SJ Sports: Inside Medford Sports

Deep Impact: Medford Athletes Shine In and Out of Town
It was quite a season for the women's lacrosse team at North Carolina. The Tar Heels finished with a 17-3 record, the best mark in the program's seven-year history.

Medford native Andy Fortino, one of the top defenders in the nation, was a big reason why the Tar Heels advanced to the Final Four and set a school record with 12 consecutive victories. "It's the first time since I've been here that we've made it to the Final Four," said Fortino. "We also won the ACC Tournament for the first time ever."

The junior was honored at the end of the season as a third-team All-American selection. Fortino played lacrosse, basketball and soccer at Shawnee before graduating in 1999. She was named the South Jersey player of the year as a senior and led the lacrosse squad to three straight state championships.

Fortino still has one more year of college remaining to try to add a national title to her trophy case. "My personal goals are really my team goals," said Fortino. "This experience is only going to help us get better."

In The Vault
There is no official record in the state of New Jersey for girls pole vaulting. However, it's a good bet that Shawnee sophomore Danielle O'Reilly will be remembered as one of the best after she graduates in 2004. O'Reilly made history on May 25 at the Group 4 championships when she became the first girl in South Jersey to clear 12 feet. Olivia Kalinowska of Pineland in Tuckerton held the previous mark at 11-6. No other vaulter came close to O'Reilly's mark. The Group 3 champion had a vault of just eight feet.

Renegade Ball
The Shawnee baseball team did not finish first in the Olympic American Division. They did not win a sectional championship. But the Renegades have plenty to be proud of this season. Head coach Brian Anderson guided his club to a 17-10-1 overall record. They were in the top 20 throughout the spring and played in a division with some of the region's top teams.

Some of Shawnee's finest moments came in the final month of the season. The Renegades defeated defending Group 4 state champion Steinert and the win gave the Renegades plenty of momentum heading into the playoffs. Shawnee was seeded 14 in the Group 4 bracket, but the locals got off to a fast start with an upset win over arch-rival Cherokee in the first round. Next up was a trip to Cherry Hill West, where Shawnee and West went nine innings before an offensive explosion in the ninth propelled Shawnee to a 7-1 victory. The Renegades season ended in the semifinals as they fell to Jackson, 6-5. "Both playoff wins meant a lot," Anderson said. "We played Cherokee twice and we had great respect for them going in. But our kids were confident they could win. We just knew we had to play well and not make mistakes."

Sophomore pitcher Sean Doolittle finished 8-2 on the season despite missing the first week of the season to go on a trip to Europe. Doolittle returned and developed into the ace of the staff. His finest moment came in the playoff win over Cherry Hill West as he threw 120 pitches over nine innings. Doolittle has the potential to become one of the most dominant pitchers in the region over the next two years. With Doolittle and several of his 2002 teammates returning next spring, Shawnee could emerge as the team to beat in the Olympic American Division.

Tri-Town Tourney
The Mount Laurel Baseball League recently sponsored a Babe Ruth Tri-Town tournament featuring teams from Mount Laurel, Marlton and Medford. The idea was to create more competition as well as mutual respect for neighboring teams.

The Prep bracket was made of 13-year olds and contained the lone Medford representative. Brittingham made Medford proud by advancing to the tournament finals. Brittingham got off to an impressive start in the tournament with a 13-3 victory over the Marlton Dodgers. The locals knocked off Marlton's Haverstock, then fell just one run short in a 1-0 pitcher's duel with Angelo of Mount Laurel in the title game.

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Author: SJ Sports Club-Ed Benkin