By Paige Jaenicke, Sports Editor

As the new 2021-2022 school year welcomed new beginnings, the Trinity Hall fall sports seasons brought about an abundance of success. Each and every one of the Monarch community’s student-athletes persevered through not only a second season with masks and social distancing, but also encountered victories in games and matches, post-season awards, as well as recognitions and nominations along the way.

Commencing their pre-season play in early August, the Trinity Hall tennis team had an impressive season and finished with a record of 16-5 in the Shore Conference, tying with Ranney for the title of B Central Division Champions in an astounding match and performance.  The team not only qualified for the state tournament, but advanced to the final round of the NJSIAA competition this year.  Senior Haley Nelson was named to the New Jersey All Non-Public Girls Third Team, and the team ranked third n the entire NJ Non-Public B Group.

In November, the Trinity Hall sailing team placed third overall in their final regatta.  Senior Sydney Gusmer was excited by their success as a team and looked forward to seeing what lies in store for the team in the years to come.

“We had a new coach this season, so that was something we had to adapt to,” said Gusmer while reflecting back on the year for the Monarch sailors.  “Last year we had about eight new girls join who had never sailed before. We were able to teach them and build on  the progress we made last year.  Eventually, we helped everyone learn to skipper, which was definitely an accomplishment.”

The Monarch volleyball team set the stage for an incredible seasonal performance by way of their team bonding and efforts to work well together. Concluding 12-7 on the season, Trinity Hall received the B Central Division Champion title along with a strong finish in the quarter finals of the New Jersey Prep State Tournament.  The team also qualified for both the Shore Conference and NJSIAA Tournaments, with note-worthy victories against St. Rose (final score 2-1), Marlboro (2-0), and Morristown Beard (2-0).

“I honestly felt like the season was incredible for us,” said junior Reece Jones, a key player for the volleyball squad. “The seniors stepped up to take leadership roles to help our new coach out.  I had a great time especially because I feel that we did a lot as a team, more so than we did last season, because we did a ton of team bonding. We had a sleepover on Senior Night, we went out to grab brunch before a big game, and we even ate lunch together sometimes at school.  Even though I will miss the seniors a lot next year, I am excited to see what becomes of the volleyball program in the future!”

Among the dozens of state tournament victories in the Trinity Hall community, the soccer team certainly made an impressive run during the postseason play.  Completing the regular season with a record of 14-7-1, the team was composed of two senior athletes who are signed to play at the Division One level- Cameryn Keane (UNCW) and Lily Froehlich (Georgetown University).  Some of the more impressive victories for the Monarchs included wins against Camden Catholic (5-2) and Notre Dame (2-0) in the first and quarter final rounds of the NJSIAA Tournament.  Freshman Aubrey Scoble was nominated by NJ.com for Freshman Girls Soccer Player of the Year, and Junior Goalie Olivia Fazzolari was also nominated for the Asbury Park Press Girls Soccer Player of the Week 6.  Junior Alex Popham, sophomore Kaylin McCarthy, and Froehilich were named to the Class B-Central All-Division Team, and Froehlich and Popham were named to the Monmouth County First and Third Teams by the Asbury Park Press as well.

The Trinity Hall field hockey team ended a successful season with a final record of 9-5-1.  The Monarchs qualified for both the state and shore conference tournaments for a third year in a row in the program’s young history of only being in existence for four years.  Freshman Bridie Fitzgerald, juniors Lauren Kane and Blaire Sheftel, as well as senior captains Ellery Benedict and Sarah Nejame were named on the Asbury Park Press Shore Conference All-Division Team.  The team continues to make momentous strides in making themselves a known force in the Shore. 

“We had a lot of freshmen this year, which was fun because we were able to help them learn the sport and watch them grow,” said Sheftel, who has been a solid defender for the Monarchs both last season and this past year.  “As upperclass women, we helped the new girls learn the basics and saw their constant improvement from there.  Because we had so many new people, we were able to strengthen our pre-existing bonds as a team and become closer with new teammates at the same time.”

The cross country team was the last fall sport to finish its season with the Footlockers Invitational on November 27 in Brooklyn, New York.  It is safe to say that the Monarchs’ victorious dual meet season was “untouched.” Early on in the season, Freshman Cate Bonan placed first at the New Balance Shore Coaches Invitational at Holmdel Park in the freshmen race, followed by Freshman Lily Mullener placing third.  Varsity placed seventh overall at the Monmouth County XC Championships at Holmdel Park.  The Monarchs traveled to the Bronx, New York City, to compete at the prestigious Manhattan College Invitational.  Senior Captain Madeline Barber, an NCAA Division I commit to Bucknell University, finished third in the for the varsity girls race in the NJCTC Cross Country Championship, and Trinity Hall placed sixth overall as a team in the meet.

“I think this year’s season was a major improvement from last year,” said Barber.  “We were able to fit in so many more meets and practices together.  Everyone put their best foot forward and made a very strong effort to excel this season.  The team has been determined and driven to meet our goals for this year.  I am very proud of what we have accomplished so far and cannot wait to look back and see all the success this team will have in the future!”

Qualifying for the NJSIAA Group Championships at Holmdel Park on November 16, the varsity cross country squad resolutely competed in the Girls Non-Public A Race, a change from last season that made placing ahead even more difficult.  However, the Monarchs persevered and made the best of the race day by preparing with pasta parties, rhythm miles, and more memories!

The Trinity Hall community cannot wait to see what successes lay ahead for the Monarch winter sports teams!