Spring season athletic summary 2025-2026

Softball

The Varsity Softball team’s record this year does not paint a true picture on the successful season they had on the softball field. After losing 7 starters from last year’s team, they entered this season in full rebuilding mode. We were a very young and inexperienced team, but through hard work and strong leadership from returning players, this young and inexperienced team made great strides and finished the season playing much better softball.  

The offense was led by sophomore Allie VandeVrede who finished the season with 26 hits and a .542 batting average.  The team also got great offensive contributions from leadoff batter Annabelle Percelli, who had 21 hits and batted .404. Highlights of the season included a 10 run win over Dwight Englewood, Annabelle’s grand slam over the fence, and pitcher Allie VandeVrede’s 100th career strikeout. Senior captains Hannah Leegwater and Annabelle Percelli provided invaluable leadership to the young squad and will be greatly missed!

Golf

EC’s 2026 golf campaign was a true rebuilding year, with a young squad gaining valuable experience, learning how to battle through difficult rounds, and laying the foundation for the program’s future. Veteran leadership from senior captains Billy Cook and Carter Groen kept the team steady throughout the season, providing experience, composure, and strong clubhouse leadership to a developing lineup.

The Eagles carded a 41 to place 10th at the NJIC Championship, where senior Billy Cook paced the team with an impressive 85. Jack Magee elevated his game throughout the season, earning the team’s number-one spot after consistently posting lower scores and stepping up in key matches. Freshmen Carson Turner and Ethan Olsen gained meaningful varsity experience and showed flashes of the consistency and shot-making ability that should keep EC competitive for years to come.

The 2026 season highlighted the team’s growth, depth, and increasing confidence—evidence that while the Eagles may have been rebuilding, the program is trending in the right direction and positioning itself well for future success.

Baseball

The EC/HCA boys baseball team took a major step forward this season, demonstrating significant growth in performance, leadership, and competitiveness. The Eagles finished the regular season with a winning record, accomplishing the primary goal established at the beginning of the year.

While the team’s success was truly a collective effort, several players stood out throughout the season. Matthew Altomare led the pitching staff, earning multiple wins along with both league and county honors. Behind the plate, catcher Ben Ross made an outstanding varsity debut and quickly established himself as a key contributor. Andrew Nelson also emerged as an important utility player, delivering impactful performances on the mound, at the plate, and throughout the infield.

This year’s lineup was heavily EC-driven, anchored by key contributors Jose Barbosa, David Wiegers, Jaden Rodriguez, and Danny Cook. Each of these athletes played a vital role in the team’s success, and with all of them returning next season, the future looks bright for EC baseball.

Boys Varsity Tennis

The Eastern Christian boys varsity tennis team battled through a difficult preseason filled with wintry weather and numerous indoor practices. However, Coach Culp’s experience and creativity paid dividends through effective indoor training sessions and competitive practice circuits that helped prepare the team for the season ahead.

The Eagles faced additional challenges early in the season against a demanding schedule, opening with a 2–5 record. Despite the slow start, the team continued to improve, quickly adapting to varsity-level competition and making significant strides in overall competitiveness. EC rebounded to finish with a 6–6 league record and advanced three positions to the county semifinals.

The team leaned heavily on the leadership and consistency of senior Joshua Li. Junior singles players Zaven Rodriguez and Yuha Lee, along with freshman Jonas Culp, regularly competed against the league’s top players and each finished the season with winning records. With several key contributors returning, the future remains bright for EC boys’ tennis.

Boys JV Tennis

Eastern Christian was excited to field a boys JV tennis team once again this spring. While several players returned with prior experience, many others were brand new to competitive tennis. This created both opportunities and challenges as the team worked to develop foundational skills and match experience throughout the season.

Practicing frequently alongside the varsity squad, the JV players worked hard to improve their technique, understanding of the game, and overall competitiveness during the spring months. The team’s primary goal was to compete to the best of its ability while demonstrating strong sportsmanship throughout the season.

The Eagles showed tremendous growth both individually and collectively, and the program looks forward to continuing to build on that progress in the years ahead.

Boys Varsity Lacrosse

The boys lacrosse team had a successful season finishing with an overall record of 8-7 and a league record of 5-2. Defensively, the team was backstopped by sophomore goalie Nick Bolten who played behind a unit led by seniors Adam Malasits, Andy Genuario, and Kyle Magee along with sophomores Adam Peters and Sean Leegwater and freshman Ezra Francis. Strong performances at the faceoff from seniors Thomas Vicenzino, Daniel Bushka, and Daniel Kim on the wing helped the team to maintain possession during key moments. The offense was paced by seniors Joe Altomare and Zach Ninan as well as a supporting cast composed of sophomores Patrick Wierzba, Anthony Urbano, and Matt Kameno along with freshmen Paxton Bale-Pena and Peter TenKate. 

Team highlights included overtime wins against league opponents Paramus Catholic and Lyndhurst as well as a big win over Hawthorne on Community Night in front of a great home crowd. Individual highlights include Joe Altomare surpassing both the 100-point and 100-goal career marks this season in addition to breaking the program record for most goals in a single season with 72 on the year.

The foundation provided by this year’s influential senior class coupled with the gained experience of the returning players leads to a positive outlook for the program moving forward.

High School Track & Field

The boys and girls track & field teams experienced both successes and challenges throughout the 2026 season. After graduating a strong senior class the previous year, both programs relied heavily on a talented but relatively inexperienced sophomore class to step into leadership and scoring roles.

In regular-season competition, the girls’ team finished with a 4–4 record, while the boys posted a 2–6 mark. Both teams faced stiff competition at the conference and county championship meets, but continued to show growth and development throughout the season.

The girls’ team received strong performances from upperclassmen Laura Turner, Fiona Borzone, and Nora Lazor, while underclassmen Kaitlyn Deblock, Sophia Eftychiou, and Olivia Calaski made significant contributions as well. On the boys’ side, upperclassmen Yejoon Shin, Gabriel Tarta, and Hudson Culp delivered standout performances throughout the season. Underclassmen Benjamin Scarnato-Bennett, Josiah Hytrek, and Jon Lawrence also emerged as important contributors and showed strong potential for the future.

Both programs gained valuable experience this season and will look to continue building momentum moving forward.

 

Honors

Boys Tennis:

County

• 2nd: Jonas Culp
• HM: Zaven Rodriguez, Yuha Lee

League (Colonial)

• 2nd: Jonas Culp
• HM: Zaven Rodriguez, Yuha Lee

Boys Lacrosse

County

• 2nd: Joseph Altomare
• HM: Adam Malasits, Zachary Ninan

League (Kirst)

• 1st: Joseph Altomare, Adam Malasits
• 2nd: Patrick Wierzba, Andy Genuario
• HM: Zachary Ninan

Track & Field

County

• HM: Yejoon Shin, Hudson Culp, Laura Turner, Fiona Borzone

League (Colonial)

• 2nd: Katelin DeBlock (disc), Olivia Calaski (PV), Issachar Yang (HJ), Hudson Culp (LJ)
• HM: Yejoon Shin (PV), Nora Lazor (disc)

Softball

County

• HM: Allie VandeVrede, Annabelle Percelli

League (Liberty)

• 1st: Allie VandeVrede
• 2nd: Annabelle Percelli
• HM: Hannah Leegwater

Golf

County

• HM: Billy Cook, Jack Magee

League (Colonial)

• 2nd: Jack Magee
• HM: Billy Cook

Baseball

County

• 2nd: Matthew Altomare
• HM: Ben Ross, Andrew Nelson

League (Liberty)

• 1st: Matthew Altomare
• 2nd: Andrew Nelson