Sports

BASEBALL CHAMPIONS: The Livingston High School varsity baseball team was honored by the Township Council for winning the NJSIAA Section 1, Group 4 Championship earlier this month; it marked the first time Livingston had advanced that far since 1981. At the meeting, head coach Mickey Ennis announced that the team ended the season ranked 14th in the state. MI Photo

BASEBALL PLAYERS VISIT YOUNG FAN: Livingston High School baseball captains Ben Hauser, Nick Slotnick, Brandon Kenney, and Scotty Schroeder recently paid a visit to five year old Lancer fan Ty Weinglass, who has leukemia. Ty is shown here giving the captains a few baseball tips after the Lancers won the New Jersey State Group IV Section II championship for the first time in 41 years. Last fall, baseball coach Dave McLaughlin arranged for Ty to throw out the first pitch at a North Jersey Giants baseball game at Somerset Patriots Stadium. The Giants are a club baseball organization run by Mickey Ennis, LHS head baseball coach.

The Livingston Lancer Varsity Baseball team beat Passaic County Tech 4-2 in the group 4 section 1 state championship game.

It had been 41 years since the Lancers last won this title back in 1981.

Ben Hauser won his ninth game on the mound and Brandon Kenney picked up his fourth save of the season.

Livingston lost to Hunterdon Central 2-1 on Monday in the NJSIAA Group 4 state semifinals, ending a ten game winning streak

The team is currently 21-9 and ranked 22nd in the state of New Jersey.

BOYS TRACK: Shown above, the 4x100 meter relay of Ethan Wang, Chase Kaufman, Luke Petryna, and Chase Wade earned a second place finish at the state sectional meet, breaking a school record in the process. At right, Matt Ho and Ray Oji placed third and second in the 110-meter hurdles at the state sectional meet.

TABLE TENNIS CHAMPION: On Saturday, June 11, Emma Yang, a third grader at Collins Elementary School, participated in the 2022 USA Table Tennis Championships East Regional qualification tournament in Dunellen. Emma won the championships in both Girls Under 11 and Girls Under 13 group finals. She has been training since she was seven years old at Matchpoint Table Tennis Center in Whippany. Her dream is to join the USATT National Team and represent the U.S. in the Olympics. She will next travel to Texas on Fourth of July weekend for the 2022 National Team trials and will participate in the 2022 U.S. National Table Tennis Championships in Fort Worth, Texas.

Memorial Day weekend of 2022 has become a milestone weekend for the Livingston pickleball community. Members of the Livingston pickleball team participated in the Franklin NYC Open at the USTA Billie Jean King USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York. A total of 1,152 players registered in the tournament from multiple states to compete in a variety of categories, including men’s doubles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles, and singles for different age and skill categories.

LANCERS ADVANCE TO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: The Livingston High School boys’ varsity volleyball team defeated Teaneck, 2-0, on Wednesday, June 1, at home in the LHS Fitness and Wellness Center. The victory propelled the Lancers to the North 1 Championship game at Fairlawn, The Cutters defeated the Lancers, 2-1, to capture their fifth title in six years. The Lancers finished the season at 26-6, which included a 15-0 Super Essex Conference record. Shown above, left, Lancer senior captain Chris Lynum scores on a serve against Teaneck. Lynum had ten kills against Fairlawn and 255 for the season with 506 in his career. Above, right, Lancer junior Olisa Ojukwu soars and scores against the Teaneck Highwaymen. Don Schwartz Photos

SOFTBALL TEAM FALLS IN FINAL FOUR: The Livingston High School varsity softball team was defeated by Watchung Hills, 9-0, on Wednesday, June 1, at home on the Oval. The Lancers followed a Group IV championship season with a trip to the final four. Shown here, above, left to right: Lancer senior third baseman Kelly Lyons throws out the Warrior batter after stopping a hard-hit ball; Lancer shortstop Guilia Wilson takes the perfect throw from catcher Haley Meierhofer to tag out the Watchung Hills base runner; and Lancer pitcher Kaitlyn Mullen held the eventual Group IV State Champion Watchung Hills scoreless for four innings. Don Schwartz Photos

On Friday, May 27, the Livingston High School softball team went on the road and defeated Bergen Tech 3-1 to become the North Jersey Section 1 Group 4 champions for the second year in a row. The Knights were the first to score, loading the bases in the bottom of the third inning, but Lancer junior pitcher Caitlin Mullen struck out the next three hitters to get out of the jam. Livingston used that momentum to score twice in the top of the fourth. Senior Giulia Wilson singled to center field, stole second and advanced to third when senior Ruhi Tawde hit a bunt single. Tawde stole second, and two pitches later, Wilson made it to home on an errant throw by the Bergen Tech. catcher. Tawde, who had advanced to third on the error, then scored on a squeeze bunt by senior Emma Breschard to give the Lancers a 2-0 lead.

LHS VARSITY BASEBALL TEAM DEFEATS RANDOLPH: Randolph fell to the Lancers, 6-3, on Thursday, May 26, on the Oval. The Lancer record stands at 17-8. Pictured here, Lancer catcher Miles Seid makes the catch near the backstop against the Rams.

Don Schwartz Photo