Successful Season for Salk MS Sports

The fall athletic season at Jonas Salk Middle School was a huge success. The football, boys' soccer, cross country, girls' soccer and badminton teams demonstrated dedication and sportsmanship. All of the teams carried large rosters to encourage athletic participation.

The highlight of the fall season was the football team, coached by Stewart Kempinski and Scott Mullins. After losing its opening game, it was able to win the next five games, posting an overall record of 5-1. The boys dedicated themselves to excellence. More importantly, the playing demonstrated sportsmanship and team spirit.

The Seahawk offense was led by Dan Sullivan, Paul Mazziotti, Michael LaScala and Jeff King, while the defense was tough to score against because of Nick Rawls, Kevin Lyons, Joe Vasold, Eric Schneider, Robert Kellner and Craig DuBeau.

The boys' soccer team, coached by Ken Granelli, finished the season with a 5-4 record. The Seahawks lost two of their first three games but worked hard and won four out of their next six games. The team carried a roster of 26 players. Despite the large numbers, all of the players played an equal amount of time.

The team was led by co-captains Mark Zajkowski and Brendan Cleary. Exceptional play was credited to eighth-grade standouts Mike Calandra, Jim Handwerker, Nick LaForgia, Pietro Napolitano, Chris Reilly, Max Reitmayr, Adam Small, Jeff Turchi, Dan Valentino and Tim Zegers.

The Seahawks cross country team, coached by Dewain Lanfear, worked hard and were very competitive. John Parella had an outstanding season, finishing in first place in five out of six races. The team was supported by eighth-grade runners Mary Jo Alliksen, Christina Lentini and Jocelyn Wood.

The girls' soccer team, coached by Geoffrey Shoemaker, struggled this season with a 1-7 record. Despite the rocky road, the girls played with enthusiasm and improved a great deal by the end of the season. The team was led by tri-captains Lauren Cooperman, Danielle Jackson and Caitlin Nally. Shannon Hart led the offense and was the team's leading goal scorer. The defense was anchored by goalie standouts Alex Gargiso and Christy Landwersiek.

The girls' badminton had only two players from last year's undefeated season. Nevertheless, the girls played very well, winning three matches, losing four and tying three. Claudette Frysztacki was the Seahawks' first singles player and she finished the season with an 8-1 record. Jennifer Piperno and Mary Ann Gutkind also demonstrated outstanding play for Salk.