Ranney School Athletes Wrap Up Winter Season with Big Wins

Ranney athletes wrapped up the winter sports season with a number of big wins for the school:

• On the high school level, Ranney’s Epee Squad was named 2011 state champion. Following a first place finish at the NJSIAA/ Bollinger District Championships hosted by North Hunterdon High School on Jan. 29, the Ranney School Epee Squad competed with other squads from across the state in the NJSIAA’s Squad State Championships on Feb. 27. Competing against public, independent and parochial schools within the NJSIAA, Sam Tkach (Little Silver) led the way for Ranney at the Squad State Championships, with a 12-3 record on the B-strip. Coached by Atlantic Fencing Club Manager Agota Balot, Ranney’s Varsity fencing team defeated the Cetrulo Tournament weapon title-holder, Millburn High School, 32-30. State Epee Champion fencers Sam Tkach and Omar Sarhan (Ocean) will represent Ranney at the NJSIAA Individual State Championships on March 12. The Star-Ledger nominated Sarhan as its “High School Top Performer of the Week” in February.
• Ranney’s middle school swim team was named two-time Ranney Swim Invitational Champions at their Feb. 24 meet. Key swimmers for the Lady Panthers were Kathleen Crilly ’16, Peri Rohl ’16, Alexandra Natsis ’15 and Anne Marie Weiland ’15, who took first in the 100 Freestyle Relay. Also notable was Audra Smires ’16, who earned key points for Ranney in two individual events — the 50 Freestyle and 100 Individual Medley. Zachary DiGiaro ’16 and Joseph Cantatore ’15 led the boys’ team to victory with two individual first place finishes. DeGiaro took gold and broke a new school record of 104.08 in the 100 Freestyle, and Cantatore placed first with a record 38.52 finish in the 50 Breaststroke. Both, along with Christopher Centrella ’16 and Sean Callahan ’15, defeated all four opponents in the 100 Medley Relay and 200 Freestyle Relay — breaking two more school records before the event’s close.
• On the courts, the middle school varsity girls’ basketball team earned the Central Jersey Athletic League (CJAL) Championship title on Feb. 25. Along with the team’s captains Erin Kennedy, Gabriella Mahoney and Arianna Palmeri ’16 who guided the girls to victory with key baskets, Sabrina Arbes ’15 led the Panthers with a career-high 10 points. Defensively, Elizabeth Paasche ’16 and Sabrina earned several rebounds essential to securing a 32-24 win as well. Rumson Country Day School stopped the Ranney boys’ team in its tracks 33-29 in their race towards the championship. Jack Boyan contributed 13 points throughout the game. Meanwhile, Benjamin Metzger earned eight, Randy Chuan-Rong Lai ’15 made three, and James Geraghty ’16 had two.