Winter season sports highlights are here

Winter Track

With a healthy balance of seasoned athletes and newcomers to the sport, both the boys’ and girls’ winter track teams enjoyed successful seasons that included a number of strong individual performances. Valerie Portuphy won the triple jump in the conference championships and also won the long jump in the Passaic County championships. Sharyn Thomas placed third at the conference championships and fourth at the state championships in the shot put. Sophomore Fiona Borzone had a breakout debut in track and field season and placed fifth in high jump at the state championships. Freshman Alyssa Malasits and Jiahui (Nina) Yang also had promising debut seasons which they will look to build upon in the future. 

The boy’s team was led by a strong group of upperclassmen which included Timothy La Bianca, Stone Davis, Alex Culp, and Caleb Kuperus. Coach Heerema calls Timothy La Bianca  “The team’s Swiss army knife. He showed his versatility by competing in 55-meter hurdles, high jump, pole vault, and occasionally ran a leg of the team’s 4×400 meter relay.” Timothy particularly excelled in the pole vault and won the state championships in the event! Stone Davis also had a strong performance in the pole vault and placed third at the state championships. Distance runners Alex Culp and Caleb Kuperus also had standout seasons and provided excellent character and leadership to the team. 

Girls Bowling

Highlighted by their second place finish at the county championships where the Lady Eagles surprised many of the larger schools in the county by knocking down 1,882 pins, the girls enjoyed an historic season. Individual highlights included top 10 finishes by Rebecca Ross and captain Makena Spatz (454 pins, third place) who led the tournament’s individual competition after the first two games.  The second half of the season included three straight 7-0 sweeps (winning all three games) of Pascack Hills, Wayne Valley, and Ridgefield Park. The girls bowled above their team average during each match of the season’s second half. They battled valiantly in their first-ever state sectional head-to-head matchup, ultimately falling to Northern Valley Demarest.  The season concluded at the league championships where senior Ashley Luo finished ninth overall with 442 pins, just weeks after she bowled a personal best 189 game.  

Coach Goldstein thanks the senior group of Makena Spatz, Brielle Spalt and Ashley Lou and describes them as “pioneers in girls bowling in the region” as they helped lead the charge to create a girls league amongst the small schools in North Jersey.  

Boys Bowling

After back-to-back league titles, this team finished strong and in second place in the division following a 7-0 sweep of Hawthorne in their final league match. But the fun was just getting started!  The boys entered the first-ever, head-to-head playoff bracket in New Jersey with the #2 seed thanks to averaging 681 pins (4 bowlers for 3 games each) over the course of the season.  After a first-round bye, EC defeated Park Ridge and rival Hawthorne by a two-game sweep, blitzing the Bears with a 927 and 960 (five bowlers each game/ four rolling a 199 or higher!) Muke Jiang and David Zhang shined in the early playoff rounds with David continuing his knack for throwing 200 when it matters most, having thrown two in last year’s sectional tournament and multiple 200s in this year’s early playoff round victories. Junior Joe Deluccia obliterated pins in the narrow loss in the sectional title match with Kinnelon, throwing a personal best 265, which helped earn him a medal for the fifth highest series out of all North 1 bowlers in the championship round.  

The team was led all year by the 1-2 punch of seniors Hanyang Wang and Joshua Heerema.  Josh served as team captain and Coach Goldstein notes, “We are thankful for his leadership and proud of this team for leaving its legacy on North Jersey Bowling.  Even with the graduation of two of the school’s all-time bowlers, Muke, Joe and Nathan Im are hungry for more success.”    

Boys Freshman Basketball

The EC freshman basketball team concluded their season with an impressive record of 10 wins, 6 losses, and 1 tie. Reaching the milestone of 10 wins was a significant team goal, one achieved through hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment. A standout and defining moment of the season was the thrilling victory against Glen Rock on our home court, showcasing the team’s skill and teamwork and igniting the spirit and enthusiasm of both players and supporters alike.

Coach Harvell said, “The most rewarding aspect of the season was witnessing the improvement of each player as they honed their skills and developed a deeper understanding of the game. This growth is a testament to their hard work, coachability, and passion for the sport.” With a solid foundation of talent, teamwork, and determination, the future of EC basketball looks exceptionally bright.

Boys JV Basketball

The EC junior varsity basketball team had a promising start to the season but faced challenges due to injuries and the movement of players up from the freshman level and others up to the varsity. Most notably, Andy Genuario and Gio Indomenico transitioned from JV to starting roles on varsity. Carter Groen emerged as the most improved player on JV, Jonmarcus Rodriguez as the leading scorer, and Keith and Kevin Osae-Twum as forces around the basket. Sam Audige, Paul Dussard, and Luke Demosthene also made strong contributions to the team effort, while Jayden Medina developed exceptional three-point shooting. Despite limited playing time at the JV level, freshmen Justin Blands Pearson and Hudson Culp displayed hustle and skill that bodes well for their future in the program. Coach David Riley comments, “Witnessing the development of these players throughout the season was a rewarding experience.”

Boys V Basketball

The boys varsity basketball team started out strong, going 3-1 over the first four games before injuries and absences began to derail the season. Despite the team’s final record, many victories were achieved throughout the season that we celebrate. One highlight was senior captain Lucas Genuario scoring his 1000th career point on a breakaway dunk against Hawthorne at home. Others include junior Caleb Chae’s 17-point performance in the county game against Lakeland, the team’s mid-season victories against Hawthorne and Passaic Charter, the step-up play of sophomore Andy Genuario and junior Gio Indomenico, who began the season on JV and worked their way into starting roles on varsity during the season, and the state game where Lukas Faasse had his best game of the season even though he wasn’t feeling well. Sophomore Andrew Mwrigi also made significant contributions in games he played, averaging nearly 10 rebounds. Although the team will be graduating six seniors–Lucas Genuario, Lukas Faasse, Daniel Lim, Carter Fowlkes, Nehemiah Rhee, and Matthew Gupko–four of whom started the majority of our games, we are excited about the future of Eastern Christian basketball and the development of our younger players who gave a strong and consistent effort this season.

Girls V Basketball

The young Lady Eagles battled through season-ending injuries to important players, shooting slumps, and a very competitive schedule, finishing second place in the league with a 15-9 record. The season featured multiple signature games versus opponents ranked highly in their respective state tournament brackets. These included the opening night win over #3 seed Waldwick, the Christmas tournament victory over 20 win/ #4 seed Becton, the narrow loss to State Sectional Champion Park Ridge, the exciting fourth quarter comeback win in Weehawken, and the well-played victory over a 20 win Leonia team in the season finale. Coach Veenstra notes their man-to-man defense as the team’s strength, made possible by the hard work in spirited practices shown by every team member, every day. He describes the team, led by senior captains Gianna Angelucci and Mackenzie Wynbeek, as “A very athletic, coachable, and dedicated group who accept their respective roles. They love to compete, love each other, and love the Lord.”

Girls MS Basketball

The ladies’ middle school basketball team enjoyed a successful season by any measure, demonstrating steady improvement from beginning to end. With a spirit and ability to receive feedback well, working to implement the things they were taught in games, the girls were able to compete with the best teams on the schedule en route to an 8-3 season record. The emphasis in practice was on fundamentals, including proper shooting form, ball movement on offense, man-to-man defense, protecting the ball, and developing a sense of where to be on the court and how to be set for a quick jump shot.

The team was anchored by six eighth-grade students (several of whom have the potential to contribute to the program in HS) and several seventh-graders who also contributed significantly. Coach Dan Lazor noted, “The team was encouraging to each other and had fun playing together.” 

Boys MS Basketball

EC middle school boys basketball was a season filled with an inspiring level of dedication by 24 players who participated in this year’s program. All members, whether drill participants, practice team players, or full-time competitors, optimized their use of time and space to raise their level of play. Team captains, Josiah Hytrek and Mason Hinton, masterfully organized the start of practice while awaiting the coach’s arrival. Veteran players, Chase Hinton and Matthew Blaize also provided leadership as the team refined shooting form, rebounding technique, passing precision, and defensive schemes. Team highlights included wins against Butler, HCA, and Saddle River Day. The peak performance of the year came in a closely contested loss to a solid Haledon team to finish the season. The greatest triumph of the season was evident in the way each player showed unwavering support for one another while putting the team first. 

League and County Honors

Boys Basketball

• County
  • 1st: Lucas Genuario
  • HM: Dan Lim, Lukas Faasse
• League 
  • 1st: Lucas Genuario

Girls Basketball 

• County
  • 2nd: Kirsten Braunius
  • HM: Caroline Pringle, Mackenzie Wynbeek
• League 
  • 1st: Mackenzie Wynbeek, Kirsten Braunius
  • 2nd: Addison Fleming, Caroline Pringle
  • HM: Tori Brown

Boys Bowling 

• County
  • 1st: Hanyang Wang 
  • 2nd: Joshua Heerema
  • HM: Joseph DeLuccia, David Zhang
• League 
  • 1st: Hanyang Wang, Joshua Heerema, Joseph DeLuccia
  • HM: David Zhang

Girls Bowling 

• County
  • 2nd: Makena Spatz
  • HM: Ashley Luo, Brielle Spalt

Indoor Track

• County
  • 1st: Valerie Portuphy (LJ)
  • HM: Tim La Bianca, Alex Culp, Fiona Borzone, Alyssa Malasits