| NEWS |
  
|
| FEATURES |
| ENTERTAINMENT |
  
|
| COLUMNS |
     |
| CONTACT US |
|
| HOW TO SUBMIT |
|
|
| BACK ISSUES |
|
|
 (Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption:
|
Hun Lax Star Fries, PHS Tennis Standout Hoeland Get Nod as Town Topics' Top Spring Performers
By Bill Alden
For the past few summers, Bis Fries has practically lived with a lacrosse stick in her hands.
The Hun School star has spent countless hours playing in camps and leagues as well as pushing herself through individual skills and conditioning workouts.
Fries' dedication to the game has paid off as she has spent her last two springs firing in a barrage of goals, helping the Raiders to become one of the top girls' programs in the area.
The willowy Fries saved her best for last this spring as she tallied 111 points on 81 goals and 30 assists. In so doing, she became the first player in program history to eclipse the 200-goal mark in a career.
On many occasions this spring, Fries took over games, spellbinding opponents with her dizzying offensive repertoire which included over-the-shoulder shots, jump shots, laser-like bouncers, and pinpoint passes covering most of the field. Sparked by Fries' productivity, Hun went 12-5 and made it back to the state Prep A semifinals.
Hun head coach Lauren Provenzano noted that Fries' singular skills rubbed off on her teammates. "She's a leader by example," said Provenzano, referring to Fries, who will be continuing her lacrosse career out west at Stanford University. "She is such an intense player and she leads with her skill. The players follow what she can do on the field."
Fries, for her part, is ready to hone her skills even further as she heads to Stanford, a rising force in the women's college game. "I've always wanted to play Division I lacrosse, it was always my first option wherever I went to school," asserted Fries. "I want to take my game to the highest level."
For taking her game to the stratosphere this spring, Fries earns the nod as the Town Topics' top female performer of the spring season.
Top Male Performer
Chris Hoeland was more than ready ready to be the top dog this spring for the Princeton High boys' tennis team.
After spending three years operating in the shadow of Ilia Shatashvili, the PHS superstar who went on to Columbia University this past fall, Hoeland was primed to show he could thrive at first singles.
Utilizing his rocket serve and pinpoint groundstrokes, Hoeland was a force from day one of the season. After an early-season loss to Dave Holland of Princeton Day School, Hoeland didn't fall again until the state singles tournament.
Along the way, Hoeland turned the tables on Holland as he beat the PDS star 6-3, 6-3 in the championship match at first singles in the Mercer County Tournament (MCT).
The triumph was Hoeland's fourth MCT title, adding to the two titles he had won at third singles and his one second singles crown. He is just the sixth player to accomplish the feat of winning four MCT titles.
Hoeland's on-court brilliance and leadership also helped PHS overcome a slow start and capture its fourth straight Group III Central Jersey Sectional title. Despite going with a lineup that included three freshmen, the Little Tigers finished with a final record of 16-7 after falling to Millburn in the Group III Final Four.
In the view of PHS head coach Paul Lynch, Hoeland's work as team captain was as valuable to the team as his shot-making.
"Chris really set the tone," said Lynch, referring to Hoeland, who will continue his tennis career at Washington University in St. Louis.
"He's not your typical moody tennis player. He wants to have fun but he's serious about his tennis. He's very relaxed and he's willing to work with the younger guys at practice. I think the lessons they have learned from him and the time they were able to practice with him will help them move up to the next level."
Hoeland, for his part, was determined to savor things as he finally got his chance to serve as the program's top gun.
"I've eased off a lot," said Hoeland, after winning his MCT title.
"I kept telling my teammates to just have fun. Some of them have been telling me that I have been taking this fun thing too seriously."
For helping PHS have a lot of fun this spring as he capped his career in style, Hoeland is the choice as the Town Topics' top male performer of the spring season.
Top Newcomers
Coming into this spring, Stuart Country Day track coach Tom Harrington knew he had no choice but to go with a youth movement.
Losing a quintet of seniors from his 2004 team that won the program's third straight state Prep B title, the Tartans were stocked with new faces throughout the squad.
"We didn't look like a team at the beginning," recalled Harrington. "We were trying different people at different events."
One of those different people, freshman sprinter Carys Johnson, caught Harrington's eye. The wily coach acknowledged that Johnson had the potential to be something special.
The opposition rarely caught Johnson the rest of the spring as she emerged as one of the top sprinters on the prep scene.
In the Prep B meet, Johnson proved she could come through when it counted most as she took first place in the 100 and third in the 200 to help the Tartans take their fourth straight state crown.
A few days later, Johnson capped her stunning debut by setting school records in the 100 (12.7) and the 200 (27.0) as she won those events at the Patriot Conference meet to help Stuart earn that title as well.
In reflecting on her freshman season, Johnson pointed to the camaraderie around the team as a key factor underlying her success.
"We're all one big happy family," asserted Johnson. "I didn't know what to expect as a freshman. The experience exceeded my expectations. Everybody was so supportive."
For exceeding expectations, Johnson's sprinting performance this spring earns her the nod as the Town Topics' top female newcomer of the spring season.
Princeton Day School boys' tennis coach Rome Campbell tried to keep low key about it but the slight rise in his voice when he talked about freshman Dave Holland revealed how excited he was to have him in the fold.
While Campbell professed before the season that he wasn't sure where Holland would end up in the PDS line-up, the talented freshman was at first singles on opening day.
Holland never left that spot as he piled up win after win. His early season win over Princeton High senior star Chris Hoeland confirmed his status as one of the area's elite players.
With Holland as a constant force at the top of the lineup, PDS emerged as a force, tying for second in the Mercer County Tournament and then upending four-time defending champion Rutgers Prep to win the state Prep B title.
In Campbell's view, Holland's excellence improved everyone in the Panther line-up.
"People work harder when they are around Dave," asserted Campbell. "They see the dedication that he gives to the game and I think they draw on it. It's good for a team to have a big player at No.1. Everybody tends to rise to the occasion."
For the way Holland rose to the occasion, he is the pick as the Town Topics' top male newcomer of the spring.
Top Coaches
Sara Wagner found herself in a quandary after her Stuart Country Day lacrosse team got walloped by 11 goals at Princeton Day School in late April.
The second-year head coach took her team up on the hill overlooking the PDS field for a post-game exchange of views that lasted more than 30 minutes.
"We just needed to hash some things out," said Wagner, recalling that session. "We are looking for leadership. They are so earnest and they just wanted to let it out. We thought we had it worked out but it's a problem when you lose by that many. We have been getting off to great starts but we have been letting every team back into the game."
The Tartans came down from that hill and went on a roll that landed them in the state Prep B championship game against recent nemesis Pennington, which had used the scoring of Kylee Rossi and Andrea Piccariello to upset the Tartans in the 2004 prep semis and had beaten them again in a regular season game early this spring.
Knowing that Stuart had to do something different in order to upend Pennington, Wagner made some key tactical adjustments.
"We put Annie Crawford Roberts on Pic and she did an excellent job," explained Wagner. "We worked on forcing Rossi wide."
With Mary Jane Sweetland and Kelly Bruvik both firing in four goals and Nina Szemis coming up big in the goal, Stuart prevailed 9-8 in a riveting contest to take the title.
Afterward, a beaming Wagner was thrilled by how things progressed from that stormy post-game session at PDS. "I'm very happy for this team because they just wanted this so badly and worked so hard," asserted Wagner. "The practices have been hard and they have been sponges, absorbing everything we gave to them."
For what Wagner gave her team in terms of leadership and tactical acumen, she is the choice as the top coach among female teams this spring.
When John Miranda returned to coach the Princeton High baseball team in 2004 after a two-year hiatus serving for the Marines in the War in Iraq, he quickly realized that he was locked in a new battle.
With the team coming off a two-win season in 2003, the players' morale was low as a cloud seemed to hang over the program. The play in the field was sloppy as the team often had trouble executing basic fundamentals.
Miranda, who had led PHS to the state tournament in 2001 during his first stint coaching the Little Tigers, was unable to work his magic overnight as PHS posted another two-win campaign.
This spring, led by a group of resilient seniors, Miranda sensed a change in the attitude around the program. "I've really been impressed by this group of kids, the work ethic is outstanding," said Miranda before the season.
"They had a much better offseason than last year. I didn't get a chance to coach them much before last season. The kids had a chance to work together. I've seen a big improvement in their commitment."
While PHS got off to a slow start, that commitment started yielding dividends as the Little Tigers caught fire in mid-season. Steadied by Miranda's upbeat approach, PHS advanced to the semifinals of the Mercer County Tournament and came within a win of qualifying for the state tournament.
For Miranda, the team's reversal of fortune which saw it finish with an 11-14 record made for a spring to remember. "I knew we were going to be improved but they did exceed my expectations," said Miranda, who was recently named as the new athletic director for the Princeton school district.
"To go from two wins to 11 is a huge jump. We didn't always play well but we always played hard. This year was very enjoyable. The kids enjoyed the games; they played with such passion."
For playing a major role in instilling that passion, Miranda earns the nod as the top coach among male teams this spring.
