Winter Season Athletic Summaries 2025–2026

Varsity

Girls V Basketball
In his first season leading the program, coach Olson guided the Lady Eagles to a strong 16–9 record, finishing just one game out of the league title after splitting the season series with both teams that ultimately shared the crown. EC captured the Garfield Christmas Tournament championship and spent eight weeks ranked in the North Jersey Top 25, climbing as high as #18. The Eagles also earned the #5 seed in both the county and state tournaments, the program’s highest seeding in several years.

The team was led by standout performances from Addie Fleming and Caroline Pringle, who anchored the offense and controlled the tempo throughout the season. Tori Brown and Hannah Leegwater also made key contributions on both ends of the floor. With a strong core returning and younger players continuing to develop, the future remains bright for EC girls basketball.

Boys V Basketball
The boys varsity basketball team entered the season determined to build momentum and produced several exciting wins and memorable moments along the way. Early highlights included a home victory over Hawthorne Christian and a win over Abundant Life in the EC Christmas Tournament. One of the season’s most dramatic finishes came when Joe Virga was fouled on a three-point attempt and calmly made all three free throws with no time remaining to defeat Harrison. Later in the season, Andy Genuario delivered another thrilling moment with a game-winning three-pointer against Butler.

Andrew Mwirigi anchored the team in the paint with an outstanding stretch in the second half of the season, while Genuario provided steady leadership as a three-year starter. Justin Blands-Pearson also made a strong defensive impact throughout the year. The senior class set an excellent example through their leadership and commitment, helping establish a strong foundation for the program moving forward.

Winter Track
The EC winter track team experienced a season of growth and perseverance as several new athletes joined the program and developed their skills throughout the winter. Despite challenges that included cold weather, injuries, meet cancellations, and limited outdoor training conditions, the team continued to show steady improvement from the first time trial through the final meet.

Adam Malasits led the throwers with a strong season in the shot put, while Kyle Wright contributed in the sprint events and 4×400 relay. Ben Scarnato-Bennett helped set the tone in practices by leading warmups and competing alongside distance runner Manny Vera. The program also saw encouraging progress from a talented freshman class, highlighted by strong improvements from Mia Gonzalez and Zhiamlys Lozano, along with Jon Lawrence, who recorded the team’s fastest 200m time of the season. With many young athletes gaining experience, the future looks promising for EC track and field.

Girls Bowling
The girls’ bowling team qualified for the North Group 1 sectional tournament, capping a season focused largely on development. With six of the team’s eight bowlers competing in the sport for the first time, the Eagles showed steady growth in both skill and confidence as the season progressed.

Several bowlers delivered strong performances throughout the year. Brooke McLachlan and Rayne Davis emerged as consistent contributors, while freshman Olivia Calaski recorded the team’s highest single-game score of the season with a 190 against Wayne Hills. Despite the challenges that come with a young roster, the team continued to improve in match play and gained valuable experience. With many returning bowlers, the program looks forward to building on that progress next season.

Boys Bowling
The 2025–26 season was another strong one for boys bowling at Eastern Christian, as the Eagles finished second in the NJIC Colonial Division. The result marked the program’s sixth consecutive season finishing in the top two of the nine-team division.

Underclassmen Ryan Belanus and Harry Shi stepped into key varsity roles and made immediate contributions. Nathan Im delivered one of the season’s top individual performances, placing third at the Passaic County Championships while finishing with the highest average in the NJIC Colonial Division at 198.

Team highlights included a first-round state sectional victory over Midland Park and a program-record 1,058-pin team game against Glen Rock. The Eagles thank senior Yejoon Shin for his leadership and look forward to returning a strong core next season with goals of competing for a division title and another deep postseason run.

JV & Freshmen

Girls JV Basketball
The girls’ JV basketball team put together a strong season, finishing with a 7–4 record while continuing to develop younger players in the program. The team competed hard throughout the year and showed steady improvement in both games and practices.

Kallie Thomas stood out with strong scoring and defensive play, while Allie VandeVrede anchored the boards with consistent rebounding. Karina Lazor continued to grow as a decision-maker and shooter, and Kaitlin provided valuable energy and rebounding in the paint. Anna contributed as a capable ball-handler and passer at the point guard position, while Henas Nabih embraced her role and worked hard in every opportunity. With continued offseason development, the group looks forward to building on this progress next season.

Boys JV Basketball
The boys JV basketball team finished the season 7–8, an encouraging result for a young, sophomore-led roster. The group showed strong dedication to improvement and competed hard throughout the season.

Caleb Virga and Daniel Susana led the offense with consistent scoring, highlighted by a 28-point performance from Virga and a 22-point outing from Susana. Matthew Blaize stepped into the point guard role midway through the season and helped guide the offense, while TJ Bednarz regularly defended opposing post players in the paint. Jaden Rodriguez contributed on the boards and defense, and Brennen Talsma provided energy and timely shooting off the bench. Several other players gained valuable minutes throughout the season, giving the program optimism for the future.

Boys Freshmen Basketball
The boys’ freshman basketball team showed resilience throughout a season filled with competitive and closely contested games. Several matchups came down to the final moments, including multiple overtime contests that tested the team’s composure.

Despite a shortened schedule, the Eagles recorded five wins and continued to grow in confidence as the season progressed. Leadership came from across the roster, with Carson Turner, Jonas Culp, Jariah Gomez, and Danny Cook helping set the tone through their effort and encouragement. Several players were new to the sport and showed significant improvement as they learned the fundamentals of the game. The team embraced the program’s offensive and defensive systems and gained valuable experience that should serve them well moving forward.

Middle School

Girls MS Basketball
The middle school girls’ basketball team finished the season with a strong 7–3 record while continuing to build a foundation for the program. In each of their three losses, the Eagles remained competitive through three quarters before opponents pulled away late.

With a roster of 15 players that included seventh and eighth graders along with two sixth graders, the team showed steady growth throughout the season. Practices focused heavily on developing fundamental skills such as ball handling, shooting, rebounding, and footwork while also improving decision-making and overall game awareness.

The team also took a significant step forward by playing man-to-man defense throughout the season. The girls responded well to the challenge and demonstrated strong effort and teamwork as they continued to develop their skills.

Boys MS Basketball
The middle school boys’ basketball team finished the season 2–6, though the record did not fully reflect the group’s growth over the course of the year. The team improved steadily through practice and competed hard in games while learning the program’s systems.

Practices focused on building fundamentals and introducing man-to-man defensive concepts along with offensive spacing and movement. The players worked to communicate effectively, play with physicality, and increase their pace of play.

With much of the roster made up of sixth and seventh-graders, the Eagles gained valuable experience that should benefit them in future seasons. As players continue to develop their skills through offseason work and game opportunities, the program looks forward to their continued progress.

County & League Honors

Girls Basketball 

• County
  • 1st: Addie Fleming 
  • HM: Caroline Pringle, Tori Brown
• League (Meadowlands)
  • 1st: Caroline Pringle, Addie Fleming
  • 2nd: Tori Brown
  • HM: Hannah Leegwater
  • COY: Erik Olson

Boys Basketball 

• County
  • HM: Andrew Mwirigi, Andrew Genuario
• League (American)
  • 1st: Andrew Mwirigi
  • 2nd: Andrew Genuario
  • HM: Justin Blands-Pearson

Boys Bowling 

• County
  • 1st: Nathan Im
  • 2nd: Yejoon Shin, Kevin Korogodon
  • HM: Ryan Belanus
• League (Colonial)
  • 1st: Nathan Im, Kevin Korogodon
  • 2nd: Ryan Belanus
  • HM: Harry Shi

Girls Bowling 

• County
  • 1st: Brooke McLachlan
  • 2nd: Rayne Davis
  • HM: Olivia Matthews, Olivia Calaski