Eastern HS Field Hockey Team Wins Another New Jersey Tournament of Championships Title

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

While New Jersey still doesn't crown overall state champs in football, it does have a cool concept for other sports.

It's called the Tournament of Champions where respective group champs meet to decide an overall state champ in sports such as basketball, soccer, cross country and field hockey.

Sunday, Eastern High School's Danyle Heilig, who was a guest on the November 17th NHSCA Sports Hour, led her school to its four T of C title, which comes on-top of the school's 13th straight Group 4 championship.

Eastern (27-0) beat West Essex (23-2) 5-2 i the T of C championship game.  Eastern was led by freshman Austyn Cuneo, who had a goal and an assist.  The goal was her 69th this season, which tied the state record held by Eastern grad Kelsey Mitchell in 2009 and  Michelle Vuzzuso of West Essex in 1994.

Since taking over Eastern (Voorhees, New Jersey) in 1999, Heilig has never failed to win a group championship.  Earlier this year, Heilig won her 300th game.

The Vikings 13 straight state titles is a national record.  The school also had a 153-game  game unbeaten streak that is also a national record.



Click here to listen to my interview with Coach Heilig on November 17th.

October GTM Sportswear Athlete of the Month

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

Edward Cheserek, a junior cross country runner at St. Benedict's Prep in New Jersey, is the October GTM Sportswear Athlete of the Month.

At the Passaic Coaches Invitational on September 24th, Cheserek not only won the boys 5K race, he won by nearly two minutes.  With a time of 14 minutes, 53 seconds, Cheserek not only broke the Garret Mountain course record, he shattered it by 22 seconds.

Ranked No. 1 nationally in the preseason by xcnation.com, Cheserek finished second in the Nike Cross Nationals last year, two seconds behind last year’s NHSCA National High School Senior Athlete of the Year, Lukas Verzbicas.

Cheserek came to the United States 15 months ago after spending most of his formative years at the Stadi Za Maisha orphanage in his native Kenya.

#1 Southlake Carroll (TX) Cross Country Coach Justin Leonard on Thursday NHSCA Sports Hour

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

Southlake Carroll (Texas) High School's boys' and girls' cross country teams grabbed gold medals last weekend at the Texas 5A state championship meet.

Tomorrow night, head coach Justin Leonard will join me on the NHSCA Sports Hour at 6PM Eastern Time to talk about the incredible year that the Dragon runners have had this season.  The boys' team is currently ranked #1 in the nation; the girls are ranked #15, according to XCnation.com.

The boys state title was the first-ever for Southlake Carroll, while the girls snapped a string of three-straight runner-up finishes.  The boys set a record by scoring 20 points; 15 points is a perfect score in cross country.  The Dragons place five runners in the top 10, beating second place Houston Strake Jesuit by 90 points.



XCnation.com National Rankings

Boys
1. Southlake Carroll (TX)
2. Christian Brothers Academy (NJ)
3. Fayetteville Manlius (NY)
4. American Fork (UT)
5. Stillwater (MN)
6. Lexington (SC)
7. Davis (UT)
8. Rush Henrietta (NY)
9. Columbus North (IN)
10. Calvin Christian (MI)

Girls
1. Fayetteville Manlius (NY)
2. Saratoga Springs (NY)
3. North Shore (NY)
4. Tatnall (DE)
5. Monticello (MN)
6. Carmel (IN)
7. New Trier (IL)
8. Fort Collins (CO)
9. Simi Valley (CA)
10. Xavier Prep (AZ)

To see the entire Top 50, click here.

To listen to the show LIVE tomorrow night, click here.