Whether dealing with COVID, injuries, or just a lot of homework, perseverance is a key to a student-athlete’s success.
Morris County and NJSIAA Tournament events were canceled. But the new schedule gave some the opportunity to try a new, fourth sport or switch up college plans to County College of Morris and return for an extra high school spring season.
With nothing constant but change in 2021, take a look back at some stories which went beyond the field, court, mat and game, and caught Daily Record readers’ attention.
Olympic dream fulfilled
Morgan Pearson only transitioned from distance running to triathlon three years ago. His goal at the Olympics was “to be competing for the win.” Pearson, a Delbarton graduate, was the first New Jersey resident to win an Olympic medal in Tokyo in the debut of team triathlon.
A seven-time All-American and part of two NCAA cross-country team titles at Colorado, Pearson transitioned to USA Triathlon’s Collegiate Recruitment Program for top NCAA swimmers and runners. He quickly built his cycling skill, won USA Triathlon’s Age-Group Sprint National Championships in 2017, and turned pro.
On March 1, Andrew Pearson, Morgan’s older brother, died in his sleep from an undiagnosed heart condition at age 29.
Morgan Pearson credits Andrew with getting him into swimming and running cross country. Pearson qualified for Team USA by finishing third at the World Triathlon Championship Series event in Yokohama, Japan, on May 15. Three weeks later, Morgan Pearson became the first American man to earn multiple WTS medals with a silver in Leeds, England.
“For me, (the Olympics) was the pinnacle of sports,” said Pearson, who grew up in the New Vernon section of Harding and now lives in Boulder, Colorado.
“I grew up as a swimmer. I was running. The sports I was always participating in went to the Olympics. … You watch it on TV, and it’s only once every four years, so it’s more elusive than most things.”
♦ Nic Fink, a Pingry alumnus from Morristown, finally qualified for the Olympics after being part of the United States national team since 2013. He placed fifth in the 200-meter breaststroke. Fink went on to win short-course world titles in the 50- and 200-meter breaststrokes, and as part of the United States’ 4×50 medley relay. Fink is the current American record holder in the short-course 50-, 100-, and 200-meter breaststroke.
Keturah Orji of Mount Olive was seventh in the Olympic triple jump.
Lisa Banta Czechowski, who grew up in Boonton, helped the United States women’s goalball team earn silver at the Paralympics. It was her sixth trip to the Paralympics, and her third medal. She won silver in discus in Sydney in 2000, and took home a gold and two silvers in goalball.
MetLife memories
Two Morris County football teams advanced to regional finals at MetLife Stadium in November. Only one, West Morris, brought home the hardware.
Stefano Montella and Noah Turner combined for five touchdowns as the Wolfpack knocked off previously unbeaten Cranford, 53-14, in the NJSIAA North Group 3 championship.
West Morris outscored its playoff opponents, 151-45, including two shutouts. The Wolfpack closed out the season with five straight wins and won six of its last seven.
Jefferson’s route to the North Group 2 was a bit more roundabout. The sixth-seeded Falcons won three straight playoff games on the road, toppling previously undefeated Newton and top seed Rutherford.
The Falcons finished the year 7-6, with their first sectional championship since 2008.
“(We) learned a lot about character, both good and bad from people all around. Never give up, never quit,” Venturino said. “This is the type of season where any player from any program can look back and say this proves no matter how down you think you are, you never are.”
Rugby to the rescue
Tevita Bryce has been part of the rugby community for most of his life. That community came together to keep the 28-year-old alive after he suddenly collapsed during a match.
K.J. Feury, a nurse practitioner at Morristown Medical Center for 30 years, guided the other first responders. That group included Morris’ starting 8-man Will Kimball, a corrections officer at the Somerset County Jail; Tucker, a former Denville police officer; Watchung Hills athletic trainer Michelle Armonda, a Morris Rugby women’s player; and her daughter, Tess Feury, a fullback with the United States women’s rugby team and a registered nurse in Morristown Medical Center’s pediatric intensive-care unit.
Twice, Bryce received shocks from an automated external defibrillator (AED) to restart his heart.
“We’re trained to run to the situation, not away,” Kimball said. “For me, I’d rather be the person in there trying to help. I have not personally been involved in CPR, especially something like this. … What happened this week shows you why I love this sport. You’re always surrounded by good people.”
Baseball in his genes
Jack Leiter was selected second overall by the Texas Rangers in Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft. He finished 11-4 with a 2.13 earned-run average in his sophomore season at Vanderbilt University, allowing 26 earned runs and 45 walks over 110 innings. He and fellow Commodores starter Kumar Rocker tied for the lead in NCAA Division I with 179 strikeouts apiece.
Leiter was Delbarton’s second first-round pick in three years, following former teammate Anthony Volpe. Volpe went to the Yankees at No. 20 after his senior season at Delbarton in 2019.
“He was the best pitcher in college baseball, in our opinion,” Texas senior vice-president and general manager Chris Young said. “He’s a tremendous pitcher. The talent speaks for itself.”
Sudden-death soccer stars
Longtime Randolph boys soccer fans may have experienced flashbacks in the Morris County Tournament final. The 11th-seeded Rams edged Delbarton in a shootout to win their first MCT title since 2016 — a championship which came in almost identical fashion.
Randolph goalkeeper Andrew Levy, who stopped three penalty kicks as well as 10 saves in the run of play, was named Otto Haas MCT Most Valuable Player.
Delbarton, the No. 1 seed this season, had won three straight MCT titles, and six of the last seven — all but the one Randolph snatched away.
A couple of hours later, Chatham defeated West Morris, 1-0, to earn its first girls MCT crown as junior Paige Droner converted a long free kick with 31 seconds left in overtime.
The Cougars hadn’t even been to a MCT final since 1989, the second year Chatham Township and Chatham Borough had combined into one school.
Cougars coach Gary Adair is believed to be the first to win both boys and girls MCT crowns, having led Madison to a scoreless draw with Montville in the 2009 boys final.
“The first thing I thought, the moment that ball hit the back of the net was, ‘We haven’t done this in forever,'” Cougars goalkeeper Cate Hackett said. “We’ve done it. We made history.”
Jane Havsy is a storyteller for the Daily Record and DailyRecord.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis, subscribe today.
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