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Mount Olive honors winter athletes and coaches at board meeting
Summary
Mount Olive Township School District board of education recognized winter-sport teams and individual athletes — including state qualifiers and national competitors — and celebrated Athletic Director Colleen Souffle's national certification.
The Mount Olive Township School District Board of Education on March 25 recognized winter-season athletes, coaches and staff, highlighting state qualifiers and national competitors across multiple sports and announcing that Athletic Director Colleen Souffle earned national certification.
Board members opened the superintendent’s report by inviting Colleen Souffle to lead the athletics presentation. Souffle and coaches reviewed team and individual accomplishments from wrestling, track and field, swimming, bowling, unified bowling and other winter sports, and invited athletes onto the stage for certificates and remarks.
Kevin Person, the boys head track and field coach, described junior Jason Papafio Kessi as a top sprinter and a high jumper who cleared 6 feet 2 inches this season and won the North Jersey 1, Group 3 sectional high-jump championship. Person said Mount Olive had seven athletes qualify for nationals in various events, naming Noah Pizzarusso, Jasmine LaRosa, Braden Shanga and the 4x400 relay of Matt Evans, Bryce David, Anthony Murray and Joseph Williams.
Coaches for unified bowling and Special Olympics noted two athletes, Christian Pastuche and Nacia Ryan, won gold at the regional competition and advanced to the Special Olympics New Jersey state championship scheduled for April 6 at Valero Lanes. Coach remarks invited the two athletes to receive certificates.
Melissa Groszenstein, head girls swim coach, praised senior Danielle Keb Saba for breaking the 100 backstroke record and setting a new mark in the 200 IM, calling her “the soul of our team” and the squad’s MVP. Bowling coach highlighted Tegan Mendel as the Morris County champion and recognized captains Amber Casaba and Landon Taylor.
Wrestling coach Sean Smythe credited overnight trips approved by the board with increased exposure for athletes and said Mount Olive had multiple wrestlers competing at the Division I level. Smythe said the program sent 11 athletes to Atlantic City for state competition, a school record for public schools, and noted the team’s district, county and sectional titles across recent years.
Jeremy Mayer, the girls wrestling head coach, said the girls program was in its second year as a separate varsity program, grew participation by 50 percent this season, and finished 9-3. He highlighted Molly Smythe, who finished the season 24-7, placed third at the North 1 regional tournament, qualified for the state tournament and finished seventh at the state meet.
The board offered congratulations; members commended athletes’ character, the role of families and the value of extracurricular experiences. The board then recessed for 15 minutes following the presentation.
Mount Olive also used the agenda to acknowledge Colleen Souffle’s certification by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association; the board and speakers described the certification process as a rigorous professional evaluation.
The recognitions and remarks were part of the superintendent’s report and did not require a vote. No formal policy changes or funding decisions were made during the presentation.
