipated and will prove to be challenges to the team, but ultimately help them get better. However, the biggest rivalries for the team are against Wall and Ranney, which are always very close matches. Senior Ava O’Shaughnessy says she is most looking forward to “playing more matches against teams we haven’t faced before.” Being introduced to new competition can build team morale and introduce new and exciting rivalries. For each match, only 5 team members are chosen from each school to compete, with the lowest score winning. This provides an aspect of competition within the squad, forcing them to improve upon their skills so that they are chosen.

With so many returning players, including sophomores Lauren Hickey and Kelly Crines, the team is looking to build on the skills they learned together last year to take on tough opponents. The team has gained popularity in recent years, growing in size and success. Last year, the team placed fourth out of fifteen teams in counties, a very good result for such a young team.

Individually, Sam Boehmcke finished ninth in the Shore Conference Tournament, which she is looking to improve upon this year. She also qualified for the Challenge Cup, where the top eight Monmouth County golfers face off against the top eight in Ocean County, and she won all of her matches there. The same goes for fellow senior Sam Loori, who placed eighth in the Monmouth County Tournament last year. Loori and Boehmcke are this season’s captains, looking to lead the team to even greater success. With such a strong foundation along with dedication and hard work, the Purple Roses are expected to have a banner year!
By Jill Barry ’17, Staff Writer

One of the most popular start up sports, lacrosse, has its season quickly approaching. Last year the Boys Lacrosse team specifically entered new territory, welcoming many new athletes to their squad and molding them into a cohesive unit that had a successful season.  Although the 5-11 record doesn’t do the season as a whole justice, with multiple close games going the wrong way. This year, the boys hope to change their fortunes and hope that with more skill and experience they can pull out some of the close losses from last year and compete on a newer and higher level than ever before.
Coaches Kevin Preston, Ryan Heisler, and Jonyar Bagheri have been together for 6 years as coaches of the Boys Lacrosse Team, and are expecting a historic season from the team. “We only graduated a few guys last year. For the most part our core players have only gotten bigger, faster, more skilled all while gathering more experience. On top of that we have a massive freshman class with some high end talent in it. We are going to be a force this season for sure,” says coach and St. Rose Alumni Jonyar Bagheri. In line with what coach said, the enhanced experience of the the this year is already evident, with only a few practice in the books. A stinging loss to Newark Academy last year in the state playoffs clearly left an imprint on the team, as sprints, passing and shooting drills, and even physical play has all been at peak levels in practice.
Another unique aspect of the Boys Lacrosse Team is that it consists mainly of players who have not played lacrosse ever before. Instead of technically sound players, the boys harbor the exceptional athletes that attend St. Rose and mold them into lacrosse players. Senior Captain Dan Clayton said, “I had never played lacrosse before I came to St. Rose, but I knew I was very athletic and wanted to play a spring sport. I decided to choose lacrosse because a lot of it is just running, and I progressively got better. And now four years later I am a senior captain.” And Dan Clayton is not alone, it is truly remarkable the number of players that come to the first practice not knowing how to hold the stick and end the season as bonafide lacrosse players. Through hard work, dedication, and great coaching , the boy lacrosse team is a shining example that anything is possible.
Proper credit for the lacrosse team’s success and growth and a problem should also be given to the leadership of the senior captains. Senior Captain Griffin McDermott chimed in about his responsibility as a captain, “I feel inclined to be a good leader and role model for the other players on the team. When I was younger guys like Matt Frost and Scott Dimitt were great leaders and teachers and now it’s my turn to be that type of guy for the underclassmen.”
Behind his and three other captain’s leadership, the team looks to earn a record that accurately reflects their work ethic and to make both the Shore Conference and State Tournaments. Good luck this season boys!

By Alex Phipps ’17, Staff Writer

Coming into march with a bang, the St. Rose Softball program is looking forward to another fun, safe, and successful season. The team this year is comprised of 12 players: 4 seniors, 2 juniors, 1 sophomore, and 5 freshmen. This season is primed to be an exciting one, as the team has a perfect mix of experience, youth, and talent to score some big wins. More specifically, games against Ocean Township, Mater Dei, and Henry Hudson are surefire nail biters that the girls are excited to compete in. In order to put their best foot forward this season, the coaching staff, including the newest member Justin Sauer, are pulling out all the stops to drill the fundamentals into the team. Soft toss, grounders, and pitching alike, the
girls have already begun working hard day in and day out.

Jill Barry, a four year player and senior leader, is very excited for the upcoming season. When asked what she was looking forward to she said, “Seeing the team develop, since we have such a young team, and how much fun we have together as a group.” It is very clear the Softball team’s inherent bond is what sets them apart from other schools and other teams. Being able to join the team as a freshman, gain experience each yeah while making lifelong friends is a unique experience everyone should capitalize on. Bryn Onoshko, another senior leader and four year veteran, also credits the team unit as a whole when asked about the team, saying “It is so important that a team respects and trusts each other, something that has been a crucial part of St. Rose Softball since I’ve been on the team, and I’m sure it will continue to be a defining characteristic of the squad in the years to come.” With such high praise coming from two superb senior leaders, the softball team is destined for greatness this year. Notable growth has occurred on both the defensive and offensive sides of the ball, with strides being made in the outfield defense and team hitting.

Although the girls graduated four seniors last year, this years seniors are we equipped to handle the responsibility of leading the team and developing the youth so the program can maintain its pristine history. Jill Barry specifically commented on how she feels inclined to help guide the underclassmen on the same trajectory she was guided on as a younger player. “I’ve grown so much over the years that I feel obligated to help the underclassmen grow as players, people, and leaders.” This tradition of closeness is shared amongst the four seniors, and with their united efforts, will be instilled in the 8 underclassmen.
From the looks of it, the St. Rose Softball team has a very bright season ahead of it, and an even brighter future. Teamwork, effort, and fun are all coming together of the softball field and it is certain to translate into yet another memorable season.

By Alex Phipps ’17, Staff Writer

The Spring sports season is coming on quickly, and the St. Rose Girls Lacrosse Team is primed and ready for another successful campaign. A potent combination of speed, strength, strategy, effort, and teamwork are sure to make the season full of memories and fun. This year, the team consists of an interesting combination of experience, shown in the seasoned veterans of the last couple of seasons, and a wealth of freshmen who have a wide range of ability. This interesting age distribution points towards a successful future for the roses. The breakdown by age is as follows: 3 seniors, 5 juniors, 3 sophomores, and 22 freshmen. Another implication of the teams very unique age disparity is that the team is at the will of its leaders. The majority of the team being freshmen means that they are impressionable. Senior and two year lacrosse player Ashley Ward said,”I think considering there’s only 3 seniors we have an important role to take on. Us all being good leaders is important because of the immense amount of underclassmen.” It is clear she senses the role she needs to step into this year, so that the freshmen have an enjoyable year and want to continue playing throughout their time at St. Rose. Taking advantage of this opportunity is crucial for the girls, because it gives them an opportunity to develop a strong core group of girls and hopefully field a competitive team for the next couple of years.

That is not to take away from the upcoming season however. The girls are looking toward this season with high expectations. “I’m ready to play a great sport with most of my friends and am looking forward to the pasta parties and everything the season has to offer, whether it’s wins or losses!” said junior Kailah Cummings. The team has diverse talent levels and players with very specialized skill sets that make this season specifically exciting. Seniors Bailey Antman, Marykate O’Malley, and Ashley Ward all bring different yet necessary components to the team, on and off the field. Marykate O’Malley is the team speedster, which is extremely crucial in Girls Lacrosse, while off the field she is a leader for her teammates and friends in her genuine behavior and loving attitude. Bailey Antman brings sheer strength and scoring ability to the team, which complements her honed in ball skills that she has been working on for years. Off the field, Bailey makes sure the team bonds together through laughter. Lastly, Ashley Ward gives the team energy when they most need it with her tenacious and unrelenting play, while off the field she is the team’s glue, always there to support her teammates when they need her. These three outstanding girls are part of why the 2017 Girls Lacrosse season is so exciting.

What sets the girls team apart from their competition is not only their unparalleled work ethic, but their commitment to each other to become a singular team unit, doing and feeling everything together. Activities like team meals and senior led workouts are prime examples that each and every one of the 33 girls that signed up to play lacrosse for the St. Rose this season are dedicated to doing it to the best of their ability. This, in coalition with their talent, hard work, and personnel is what makes St. Rose Girls Lacrosse a not so unlikely candidate to have a historically successful, and fun, season. Good Luck girls!

By MK O’Malley ’17, Staff Writer

With the baseball season just getting started, the Roses have a lot to look forward to this season.  The team will be led by senior captains: Joey Volpe, Brandon Mology and Brendan Hueth. Last season these three were some of the top hitters on the team. In particular Joseph Volpe was nicknamed Joey Bats due to the way he hit the ball last season. Brandon Mology is possibly the team’s best fielder as he is always able to keep the ball in front of him and make plays in the clutch. Finally, Brendan Hueth was able to control the outfield while maintaining one of the highest batting averages in the shore at the same time. These senior captains have already signed to play college baseball next year. Joseph Volpe signed with Dickinson College,  Brandon Mology will be continuing his career at Dominican College, and Brendan Hueth will be following in his brother’s footsteps and will go on to play baseball at Saint Joseph’s University next spring. The Roses will also receive major contributions from the junior class this season. Juniors such as John Crowley, Brody Maypother, and Riley Maypother look to pick up right where they left off last season. Riley Maypother emerged at the team’s ace on the mound last season. Riley was also one of the most dominant pitchers in the shore last season.

The Roses look to ride motivation this year to have a successful season. After suffering an early loss in the state tournament last year, the players are motivated to make sure that they do not experience that feeling again. As Joe Volpe put it, “Everyone on the team has been putting in a lot of work this offseason and it is already showing in the first couple of practices. I am ecstatic to see what we can accomplish throughout the season.” All of the offseason work the Roses have put in has really put them in gear for an outstanding season. The Roses have placed high expectations on themselves and they are certainly capable of not only achieving those expectations, but also exceeding them. Best of luck to the boys baseball team this season.

On February 28th, 2017 St. Rose held their annual winter sports awards; recognizing all the team and singular athlete successes throughout the season. All the athletes, coaches, and parents congregated in the cafeteria to await the beginning of the event; Sister Kathy Nace took time to welcome all the teams Boys and Girls Basketball, Cheerleading, Boys and Girls Swimming, Wrestling, and Ice Hockey; introduced the new athletic director Mr. Randy Westrol (who has stepped in while Mr. White is deployed with the Coast Guard) and then started the ceremony with a prayer. The teams dispersed onto their separate places each getting a room to hand out awards and reminiscence about the joys and accomplishments of the past four months; the awards were then wrapped up with drinks and refreshments provided by the St. Rose Athletic Club.

By: Alex Pendergrass ’17, Staff Writer

Swimming late nights in the pool, pasta parties, bagel parties, and of course, dance parties, from early November to late February, the girls swim team has been training six days a week with frequent meets against other teams. All while making the most of every moment. Although many would think that swimming is an individual sport, it is actually all about the team. In order to score as many points you need to win, each swimmer has to give it their all in each race. The sport is about each other.
The team finished their regular season with a winning record this year consisting of six wins and five loses; a phenomenal winning seasons for the girls. Also, their post season consisted of one win and one loss. The team also made an amazing effort toward Monmouth Counties, Shore Conference, and the State Tournament.
A previous 200 Free Relay record time from 2013 stood at 1:46.53. But this year, that record changed, twice. Sophomores Brenna Harold, Emma Gould, Abi George, and freshman, Molly Moore, broke that record at Counties by a second setting a new record of 1:45.8. The fantastic four beat the record again at Shore Conference 1:44.43. With this record breaking swim and the rest of the team’s efforts the girls came in ninth at Shore Conference. With the girls only in their first and second years of high school, they’re predicted to beat the record again.
This year the girls swim team was ranked 5th in the State Tournament. The team was rewarded with a first round bye, following with a second round upset to the number 4 seed, Gloucester Catholic. This earned the Purple Roses a spot in the semi-final round of states. This was the first time in school history that the girls swim team made it that far.
Without a doubt, it has been a season filled with improvement, motivation and fun. The swim team bond is unlike any other. The St. Rose girls swim team has completed an extremely successful and memorable season. It is now up to the coaches and swimmers to see where their next victorious efforts take them in the seasons to come.

By: MK O’Malley ’17, Staff Writer

The Boys Basketball team had a very successful season.  The ended the season with a record of 15 wins and 11 losses. Their division is considered one of the hardest divisions in the Shore Conference. The boys played both the  number one team, Mater Dei, and the number two team, Ranney,. The boys gave both teams a run for their money.

The boys have been playing in the MAAC since Thanksgiving.; constantly working on their defense, free throws, and three pointers. All of their work did pay off in some crucial games this season. They opened their season in their annual WOBM tournament where they played very well and ended up reaching the semi-finals. This was a huge accomplishment because they have not reached the semi-finals in the recent years. They kept the ball rolling by defeating Marlboro 56-54.  Additionally, St. Rose had many non-division wins that boosted their seeding for the Shore Conference Tournament. The boys were seeded 18^th and played Long Branch. The boys upset Long Branch and went on to play Ranney. They lost a close game to Ranney with the score being 68-71. The boys will open in the state tournament against St Mary Elizabeth’s where they will try and make a run in Non- Public B South. Good luck to the boys’ team and congratulations on all your accomplishments.

By: Pat Gates ’17, Staff Writer

It has been said that the New Jersey’s Shore Conference is one of the best conferences in the country for girl’s high school basketball and the St. Rose Girls Varsity Team are climbing the ranks and are headed to the Shore Conference Finals on Saturday, February 25th at Monmouth University. They will be versing St. John Vianney’s Lady Lancers who won a hard fought game against the Red Bank Catholic Caseys in the Semifinals. The Purple Roses and the Lady Lancers have some history, two years ago they met in Tournament of Champions semifinals where the Purple Roses prevailed on (then) freshman Mikayla Markham’s buzzer beater three pointer; last year SJV got the victory when they met in the shore conference tournament. As we anticipate this exciting match-up between the two talented teams we cannot forget the teams St. Rose defeated on their way.

Fifth seeded St. Rose received a bye in the first round of the tournament and breezed by Marlboro High school in the second round with a commanding score of 72-30. In the quarterfinals the Roses beat the Bulldogs of Rumson Fair Haven by 14 points, Tori Hyduke of RFH was the leading scorer of the game with 28 points and Lovin Marsicano of St. Rose was in close second with 20 points. St. Rose went into the only overtime game in the Shore Conference Tournament this year when they played their rival school Manasquan; their first meeting was one of the best games of the year and this one was no different. St. Rose defeated the Manasquan Warriors by 9 points the final score being 68-59.

“We are really excited to be back in the shore conference finals and excited to play St. John Vianney,” Co- Captain Mikayla Markham reported before their last practice going into the weekend. “We worked hard all spring, summer, and fall in preparation for this game; we arrived early and stayed late and we know we can bring home the trophy!”

By: Alex Pendergrass ’17, Staff Writer