MLHS Girls Cross Country State Champs

Not to leave the Lady Lakers out of the picture......football wasn't the only team to win a championship!!

Last Saturday, Joelle Amaral had a day to forget at the Morris County Track Coaches Association cross country championship, a race where the Randolph junior finished a totally uncharacteristic 23rd overall. While Amaral was winning her second straight state sectional championship, Mountain Lakes junior Kristen Landry was doing her one better, becoming the first girl in 10 years to win three straight North 1 Group I championships and only the 10th girl all-time to win three gold medals at the sectional.

Mountain Lakes and Villa Walsh, two of the smallest schools in the state, brought home the big hardware to Morris County yesterday from Holmdel Park.

Mountain Lakes captured its second Group 1 title and its first since 2005, while Villa Walsh of Morris Township snagged its first Non-Public B title at the NJSIAA/Star-Ledger/MF Athletic Group Championships.

Junior Kristen Landry placed second overall in 20:08 to lead Mountain Lakes, which packed five runners into the top 19 to unseat defending champion Robbinsville, 50-58.

``We were definitely feeling really confident after winning sectionals last week,'' Landry said. ``We're really proud of ourselves for making this a goal and coming through. It's a satisfying feeling.''

Villa Walsh took advantage of the absence of the top three teams in last year's Non-Public B meet Mount St. Mary, Pingry and St. Rose, all of which moved up to Non-Public A this season.

Junior Caroline O'Connor, a first-year runner after switching from soccer, led the way for Villa Walsh, placing fifth in 21:23. Villa Walsh claimed five of the top 15 places and defeated Wildwood Catholic, 48-65, for team honors.

``Tennis and soccer are the big sports at out school, so it will feel good to be recognized for accomplishing something,'' O'Connor said.

No. 11 South Brunswick has qualified for the Meet of Champions as a wild card for the second straight season. Led by senior Sophia Ginez (22nd, 20:01), South Brunswick averaged 20:26.4 and placed fifth in the Group 4 race.

Morristown senior Abby Baldwin-LeClair received the best news of her career when she learned that she was the 10th and final individual wild card and earned her first berth to the M of C. She finished 16th in the Group 3 race in 20:05.

Other M of C wild-card qualifiers included Mendham's Regan Kolakowski, 11th in the Group 3 race in 19:52; Livingston's Eloissa Cusi, 23rd in the Group 4 race in 20:02.

It was a big day for the Davis family as junior twins Kyle and Cullen Davis of North Brunswick both qualified for the Meet of Champions.
Kyle was sixth in Group 4 in 16:13 to automatically qualify, and Cullen, who was 21st in 16:42, advanced as a wild card. The Davis twins are just the third and fourth runners from North Brunswick to ever advance to the M of C.

Kyle Davis, the Greater Middlesex Conference Champion, broke his own school record for Holmdel Park by three seconds. What makes his performance impressive is that he has had a steel rod in his right leg ever since breaking his femur in a skiing accident when he was in eighth grade.

``It has never really bothered me at all when I run,'' Davis said. ``But I guess it's pretty unbelievable that I have gotten to this point.''

Another performance that was pretty incredible was Mendham's second-place finish in Group 3 behind West Windsor-Plainsboro North. The finish itself wasn't incredible, but the fact that No. 19 Mendham, sixth at the M of C last year, has an entirely new top five this season. Sophomore Peter Ehmann led the way for Mendham by placing 10th in 16:53.

No. 7 Millburn was left wondering ``what if '' after its third-place finish in Group 3 with 97 points, six behind runner-up Mendham and 33 behind the winner, West Windsor North.

Usual No. 3 runner, sophomore Blake Udland, was sick all week and was the No. 6 man as he gutted it out the whole way. And junior John Murphy, 21st in 17:13, was running on a badly inured foot.

``If we were healthy, I think we could have won,'' said senior Tyler Udland, third in 15:45. ``But we weren't and that's the way it goes.''

Newark Academy advanced to the M of C for the first time by placing third in Non Public B. Senior Spencer Rice led the way by placing fourth in 17:52.


_______________________________________________________________

The Heard Celebrates its 2nd consecutive State Title

EAST RUTHERFORD — No more teams left to beat. No more mountains left to scale.

 The Mountain Lakes Herd are North 1 Group I state champions once again.

Bone-chilled, soaking wet champions, but champions.

The Herd routed Butler High School at Giants Stadium 48-7 on Saturday night. The ease with which Doug Wilkins' team ran all over the Bulldogs came as a shocker. Mountain Lakes squeezed past Butler on Oct. 31 by just 14-7.

This time though, it was all Mountain Lakes, all the time. The game was so out of hand that the clock ran continuously from early in the third quarter on, after the Herd took a 35-point lead at 42-7.

Butler walked off the field feeling the same way most teams have after facing the Herd the last two years: Too much speed, too much power, too much blocking, too many weapons.

In a matchup of the Delaware Wing-T (Mountain Lakes) vs. the Run-and-Shoot (Butler), the running team was a big, big winner.

Mountain Lakes, winners of a New Jersey-high 25 straight games, braved heavy first-half snowfall that covered much of the field throughout the day and put on a 24-minute clinic against a Butler team that was 10-1 coming in — including an impressive 28-14 victory over formidable Hasbrouck Heights in the sectional semifinals.

MLHS Girls win State Title

Mtn. Lakes runs over Glen Ridge

Newfrock, Stickle lead Lakers to sectional title

Lady Lakers Wim Another Title

Girls Basketball at MLHS has a strong wining tradition

MLHS Goes Green

Borough considers solar paneling

(by Allison Cassara/Correspondent - January 28, 2009)
The Mountain Lakes Board of Education is pursuing a project to install solar panels on three of its four schools, which could potentially generate 25 percent of each building's power.

The district was approached by the Morris County Improvement Authority (MCIA) to participate in its pilot program, along with three other public school districts - Boonton, Morris Hills, and Morris Central.

Under the direction of administrator Daniel Borgo, the district had already evaluated the schools it operates through an architect. The initial report found that all but Lake Drive School could harvest enough sun to generate power.

In addition to providing financial assistance, the MCIA told the districts it was committed to seeing the projects through. It would also ensure that each individual building's structural integrity could support solar paneling by streamlining any necessary repairs with the installation process.

Both Wildwood School and Mountain Lakes High School need approximately $2 million in roof repairs. The Board planned to conduct the project in phases to help manage the costs due to the current economic climate. Without factoring in potential repair costs, the estimated price on installing solar panels is $2.1 million.

In addition, Superintendent Dr. John Kazmark clarified to the Board that the project would aesthetically blend with Briarcliff School, which has a slate roof and is registered as a historic landmark.

Established by the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 2002, the MCIA provides financial assistance for economic development to municipalities, non-profit organizations, and private entities.

Athletes at MLHS are now required to sign Training Rules which have a zero tolerance stipulation.

These rules have caused a great deal of heated discussion in Town as to the fairness and equitability. Athletes who have violated the rules have been taken out of every kind of school activity, not just the actual sport. Rules do not necessarily apply to "other activities" like Band, Ski Club, etc

>Should the rules apply to eveyone in the school in every kind of activity.?

>Should someone who doesn't violate the rules,  but is with someone that does be subject as well.

> Is the Punishment commensurate with the crime

See what the Parents, Coaches and Student think about these rules:

Click the links below to see the results of the surveys:

Click the back button after eack to return to the website:

Parents              Coaches             Students