Maya Giordano

Articles of Maya Giordano

Old Tappan Finishes 11th in the State – Girls Track & Field

Jun 14, 2024

Final 2024 girls track & field Top 20:N.J.’s best teams hold form through postseasonThe NJSIAA Group Championships have come and gone and so has the Meet of Champions.We’ve reached the end of another N.J. track and field season, and simply put, it was a year to remember.NJ.com released its final girls Fab 50 on Thursday, and now it’s time for one last update of the girls Top 20. Which squads ended the year strong?Scroll for the final rankings release of the 2024 campaign.11-Old TappanLast week’s ranking: No. 12The Golden Knights were third in the Group 3 team title race behind Winslow and Timber Creek. Old Tappan’s season can be boiled down to several enormous meets, including the team’s county championship that got incredibly tight with Demarest in the scoring department and its third North 1, Group 3 crown in a row. Thrower Layla Giordano defended her M of Cs gold in the discus as did fellow senior Abby Dennis in the 100 hurdles on Wednesday.

Maya & Layla Giordano honored as All County Track Athletes

Jun 12, 2024

Maya & Layla Giordano were honored as All County Track & Field Athletes on June 12th at the Womens Bergen County Awards Dinner. The Old Tappan Girls Track & Field team was also awarded as the Team of the year.

Old Tappan holds off Ramapo to win North; Group 3 Sectional – Girls Track & Field

Jun 01, 2024

Old Tappan was able to win its third straight title and fifth overall behind its senior studs – Abby Dennis and Layla Giordano. Old Tappan finished with 91 team points with Ramapo right behind at 83. “Myself and my teammates have all put in a lot of hard work and we really wanted that three-peat,” Dennis said. “We’re really excited to get it, so the underclassmen can experience what it’s like to win a sectional title. We lost an important group of seniors, so we were nervous coming into the season, but we have freshmen and sophomores who have pushed our team forward.”Layla Giordano won the shot put competition at 45 feet, six 1/4 inches and absolutely ran away with the discus with a mark of 172 feet, two inches. She blew away the meet record she set last year (157 feet) and beat the next closet competitor by 50 inches. “Basically at these meets and the ones before this, I’m just trying to improve myself,” Giordano said. “I’m a competitive person and have grown up being a competitor in all sports.”Maya Giordano placed 3rd in both, Shot and Disc . Closing out her High School Track & Field career with a PR in discus to finish with a strong day to help boost Old Tappan passed Ramapo to take the Sectional Title.

Girls track & field sectional preview – North 1 Group 3

May 29, 2024

North 1 Group 3ATHLETES TO WATCHLayla Giordano, Old Tappan, Sr., ThrowsThe Princeton pledge has been nothing short of amazing this spring. Giordano won the state’s first Penn Relays title in the discus since 2004 with a season-best and landslide N.J. No. 1 mark of 167-10. She has two more throws over 160 and hasn’t thrown worse than 150 this spring. In the shot put, she fired a PR 50-0 earlier this month, which serves as N.J.’s second-furthest mark. Giordano is the reigning M of Cs gold medalist in both events, and the PR 170-4 in the discus from her win at New Balance Nationals a year ago has her on state record watch.RECORD WATCH: 200, Discus, Pole vault, Shot put.Many records can bite the dust on Friday and Saturday in Vernon. Assuming she throws in the vicinity of her PRs, Giordano is positioned to break her own meet record 157-0 in the discus and destroy the 45-3 shot put record thrown way back in 2002 by Demarest’s Jessica Fazekas. Sathiyan’s PR 12-8 in the pole vault would take down the 12-7 cleared by Pascack Valley product Melissa Purcell in 2017. In the 200, Redmond’s PR 24.38 is fast enough to snap the record 24.52 from Teaneck’s Kayce Darby in 2019.TEAMS TO WATCH: Mount Olive, Northern Highlands, Old Tappan, RamapoMount Olive’s stars, Ramapo’s promising wave of underclassmen, including Jada Giordano and Northern Highlands’ depth will give Old Tappan trouble in certain events, but the Golden Knights have shown in their county and conference meets how much they can score. It goes beyond the Giordano sisters and Dennis. NVOT has the best pole vaulting trio in the state in senior Allie Tuite and juniors Jamie Kim and Salome Sanchez, freshman Caroline Ognibene is one of N.J.’s top high jumpers, and the team has points it can scatter across the relay events. Joley Giordano could be making her track debut on one of Old Tappan’s young relay teams. THE PICK: Old Tappan

Giordano and Shue put on a show

May 27, 2024

HACKENSACK — It’s been a week now since the sensational Lou Lanzalotto Bergen Meet of Champions at the Ed Church Track at Hackensack High School and the excitement hasn’t yet faded.The meet, started by Church and several other coaches in 1970 and the Girls Meet of Champions, started nine years later by the late Lou Molino of Ramsey, the late Dick Hitt of Rutherford and a very young reporter named Paul Schwartz. It merged into its current form in 1992. It’s doubtful that of the previous meets had the level of excellence and excitement as the 31st edition of the merged meet.Layla Giordano of Old Tappan and Benji Shue of Bergen Catholic exploded record throws in the shot put and discus as the meet got underway with the field events at 3:30, and there were North Jersey season leaders in half of the 14 events. Giordano and Shue put on a showThe Giordano and Shue families have gotten close over the last two years.“We’re both going after the same things,” said Layla Giordano, the Old Tappan senior. “Our dads love talking track and we hang out a lot at track meets with my sisters, Ben and his little brother.” Both Layla Giordano and Benji Shue have destroyed the Bergen County record books in the shot and discus. At the Bergen Meet of Champions, Ben went first, in the discus. While he didn’t break his county record of 201-11, producing his first ever series with multiple 200 foot throws, with a best of 201-9, besting his own meet record by more than 14 feet.Then it was Layla’s turn and she recorded an awesome shot put series that included successive personal bests of 47-1 3/4, 47-10 1/2, 48-1 and then on her final throw an absolute bomb that had the large crowd surrounding the shot put area waiting anxiously for the measurement. Official Mark Scully took advantage of the moment, reading the mark as five 0 even or 50 feet, prompting a great roar. It was a Bergen County record by more than a foot as she became only the fourth girl in state history to break the 50 foot barrier. The old record was 48-10 1/2, set by Amarys Berry of Hackensack when she won the 2016 group 4 state title.Shue turned to the shot at the same time Giordano went to the discus. As Layla was throwing 162-10, 164-2 and 167-4, breaking own previous meet record of 156-3 each time and finishing just three feet from her own Bergen record, Shue was destroying his personal best in the shot.The Bergen Catholic junior came into the competition with an all-time best of 64-3, and left with that throw trailing each of his six throws that evening. First it was a PR of 64-11 3/4, then a toss of 67-6 that put him in the state lead and within a foot of the 39 year old Bergen record, set by Andy Papathanassiou at the State group 1 meet at Rutgers in 1985. He followed with throws of 65-6, 65-10 and 65-6 before he unfurled his own bomb on the final throw that touched earth at 68 feet even, just three inches from Papathanassiou’s county mark, which stood as the state record for 13 years until it was broken in 1998. Afterwards was Giordano was effusive in her joy while Shue was as usual, matter of fact.“I never really expected something like this,” said Giordano, whose major meet personal best was 45-6 before the meet. “I have been doing high 40s in practice and with the right conditions, I knew I could go farther.” “People forget that I’m the state champ in shot too.”Shue expected a breakthrough in the shot, saying after the discus and before the shot, that he expected a big night in the latter event because practice had been going so well.“Ever since practices after Penn Relays I knew I was going to do something special in the shot,” said Shue. “To be three inches away is frustrating, but it keeps driving me where I want to go.”Layla’s twin, Maya, also made some history with her personal best throw of 40-10 in the shot for second. The Giordano Twins join just two other sister duos as throwing more than 40 feet in the same meet. Kelly and Jessica Fazekas of Demarest were the first pair of sisters to do it in 2002 and the Cintron sisters of Elizabeth, Lizzelle and Michelle followed the next year.For their efforts, Giordano won the Paul Schwartz Field Event Award for the second straight year while Shue won the Ed Church Field Event Award for a record third straight time.

Old Tappan moves up another spot in the NJ’s Top 20

May 24, 2024

12-Old TappanLast week’s ranking: No. 13The Golden Knights of Old Tappan found success at the Bergen County Meet of Champions with golds from senior Abby Dennis in the 100 dash and 100 hurdles, senior Layla Giordano in the discus and shot put, and freshman Caroline Ognibene in the high jump. Giordano’s shot put win came via a PR 50-0, which is the second-furthest mark in the state behind Livingston junior. Giordano already owns the discus state lead with a 167-10 in her win at the Penn Relays.Up next: NJSIAA North 1, Group 3 meet at Vernon, May 31 & June 1

Top 10 Times/Marks from week 7 – Girls Track and Field

May 21, 2024

It’s almost time for sectionals in N.J. track and field. We know that by looking at the meet calendar, but also by all the fast times on the track and huge marks in the field events. The Garden State’s stars know how to peak at the right time and that’s what we’re seeing as the county and conference championship stretch of the season winds down.Below, find the Top 10 girls times and marks across N.J. from Week 7′s meets.Shot putJessica Oji, Livingston, Essex County Championships, 51-10Layla Giordano, Old Tappan, Bergen County Meet of Champions, 50-0Madison Stevens, Columbia, Essex County Championships, 44-10 ½Eve Segal, Ocean Township, Shore Conference Championships, 44-5Julia Santos, Toms River South, Shore Conference Championships, 43-2Maya Giordano, Old Tappan, Bergen County Meet of Champions, 40-10DiscusLayla Giordano, Old Tappan, Bergen County Meet of Champions, 167-4Julia Santos, Toms River South, Shore Conference Championships, 135-9Eve Segal, Ocean Township, Shore Conference Championships, 133-9Jessica Oji, Livingston, Essex County Championships, 132-4Catalina Holliday, Nottingham, Mercer County Championships, 130-1

Giordano Twins take top spots for N.J.’s best girls field athlete in 2024?

May 21, 2024

The spring is flying by – we’re more than six weeks through the N.J. track and field season! It’s time to start raising that question: Who is the best girls field athlete in the state? It’s an award NJ.com girls track and field writer Ryan Patti gives out at the end of the year, but we’re giving you the opportunity to make the public’s choice. The Garden State has jumpers and vaulters who can spring and throwers who can let it fly in any of the three events. There are many names for you to choose from, and the 2024 campaign has taught us so far that there’s no wrong answer.The results are in.The public has chosen Old Tappan senior Layla Giordano as the best girls field athlete, which seems only fitting given the past calendar year she has had in the throwing circle. The Princeton commit is the reigning discus and shot put gold medalist at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions and she’s the defending discus champ at New Balance Nationals with a PR 170-4. Some of her 2024 highlights include a win in the discus at the Penn Relays via a bomb of 167-10, four additional throws of over 150 feet, and a PR 50-footer in the shot put that came just last Friday.Giordano’s sister, Maya, earned second place in the poll with 2,838 votes. Which was almost 30% of total votes. Her performance at the Bergen Meet of Champions was 2nd only to Layla with a Shot Put throw of 40’10”. Her PR throw earned her a spot in her school’s history. The Giordano’s Twins are the only two girls who have ever thrown over 40 feet in NVOT’s history.A total of 10,223 votes were casted.

Bergen County Champs – Old Tappan is more than just its All-Americans

May 16, 2024

Old Tappan finally caught rival Demarest to win what amounted to a dual meet in the B division, edging the top-ranked Norsewomen, 156-150, on the strength of its non-superstars.Old Tappan is more than just itsAll-AmericansWhen you think Old Tappan girls track, the first thought goes to the All-American pair of Layla Giordano and Abby Dennis. And at the Division B meet, the Ivy League-bound duo combined for six wins and 62 points as the Golden Knights reversed three earlier losses and defeated Demarest to win its second title in three years after a 38-year drought.But Coach Dave Burns wanted to talk about his other veterans and his newcomers when he discussed the tight win over its Northern Valley Regional rivals.“You look at our team and see two All-Americans, but there are 18 events in this meet and when you’re going against a well coached and talented team like Demarest, you need a lot of other pieces and we finally got those pieces this weekend,” he said.One of those is senior Maya Giordano, Layla’s twin and fellow three-sport athlete, who is headed to the University of Delaware to throw. Maya had a pair of personal bests to take second to her more heralded sibling in both the shot (37-5 1/2) and discus (116-7).“Those were two huge second finishes for us and Maya has been great for us during her career,” said Burns. “Having a great meet like this was way overdue.”Old Tappan scored in every event but the triple jump and got big finishes from freshmen Nora Lee and Emme Fermin and sophomore Angie Kelley on the track. Freshman Caroline Ognibene had a terrific Friday, winning the high jump on her last jump and taking fifth in the long jump.The biggest boost of all may have come in the first event of the second day of the meet, when junior Sophia Katechis had a strong second place finish in the 3,200 to start the Golden Knights’ comeback from 18 points behind.“Those were points we didn’t expect,” said Burns. “It changed the tone of the meet. Sophia had run incredibly well from the beginning of winter season but after a great race at sectionals, she couldn’t run for nearly two months. When the coaching staff saw how well she ran, we said to the team ‘let’s go’ and the kids did the rest.As usual, the pole vault was stellar. The Golden Knights went 1-2-3 in the event for the maximum 24 points, and grabbed the lead to stay when Demarest could manage only three points in the same event. Senior Allie Tuite, who has been a stalwart number two vaulter for most of her career, continued her breakthrough spring, clearing 11 feet for the win. Junior Jamie Kim was second at 10-6 and Salome Sanchez finished third.And of course, two huge performances by Layla Giordano in the shot and disc and a quad win by Dennis, including a personal best and North Jersey leading 62.55 in the 400 hurdles is hard for any team to stay with, even though Demarest has its own big point getter in junior Kailey Attali, who won both jumps and scored 30 points herself.“Abby and Layla are two oustanding leaders who work really hard,” said Burns. “Layla is the last one to leave the track each night and Abby is constantly trying to get better. When the young kids these talented kids and how hard they work, it’s hard for it not to have an impact.”

Old Tappan rises back to #13 in New Jersey Top 20 rankings – Girls Track & Field

May 16, 2024

13-Old TappanLast week’s ranking: No. 16At Saturday’s county championships, the Golden Knights scored 156 points to outlast Demarest (150) for the first time in a long time in the team standings at a county/conference meet. Senior Abby Dennis gold medaled four times (100H, 400H, 100, 200), senior Layla Giordano swept the discus and shot put, freshman Caroline Ognibene won the high jump, and senior Allie Tuite headlined NVOT’s pole vault core that finished first, second and third. Maya Giordano score 16 points for the the team with two second place throws in Disc and shot. Those 16 points might have pushed Old Tappan over the top to take the win. Up next: Bergen County Meet of Champions, May 17

Giordano Sisters Help Old Tappan win Bergen County Championship

May 12, 2024

Old Tappan girls nip Demarest at county championshipsAfter what had been almost two years of Demarest edging out Old Tappan in the girls Group B team standings at the county and conference meets, the Golden Knights got over the hump on their home track on Saturday. NVOT finished with 156 points to Demarest’s 150. Every race and field event mattered. Abby Dennis came away with golds in the 100 hurdles, 400H, 100 and 200 as fellow senior Layla Giordano won the discus and shot put as per usual. Maya Giordano, took second with PRs in the two events and younger sister, Joley, helped the team with her first medal in 4×100 relay. Old Tappan’s pole vaulting core of senior Allie Tuite and juniors Jamie Kim and Salome Sanchez finished first, second and third in that order. Silver medals from sophomore Angie Kelley in the 400 and junior Sophia Katechis in the 3,200 added to the run of points for NVOT.By Bakari Tice | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comFull Article

Old Tappan drops to 16th in state rankings – Girls Track & Field

May 09, 2024

16-Old TappanLast week’s ranking: No. 13The Golden Knights finished just 5.5 points behind Demarest for second in the National Division team standings at last week’s Big North Championships in Demarest. The stars were out as usual for the Golden Knights, who saw Abby Dennis win four golds and fellow senior Layla Giordano win the discus and shot put to go with a silver medal in the javelin. Their pole vault trio of senior Allie Tuite, junior Jamie Kim and junior Salome Sanchez also finished top three in the event in that order.Up next: Gene Littler Bergen County Championships, May 10-11

Track & Field: Can’t-miss meets, what to watch for in Week 6

May 08, 2024

Welcome to the county and conference championship stretch of the N.J. track and field campaign.It’s the start of three weeks of theater before sectionals and it always results in some of the best times and marks you’ll see all year. Athletes are working towards championship form and teams are making the same effort.The Week 6 slate is epic and it’s going to tell us a lot about where the top squads in the Garden State stand. Below, find the meets you won’t want to miss these next four days.Gene Littler Bergen County ChampionshipsWhen: Friday & Saturday, May 10-11Where: Old TappanThe Bergen County meets are so stacked that they’re divided into five groups. Between both genders, there will be seven Top-20 squads competing over the two days at NVOT. The girls teams are No. 12 Immaculate Heart, No. 13 Old Tappan and No. 17 Demarest. We’ll see the likes of No. 6 Demarest, No. 15 Bergen Catholic, No. 17 Ridgewood and No. 18 Old Tappan for the boys. Meet and school records are always in jeopardy across the board at this meet, but everyone will have their tape measurers out for the discus. Bergen Catholic junior Benji Shue seems to be knocking on the door of a colossal throw to supplant the PR 204-10 he threw at a tri-meet last month while Old Tappan senior Layla Giordano continues to hunt the girls state record.

Old Tappan Ranked 13th in the State – Girls Track & Field

May 02, 2024

13-Old TappanThe Golden Knights were third with 92 points in the Group B standings at the Jack Yockers Bergen County Relays behind Demarest (130) and River Dell (93). This is a team that should be able to showcase its depth more, specifically in the pole vault, in a county championship meet setting in which results aren’t parlayed into a relay. In the meantime, you have to marvel at what senior discus standout Layla Giordano is doing. The Princeton commit threw a 167-10 to gold medal at the Penn Relays just days after a 157-0 at the county relays.Up next: Big North Championships at Demarest, May 2

Standouts from Bergen County Relays: Old Tappan lead the field

Apr 20, 2024

Bergen County’s best were out for this year’s running of the Jack Yocker’s Bergen County Relays, and the action didn’t disappoint on track or in the field. With big times being laid down to huge marks being posted in the throws and jumps, there were a ton of solid performances to write home about, including a few that reset the state leaderboards. That being said, here were the standout performances from the 2024 Bergen County Relays.Giordano cranks out unbelievable throw in the discusOld Tappan’s Layla Giordano is on another level when it comes to her strength in the discus. Giordano took home the win in the event with ease, posting a 157, taking over the state-lead by about 32 feet. She also came back on Saturday to double up as she won the shot put with a mark 38-2¼, which takes over N.J. No. 7. Her performance earned her Female MVP for the meet. Old Tappan’s Kim clears solid mark to get the win in the pole vaultKim led the way when it came to the pole vault, winning the Division B pole vault title and leading all divisions as she cleared 10-6 in her season debut. The mark also ties her for third-best in the state this season. She’ll be one to watch in the event this season after finishing sixth at last year’s Meet of Champions.Full Article By Bakari Tice | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com GIRLSATHLETEPLACESECTIONRESULTS400 METER HURDLES1:05.34SBAbigail Dennis1stFinals H1Girls Group B1:09.65SBNora Lee2ndFinals H1Girls Group B4X100 SHUTTLE HURDLE RELAY1:08.94SBRelay Team2ndFinals H3Girls Group B4X100 METER RELAY51.52SBRelay Team2ndFinals H2Girls Group B4X200 METER RELAY2:01.02SBRelay Team9thFinals H1Girls Group B4X1600 METER RELAY23:58.42SBRelay Team3rdFinals H2Girls Group BSPRINT MEDLEY RELAY4:25.94SBRelay Team3rdFinals H1Girls Group B4X800 METER RELAY10:41.69SBRelay Team4thFinals H2Girls Group BDISTANCE MEDLEY RELAY14:07.36SBRelay Team4thFinals H2Girls Group BHIGH JUMP4-10SBCaroline Ognibene1stFinals H2Girls Group B4-8SBAdriana Bryan4thFinals H2Girls Group B4-6SBJulia Whaley8thFinals H2Girls Group BLONG JUMP15-1.5SBSheila O’Sullivan6thFinals H2Girls Group B13-7.25SBJamie Kim12thFinals H2Girls Group B10-9.5SBAdriana Bryan20thFinals H2Girls Group BTRIPLE JUMP34-0.75SBHarley McGinnity3rdFinals H2Girls Group B30-10.75SBNora Lee9thFinals H2Girls Group B30-1.5SBEmma Mor11thFinals H2Girls Group BPOLE VAULT10-6SBAllie Tuite1stFinals H2Girls Group B10-6SBJamie Kim1stFinals H2Girls Group B10-0SBSalome Sanchez3rdFinals H2Girls Group BDISCUS157-0SBLayla Giordano1stFinals H2Girls Group B100-8SBMaya Giordano4thFinals H2Girls Group B67-7SBLoucine Santana15thFinals H2Girls Group BJAVELIN89-0SBLayla Giordano5thFinals H2Girls Group B83-4SBMaya Giordano9thFinals H2Girls Group B81-3SBLoucine Santana10thFinals H2Girls Group BSHOT PUT38-2.25SBLayla Giordano1stFinals H2Girls Group B36-5.25SBMaya Giordano2ndFinals H2Girls Group B22-1SBLoucine Santana15thFinals H2Girls Group BFull Results – Milesplit

Girls Track and Field: Old Tappan Team preview & returning athletes for the 2024 season in North Jersey

Apr 01, 2024

National Division – GirlsNo one has brighter stars than Old Tappan with defending state champions Layla Giordano (T) and Abby Dennis (H/S). Seniors Maya Giordano (T), Allie Tuite (PV) and Loucine Santana (T) are potential veteran point scorers as are juniors Jamie Kim (PV), Salome Sanchez (PV) and Harley McGinnity (H/J) and soph Angie Kelley (S). The Golden Knights shoot for a third straight sectional title and perhaps a second group title in three years.Top returning performers by event entering 2024 season GirlsShot put: 1. Layla Giordano, Old Tappan, 45-6 (2; 7B); 2. Elliot Eddy, Hasbrouck Heights, 37-11 (14; 67B); 3. Grace Gilbert, Ramapo, 37-6 1/2 (17; 82B); 4. Maya Giordano, Old Tappan, 36-7 1/2 (20); 5. Alyssa Craigwell, Secaucus, 36-6 1/2 (21).Discus: 1. Layla Giordano, Old Tappan, 170-4 (1; Bergen County record); 2. Julia Sobilo, IHA, 128-2 (4; 23B); 3. Maya Giordano, Old Tappan, 111-10 (25); 4. Alyssa Craigwell, Secaucus, 110-2; 5. Afua Anyadike, Bergen Tech, 108-9.Pole vault: 1. Jamie Kim, Old Tappan, 11-6 (t-5; 16B); 2. Jenna Monaco, Dumont, 11-2 (8; 22B); 3. Isabella Formoso, Bergen Tech, 10-8 (10; 46B); 4. Allie Tuitt, Old Tappan, 10-6 (t-11; 47B); 5. two tied at 10-0.Javelin: 1. Evelyn Roman, IHA, 121-6 (8; 57B); 2. Clarissa Guerrero, Westwood, 120-3 (9; 67B); 3. Yasemin Ugurlu, Lyndhurst, 116-7 (13; 84B); 4. Alissa Martin, Teaneck, 115-6 (14; 116-7 in 2022 84B); 5. Sadie Valentin, Paramus, 113-2 (21).High jump: 1. Olyvia Burrell, Emerson, 5-6 (t-3; 10B); 2. Mackenzie Beazley, Passaic Valley, 5-4 (t-6; 7P); 3. Analise Feliz, Becton, 5-2 (t-12; 72B); 4. Ten tied at 5-0.Long jump: 1. Lexi Samperi, Hasbrouck Heights and Abby Dennis, Old Tappan, 19-0 (t-1; 6B); 3. Abby Romero, IHA, 18-7 3/4 (7; 12B); 4. Julia Tozduman, Lyndhurst, 18-7 1/2 (8; 13B); 5. Grace McQueeney, River Dell, 18-6 3/4 (9; 18B).Triple jump: 1. Kailey Attali, Demarest, 37-8 (8; 25B); 2. Abby Romero, IHA, 37-1 1/2 (13; 42B); 3. Calyse Villaneuva, Passaic Tech, 36-10 (17; 14P); 4. Julia Tozduman, Lyndhurst, 36-5 (23; 70B); 5. Yasemin Ugurlu, Lyndhurst, 35-11.100: 1. Abby Dennis, Old Tappan, 12.07 (10; 6B); 2. Gina Certo, Holy Angels, 12.24 (19; 20B); 3. Kylie Castillo, Ridgefield, 12.46 (46B); 4. Ayanna Chape, Hackensack, 12.49 (50B); 5. Morgan Levine, River Dell, 12.52 (53B).200: 1. Gina Certo, Holy Angels, 24.81 (10; 11B); 2. Kylie Castillo, Ridgefield, 24.88 (15; 13B); 3. Abby Dennis, Old Tappan, 24.91 (17; 16B); 4. Ayanna Chape, Hackensack, 25.01 (18; 19B); 5. Alexa Birch, Northern Highlands, 25.96.400: 1. Kylie Castillo, Ridgefield, 55.43 (2; 5B); 2. Ayanna Chape, Hackensack, 55.70 (4; 7B); 3. Gina Certo, Hackensack, 55.73 (5; 8B); 4. Siena Kannenberg, Mahwah, 59.16; 5. Olivia Passero, Hawthorne, 59.59 (61P).800: 1. Christina Allen, River Dell, 2:14.31 (11; 2:11.07 in 2022 is 12B); 2. Kara Langbaum, Wayne Hills, 2:16.59 (22; 8P); 3. Kate Marie Monaco, Ramsey, 2:16.97 (23; 65B); 4. Cellina Rabolli, Ridgewood, 2:18.51; 5. Rebecca Maclaren, Northern Highlands, 2:18.56.1,600: 1. Christina Allen, River Dell, 4:58.44 (5; 4:48.19 in 2022 is 3B); 2. Kara Langbaum, Wayne Hills, 5:10.85 (19P); 3. Avery Sheridan, Ridgewood, 5:10.86 (93B); 4. Autumn Ritter, Northern Highlands, 5:18.55; 5. Alexa Friedland, Ramsey, 5:20.10.3,200: 1. Christina Allen, River Dell, 11:18.03 (10:46.36 in 2021 is 16B); 2. Amelia Keogh, Ramapo, 11:24.02 (94B); 3. Ciara Clinton, West Milford, 11:29.53 (34P); 4. Cellina Rabolli, Ridgewood, 11:30.34; 5. Allie Courtney, Northern Highlands, 11:34.18.100 HH: 1. Abby Dennis, Old Tappan, 14.09 (2; 2B); 2. Kailey Attali, Demarest, 15.13 (15; 36B); 3. Maura Alden, Pascack Hills, 15.29 (18; 52B); 4. Anna Bryan-Jones, Northern Highlands, 15.48 (24; 67B); 5. Fibianna Ajetunmobi, New Milford, 15.54 (72B).400 IH: 1. Olivia Passero, Hawthorne, 64.37 (16; 19P); 2. Anna Bryan-Jones, Northern Highlands, 64.99 (20; 91B); 3. Bra Brassel, Ridgewood, 65.08; 4. Abby Dennis, Old Tappan, 66.09; 5. Elizabeth Burgess, IHA, 66.39.a By Paul Schwartz NorthJersey.comFull Article – Top Returning Athlete Full Article – Team

Preseason Top 25 rankings 2024 Track & Field season

Mar 25, 2024

Girls Top 25 rankingsThe job of preseason rankings is always a difficult one. All the information that can be gleaned from returning athletes, projected newcomers and comparisons within opponents can’t measure the desire of some athletes to excel, the physical of development of others, and other intangibles.Excuses out of the way. Here’s a look at the preseason Top 25 rankings:Ridgewood: The Maroons have solid performers in nearly every event and standout depth in the distance races and the pole vault.Northern Highlands: No stars but like Ridgewood, depth and solid performers in every event, with particular depth in the longer races.Old Tappan: The Golden Knights have two of the biggest stars in New Jersey in All-Americans Abby Dennis and Layla Giordano. The younger girls will determine how high they can rise.IHA: The Blue Eagles strengths in the short sprints and jumps.River Dell: It’s the last high school season for all-time great Christina Allen and consistent jumper Grace McQueeney.Demarest: The Norsewomen are probably a year away from returning to the very top of the area standings.Ramapo: A great freshman class last year will continue to develop with distance races also a strength.Hasbrouck Heights: Defending state group 1 champions are always tough and one of the better relay teams in the state.Ramsey: An intriguing team that is on the verge of moving into the very top echelon in the area.Passaic Tech: Deep team is the perennial Passaic County favorite.Major Meet ScheduleApril 4: Penn Relays Field Event Qualifier, Depken Field, Hasbrouck Heights.Saturday, April 6: Season Opener at Ed Church Track, Hackensack H.S.; Pawlowski Relays, Jacob Brown Track, Benjamin Franklin Middle School, Ridgewood; Pirate Relays, Pearl River H.S. (NY); Summit Relays, First Investor Field, Summit; Metuchen Relays, Metuchen;Friday, April 12: Aviator Relays, Gary Depken Field, Hasbrouck Heights.Saturday, April 13: Comet Relays, Ed Church Track; Doc Boverini Passaic County Relays, Wayne Hills; Dodgertown Relays, Madison H.S.; Green Dragon Relays, Cornwall, N.Y.; Morris Hills Relays, Morris Hills H.S.Wednesday, April 17: Jack Yockers Bergen County Relays, Ed Church Track (Boys A-B-E Discus and Pole vault; Girls A-B-E Javelin and High jump).Friday, April 19: Jack Yockers Bergen County Relays, River Dell High School.Saturday, April 20: Jack Yockers Bergen County Relays, River Dell High School.Thursday, April 25: Penn Relays, Franklin Field, Philadelphia.Friday, April 26: Penn Relays, Franklin Field, Philadelphia.Saturday, April 27: Penn Relays, Franklin Field, Philadelphia; Twin Boro Relays, Lou Molino Track, Ramsey.Monday, April 29: NJIC National and Patriot, EmersonTuesday, April 30: NJIC Colonial and American, EmersonWednesday, May 1: Morris County Relays, Randolph H.S.; Big North Patriot and American, River Dell H.S.Thursday, May 2: Big NorthFriday, May 3: Big North Independence and Liberty, Passaic Valley H.S.Tuesday, May 8 and Wednesday, May 7: NJAC Small Schools, Wallkill Valley H.S.Friday, May 10: Red Littler Bergen County Championships, Old Tappan (A, B and E); Depken Field (C and D).Saturday, May 11: Red Littler Bergen County Championships, Old Tappan (all groups); North Hudson Championship, Stan Fryczynski Track, Secaucus.Tuesday, May 14: Bergen County Novice Meet, Ed Church Track.Monday, May 13: Cavo Senior Showcase, Emerson.Tuesday, May 14 and Wednesday, May 15: Morris County Championships, Boonton.Thursday, May 16 and Saturday, May 18: Hudson County Championships, Stan Fryczynski Track.Friday, May 17: Lou Lanzalotto Bergen Meet of Champions, Ed Church Track.Saturday, May 18: County Seat Invitational, Ed Church Track.Monday, May 20: Bergen Girls Freshman Championships, Jacob Brown Track.Tuesday, May 21: North Jersey Soph Sectionals, Lou Molino Track.Tuesday, May 21 and Wednesday, May 22: Passaic County Champions, Clifton Stadium.Wednesday, May 22: John Gallione Bergen County Freshman Meet, Lou Molino Track.Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1: State sectionals: North 1, groups 1 and 4, Livingston; North 1, groups 2 and 3, Vernon H.S.; North 2, Group 1, Ridge H.S.; North 2, Group 2, Warren Hills H.S.Friday, June 7 and Saturday, June 8: State group meets: Groups 1 & 4: Franklin H.S.; Groups 2 & 3, Delsea H.S., Non-Public A & B, Stockton State University.Wednesday, June 12: State Meet of Champions, Pennsauken H.S.Wednesday, June 12 thru Saturday, June 15: Nike Outdoor Nationals, Heyward Field, Eugene, Oregon.Thursday, June 13 thru Sunday, June 16: New Balance Nationals, Franklin Field, Philadelphia.

Giordano Sisters Basketball 2024 video

Mar 23, 2024

Not too many teams have 3 sisters on their varsity team. At Old Tappan High School they had super sisters playing together.The Giordano SistersMaya Giordano, Sr, Layla Giordano, Sr, & Joley Giordano, FrBelow is link to their highlight video of the three of them playing.

Giordano Sisters named to the All Bergen County League Team Honors 2023/24

Mar 22, 2024

All-Bergen County Basketball TeamsFIRST TEAMLayla Giordano, Old Tappan, seniorCelina Bussanich, Pascack Valley, juniorLexi Carnegie, Teaneck, sophomoreSelena Cieszko, Immaculate Heart, seniorErin Fahy, Cresskill, seniorJulianna Almeida, Saddle River Day, seniorMarissa LaVerghetta, Mahwah, seniorCayla Menicola, Ramapo, seniorGabriella Mittelman, Demarest, sophomoreCristina Parrella, Saddle River Day, seniorMorgan Sconza, River Dell, sophomoreSamantha Serrano, Holy Angels, seniorAllie Shenloogian, Park Ridge, juniorDemi Simpson, Teaneck, seniorFaith Williamson, Saddle River Day, juniorSECOND TEAMMaya Giordano, Old Tappan, seniorSienna Corey, Northern Highlands, seniorCamden Epstein, Ramapo, sophomoreKylie Cabana, Paramus Catholic, seniorCeleste Harper, Holy Angels, seniorSofia Sanchez, River Dell, seniorAngie Tirado, Demarest, juniorSofia Valente, Immaculate Heart, juniorMia Vergel de Dios, Glen Rock, sophomoreKate Walsh, Westwood, senior

Giordano Sisters named as Big North Conference All-Stars

Mar 22, 2024

NATIONAL DIVISIONCo-Coaches of the YearBrad Allen, TeaneckBrian Dunn, Old TappanSportsmanship AwardBergenfieldFirst TeamLayla Giordano, Sr., Old TappanMaya Giordano, Sr., Old TappanLexi Carnegie, So., TeaneckDemi Simpson, Sr., TeaneckJuliet Schwartz, Jr., TenaflyZoe Wasserlauf, Fr., TenaflyCelina Bussanich, Jr., Pascack ValleyAva Burke, Jr., Pascack ValleyGabriella Mittelman, So., DemarestAngelina Tirado, Jr., DemarestBy Luis Torres | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Girls basketball: 2024 North Jersey All-Group teams

Mar 16, 2024

Girls basketball: 2024 North Jersey Group 3 TeamLayla Giordano, Old Tappan seniorMaya Giordano, Old Tappan seniorCelina Bussanich, Pascack Valley juniorLexi Carnegie, Teaneck sophomoreSienna Corey, Northern Highlands seniorOlivia Isaacson, Wayne Valley seniorCayla Menicola, Ramapo seniorGabriella Mittelman, Demarest sophomoreMorgan Sconza, River Dell sophomoreSiena Shuster, Wayne Hills seniorDemi Simpson, Teaneck senior

Maya Giordano 2023/24 Basketball Season Stats

Mar 15, 2024

In 26 games, Maya Giordano of Old Tappan High School has showcased an outstanding performance on the court, demonstrating proficiency across multiple facets of the game. Her shooting accuracy remained solid, with a field goal percentage of 52%, supported by a respectable free throw percentage of 67.3%. Giordano’s scoring prowess was evident this year, contributing a total of 270 points, primarily fueled by her dominance in the paint. Additionally, she displayed versatility in advanced scoring, tallying many points with mid-range shots and three-pointers. Not only does Giordano excel offensively, but she also makes valuable contributions on defense, accumulating steals and blocks while demonstrating her ability to shutdown the opponent’s low post scoring. Overall, Giordano’s well-rounded skill set and consistent performance made her one of the most valuable assets on the Old Tappan team.Here’s a breakdown of the 26 gameShooting:Field Goals (FG): 117 made out of 225 attempts (52.0%)Two-Pointers: 116 made out of 218 attempts (53.2%)Three-Pointers: 1 made out of 7 attempts (14.3%)Free Throws (FT): 35 made out of 52 attempts (67.3%)Scoring:Total Points Scored: 270Average Points per Game: Approximately 10.4Advanced Scoring:Layups/Dunks: 22Mid-range Shots: 132Three-Point Shots: 1Points in the Paint: 210Rebounding:Total Rebounds: 193Offensive Rebounds: 71Defensive Rebounds: 122AssistsAssists: 28Defense:Steals: 45Blocks: 42Charges Taken: 1

North Jersey 2023/24 Season Milestones & Highlights – Girls Basketball

Mar 14, 2024

Final 2023-24 division standingsNATIONAL: Old Tappan 8-2 (Co-Champs), Teaneck 8-2, Demarest 7-3, Pascack Valley 5-5, Tenafly 2-8, Bergenfield 0-10.Final 2023-24 North Jersey scoring leadersLayla Giordano, Old Tappan, 16.5 (487)Maya Giordano, Old Tappan 10.6 (270)1,000-point career scorersThis list is based on scores reported to NorthJersey.com by coaches. All players are seniors unless otherwise noted.Allie Shenloogian, Park Ridge: 1,676 (junior)Alyssa Craigwell, Secaucus: 1,648Kylie Cabana, Bogota/Paramus Catholic: 1,599Samantha Serrano, Holy Angels: 1,443Katie Reiner, Becton: 1,385 (junior)Cristina Parrella, Demarest/Saddle River Day: 1,346Erin Fahy, Cresskill: 1,257Jessaiah Reynoso, Passaic: 1,238 (junior)Cayla Menicola, Mahwah/Ramapo: 1,149Kate Walsh, Westwood: 1,197Layla Giordano, Old Tappan: 1,053 There are 13 North Jersey coaches who have accumulated 400 or more wins, predominantly at Big North/NJIC schools:North Jersey Coaching Wins List1,119: Jeff Jasper, Pascack Valley (1973-present)809: Sue Liddy, Holy Angels (1974-present678: John Sterling, Bogota/Wood-Ridge/Secaucus (1990-present)644: Paula LaSalandra, DePaul (1974-2006)608: Jeff Horohonich, Hawthorne/Hanover Park/IHA/IC/Saddle Brook (1984-2021)557: Steve King, Eastern Christian (1975-2011)547: Dave Cieplicki, Dumont (1983-2022)535: Jack Rodgers, Harrison (1980-2006)518: Brian Dunn, Pascack Hills/Old Tappan (1994-present)

Teaneck presses its way past Old Tappan to hoist 2nd straight N1G3 title

Mar 02, 2024

Teaneck coach Brad Allen stood on his team’s home court holding two trophies, one in each arm. A year ago, Teaneck’s group of players had never played in a sectional final, and it would’ve been easy to question if they were up to the task. They won the sectional title a year when expectations were lower. That wasn’t the case this year. Teaneck expected to get back the sectional final because it had a strong group of players returning. However, Allen’s team dealt with a myriad of injuries, including losing arguably its best player in sophomore Lexi Carnegie, who sustained a season-ending knee injury. And as it has all season, Teaneck fought through the adversity and showed resilience on Saturday to come away with another trophy.Behind its suffocating press defense, which forced numerous turnovers, top-seeded Teaneck, the No. 18 team in the NJ.com Top 20, defeated second-seeded Old Tappan, 59-46, in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 sectional final in front of a raucous home crowd.Teaneck (23-7) advances to the Group 3 semifinals, where it will face Chatham, the No. 13 team in the NJ.com Top 20, on Wednesday at Ramapo. It’s Teaneck’s second consecutive North 1, Group 3 sectional title, and it comes a year after Allen’s squad captured its first one in a decade. Allen held both trophies in his hands while his team celebrated a hard-fought win against a familiar opponent in Old Tappan, with Saturday’s contest being the fourth time the two teams have played each other this season, with Teaneck coming out on top three times.Old Tappan (23-7) jumped out to a 10-4 lead in the first quarter, but Teaneck clawed its way back, tightening the screws on its press defense and using the experience of last year’s sectional title to lean on. “Every single player came back knowing what it means to feel like a champion,” Allen said. “So we practiced it every day, we prepared every day, and we fought every day. And despite all of the injuries, the external scenarios, the illness, they were resilient, and we got another championship.” Teaneck senior Erin Frazier posted a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, while sophomore Jillian Carter added 14 points and senior Demi Simpson had 13 points and eight rebounds.The press defense carried Teaneck in the second half, allowing Allen’s squad to take control. The contest was tied at 20 at halftime before Teaneck went on an 11-2 run in the third quarter, taking a 34-25 lead it would not relinquish. “In the third quarter, we didn’t allow them to pass half court until three minutes to go,” Allen said. “Everybody did exactly what we told them to do at halftime, and it worked out really well.”Old Tappan continued fighting to the final minutes of the game, but couldn’t overcome Teaneck’s relentless press. Senior Layla Giordano scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Grayson Housley and Alivia Badurina both score nine points.Teaneck lost in the Group 3 semifinals to eventual Group 3-runners up Randolph. That loss was a valuable experience for Allen’s team, which has circled getting back to that game. They have the opportunity to change that result on Wednesday. “It’s amazing. We’re making history and we’re chasing history,” Simpson said. “The job is not finished.”By Luis Torres | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comPhotos By Tom Horak | For NJ Advance MediaLayla Giordano (5) of Old Tappan drives towards the net against Teaneck during the girls basketball NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Sectional Final at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, NJ on Saturday, March 2, 2024.Maya Giordano (45) of Old Tappan and Demi Simpson (23) of Teaneck battle for a rebound during the girls basketball NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Sectional Final at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, NJ on Saturday, March 2, 2024.Erin Frazier (12) of Teaneck shoots the ball against Layla Giordano (5) of Old Tappan during the girls basketball NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Sectional Final at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, NJ on Saturday, March 2, 2024.Old Tappan head coach Brian Dunn directs his team against Teaneck during the girls basketball NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Sectional Final at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, NJ on Saturday, March 2, 2024.Layla Giordano (5) of Old Tappan beats the buzzer on a three to end the third quarter against Sanai Geddies (11) of Teaneck during the girls basketball NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Sectional Final at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, NJ on Friday, March 1 2024.Layla Giordano (5) of Old Tappan celebrates with her team after hitting a buzzer beating three to end the third quarter against Teaneck during the girls basketball NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Sectional Final at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, NJ on Friday, March 1 2024.Erin Frazier (12) of Teaneck shoots the ball against Layla Giordano (5) of Old Tappan during the girls basketball NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Sectional Final at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, NJ on Friday, March 1 2024.Layla Giordano (5) of Old Tappan is fired up after scoring a basket against Teaneck during the girls basketball NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Sectional Final at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, NJ on Friday, March 1 2024.Layla Giordano (5) of Old Tappan shoots the ball against Teaneck during the girls basketball NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Sectional Final at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, NJ on Friday, March 1 2024.Layla Giordano (5) of Old Tappan reacts after hitting a buzzer beating three to end the third quarter against Teaneck during the girls basketball NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Sectional Final at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, NJ on Friday, March 1 2024.

Old Tappan at No. 18 Teaneck: North 1, Group 3 finals preview – Girls Basketball

Mar 01, 2024

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 1, GROUP 3 FINAL PREVIEWBRACKETSaturday, March 22-Old Tappan (23-6) at 1-Teaneck (22-7), 1 p.m.THE GAME AT A GLANCEMembers of the Big North Conference National Division in Bergen County, Old Tappan and Teaneck are going to be playing for a remarkable fourth time this season. They played two division games against one another and then played in the Bergen County Tournament semifinals. Teaneck holds the edge in the season series, 2-1, winning the first meeting and the semifinals of the BCT, while Old Tappan won the second meetingBoth of these teams know each other extremely well and there likely won’t be any surprises when the two teams meet for a sectional championship. Teaneck is also the defending sectional champions and will look to win their second consecutive sectional crown, while Old Tappan is searching for its first since 2018.PATH TO THE FINALOld TappanFirst round: Defeated No. 15-seed Teafly, 57-30Quarterfinal round: Defeated No. 10-seed West Essex, 46-35Semifinal round: Defeated No. 3-seed Ramapo, 61-58TeaneckFirst round: Defeated No. 16-seed Roxbury, 61-36Quarterfinal round: Defeated No. 8-seed Morris Knolls, 49-43Semifinal round: Defeated No. 5-seed Demarest, 45-37LEADING SCORERSOld TappanLayla Giordano, Sr.: 15.5 PPGMaya Giordano, Sr.: 9.6 PPGMia Derrico, So.: 6.5 PPGTeaneckDemi Simpson, Sr.: 13.2 PPGLeayana Dorville, Fr.: 11.4 PPGErin Frazier, Sr.: 9.1 PPGKEY FACTORSWin the rebounding battle: Teaneck, the No. 18 team in the NJ.com Top 20, is among the best rebounding teams in the state as players like seniors Demi Simpson and Erin Frazier crash the boards extremely well. Simpson has been a monster on the glass this season, averaging 13 rebounds per game. Old Tappan is also going to have to crash the glass with players like twin senior sisters Layla and Maya Giordano. Winning the rebounding battle and getting second and possibly third chances on offense with hustle and grit are going to be critical to determining which team lifts the sectional title.Be consistent from the field: Neither team can ill-afford going through a shooting slump on Saturday. Teaneck and Old Tappan are going to have find ways to make shots throughout the contests either through running their offensive sets to get open looks. Getting open looks is one thing, making those open looks is an entirely different thing. Draining those open shots will go a long way.Don’t get too high or too low: Teaneck, led by coach Brad Allen, and his team have been here before, winning a sectional title last season. Old Tappan is playing in its first sectional championship game since winning its last championship in 2018, so coach Brian Dunn’s current group of players haven’t been here before. Even with Teaneck reaching the sectional championship for the second year in a row and with Old Tappan making its first appearance since 2018, both teams will have to be even-keeled. Being calm under the pressure of playing in a championship game when calls might or might not go your way is critical.PREDICTIONTeaneck 48, Old Tappan 43

Old Tappan spins out of trouble in semifinal win over Ramapo

Mar 01, 2024

“This is the first time we have made it [to the section final] since we have been here and we are really excited,” said Maya Giordano. “We are ready. We are going to prepare and we are playing really good basketball right now.”By Cory K. Doviak/NJS.com Editorial DirectorOLD TAPPAN – It was high level high school girls basketball between two rivals that always seem to find each other in the deepest reaches of the state playoffs and the matchup rarely disappoints. This one certainly did not as it was not decided until Ramapo’s last shot, a rushed and contested heave from the logo, hit the inside of the rim, went halfway down the cylinder and then was flushed out by centrifugal force.When that final effort spun up and away, Northern Valley/Old Tappan took a deep breath and its place in the North 1, Group 3 state sectional final with a 61-58 win over Ramapo on Tuesday afternoon in Old Tappan. The Golden Knights will play top-seeded Teaneck, a winner over NV/Demarest, in the section final on Saturday in Teaneck.While physics worked in Old Tappan’s favor this time around, while Ramapo’s last shot was deciding whether it wanted to go in or not, senior Maya Giordano was having one of those been-here-before-moments.“The first thing I was thinking about was our sophomore year. The same shot, the same round and she made it; Jules Vassallo of Pascack Valley,” said Giordano, who was talking about THIS GAME. “It was the exact same thing so this was really nerve-wracking and I am glad we came out with the win.”Ramapo had lost just one game to a public school all season, and that was to Old Tappan in the second game of the season back on December 16. The Raiders came in on a seven-game winning streak and had just held rival Northern Highlands to 34 total points in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.And then then they fell behind 10-0 in the first three minutes of the game and were on the verge of getting bullied out of the gym by Old Tappan’s aggressive style.“I wasn’t worried. I said, ‘We are good,’ we just had to make that first shot and settled in. We had some looks,” said Ramapo head coach Sandy Gordon. “We didn’t back down. This team is not built that way.”Toni Pernetti’s 3-pointer from the top of the key got Ramapo on the board and the chase was on. Cayla Menacola, a 1,000-point scorer and one of only two seniors on the Raiders’ roster, hit one from the top of the arc to draw her team to within 18-15 at the end of the first quarter.It was a pretty wild first half and example was a two-minute stretch in the second quarter that included a technical foul against Old Tappan and a five-point trip on another Ramapo possession. With 4:07 left in the half Camden Epstein scored on the fastbreak off an assist from Maddie Saxton and Epstein added a technical free throw after an NVOT turnover, a loose ball scrum and some magic words.Ramapo trailed by just a point, 22-21, after all of that before the Golden Knights extended back out to a six-point lead on an Alivia Badurina three-pointer and Layla Giordano fastbreak layup.At the other end as Pernetti went up for a 3-pointer that ultimately went, Old Tappan was called for a foul for trying to fight through the screen that got Pernetti open. The basket was good, Ramapo retained possession and Ella Saxton, Ramapo’s other senior, made it hurt with a long 2 that made it a one-point game.For all of its hard work, Ramapo never led in the first half, trailed 33-29 at halftime and by six after a Grayson Housley steal and layup put Old Tappan up 43-37 with 2:51 left in the third, but the Raiders closed the period with a 13-2 run to grab a 50-45 advantage heading into the final quarter. Menacola scored the last five points of that spurt with a tough runner and a conventional 3-point play that was the result of her hustling out in transition.Just when it seemed like Ramapo had the momentum, Layla Giordano seized it right back with a 3-point play to open the fourth quarter scoring and Old Tappan locked down defensively, piecing together an 11-1 run that lasted all the way into the final minute of regulation.“Both teams played really well. I kept busting my kids chops that they needed to defend better, but the truth was [Ramapo] made some tough shots and executed some stuff really well. They were tough to defend. They hit some big shots against us,” said Old Tappan head coach Brian Dunn. “A big thing was that we rebounded well in the fourth quarter. We didn’t give them second looks, except for in the last minute, and we can defend well when we are locked in and focused.”It was Badurina, a freshman, who hit the 3-pointer from the corner with 4:13 left that put Old Tappan back in front for good, 52-50.“I was very, very nervous, but in a situation like that you just know that you have to knock down that shot,” said Badurina. “When I got the ball I was ready and I was like, ‘This is the one.’ And, bang, I got it.”Old Tappan was up 57-51 after Housley made a free throw with 58 seconds left and Ramapo still had not made a fourth quarter field goal. That finally changed when Menacola cleaned up some loose change on the baseline with 49 seconds left and she scored again from the baseline with 21 seconds left to cut the Ramapo deficit to 59-55.Old Tappan then made one and missed one from the stripe before fouling Epstein as she rose up for a 3-pointer inside the final 10 seconds. Epstein made all three to make it a two-point game, before Maya Giordano missed the first from the stripe at the other end with four seconds to go in a two point game.That was when her twin sister, Layla, paid a visit to the foul line.“She gave me some tough love, First she said, ‘You got this,” said Maya. “And then she said, ‘You better make this right now.”She did to bump the lead back up to four as Ramapo sped down the court. Epstein, who was brilliant all game against Old Tappan’s unyielding man-to-man, looked for a tying shot from the wing, but was cut off. She shoveled the ball to LeeAnn Downey, who picked it up and launched at the buzzer. The ball could not have been closer to going in, but after taking a peek down the cylinder, it decided to make a U-Turn and it is second-seeded Old Tappan that is heading to the final where it will play league rival Teaneck in a 1:00 p.m. start on Saturday.Menacola, who recently signed to play at Haverford College next year, lead three Ramapo starters in double figures with 21. Epstein added 18, Pernetti finished with 10 and the Saxton sister, Ella (2), Grace (5) and Maddie (2) rounded out the rest of the scoring for the Raiders, who finished the season at 24-4.The Giordano sisters led the way for the Knights with Layla Giordano leading all scorers with 26 and Maya adding 13. Badurina made two of OT’s three 3-pointers and had 8 points off the bench. Housley and Mia Derrico each had 5 and Sienna Drullinsky, who made a host of key plays defensively, had the other 4 points for Old Tappan, which improved to 23-6.“This is the first time we have made it [to the section final] since we have been here and we are really excited,” said Maya Giordano. “We are ready. We are going to prepare and we are playing really good basketball right now.”

Old Tappan will play for sectional championships – Girls Basketball

Mar 01, 2024

Old Tappan at Teaneck for the North 1, Group 3 TitleThe public sectional semifinals in the NJSIAA girls basketball tournament wrapped up Wednesday and Thursday.WHAT TO KNOW: The No. 1 seed Highwaywomen (22-7) are the defending section champs. They are also co-champs of the Big North National Division this season, along with No. 2 Old Tappan (23-6).To recap: Teaneck won at Old Tappan in January, 48-40. The Golden Knights returned the favor in Teaneck, 65-59 on Feb. 6. Four days later, when they met in the Bergen County semifinals at Fair Lawn, the Highwaywomen prevailed, 51-45.“Round 4 will be the hardest,” Teaneck coach Brad Allen said after Thursday’s 45-37 semifinal win over Demarest. “Obviously, there’s much more to play for this time. Both teams will battle it out until the very last whistle.”Old Tappan reached the final by fending off Ramapo, 61-58, in the semis. The Golden Knights have won 15-of-16, and during that run, senior Layla Giordano scored her 1,000th career point during a Feb. 27 quarterfinal victory vs. West Essex.POSTSEASON HISTORY: Teaneck is in its second consecutive final and tends to qualify in streaks. The program reached eight straight North 1, Group 3 title games from 2007-14, winning four.Old Tappan is in its first sectional final since 2018, and that culminated a string of four in a row – three of which led to titles, with two of them preceding Group 3 state championships.KEY PLAYERS: Giordano (15.5 points per game) and her twin sister Maya (9.6) supply the Golden Knights’ frontcourt power, and sophomores Mia Derrico and Sienna Drullinsky provide strong guard play.Teaneck has its own fantastic forwards in seniors Demi Simpson (13.2 points, 13 rebounds per game) and Erin Frazier (9.1 points, 9.7 rebounds), while frosh Leayana Dorville has become indispensable following a season-ending injury to PG Lexi Carnegie.North 1, Group 3: Old Tappan, TeaneckWHEN/WHERE: Saturday, 1 p.m. at Teaneck

Old Tappan stops Ramapo in North 1, Group 3 semifinal

Feb 29, 2024

Second-seeded Old Tappan advanced from the North Jersey Section 1, Group 3 Tournament with a 61-58 win over third-seeded Ramapo in Old Tappan.Old Tappan (23-6), which has won 15 of its last 16 games, will visit top-seeded Teaneck in the final on Saturday. Old Tappan is seeking its first sectional title since the 2017-2018 season.

Old Tappan holds off West Essex to advance to Semifinals

Feb 28, 2024

OLD TAPPAN – Northern Valley/Old Tappan jumped out to a 14-2 first quarter lead, but needed a strong fourth quarter to get past a pesky West Essex team, 46-35, in the North 1, Group 3 state tournament quarterfinals on Tuesday.“For us it’s just about trying to do the things we do well,” said Old Tappan coach Brian Dunn, “which is making sure that we rebound, taking care of the basketball better than we have been, being able to put pressure on them on ‘D,’ especially on halfcourt, and not giving them any looks.”Old Tappan scored in every which way early on.Senior Layla Giordano drove and scored a minute into the game. Then sophomore Mia Derrico drained a 3-pointer and senior Maya Giordano connected from in close. Layla Giordano stole a pass and dribbled the length of the court for a layup and scored again inside, sandwiched around a three-pointer by sophomore Sadie Murphy.“We had a bad first quarter,” said West Essex coach Amber Tobia. “They were scared, a little nervous, butterflies, a freshman (guard Lexi Castro) starting the game. There were a lot of changes we weren’t necessarily ready for. In quarters 2, 3 and 4 we showed up.”West Essex got back into the game starting in the second quarter. Junior guard Talia LeBorgne, who had scored the only points for WE in the first quarter, swished a three-pointer. After NVOT sophomore Sienna Drullinsky scored off a great pass from Layla Giordano, WE junior forward Sasha Resnick tallied a three-point play and sophomore guard Brooke Balzano added a bucket from inside to cut the lead to 16-10.The teams traded points until WE sophomore guard Maddy Schlosser hit a two pointer at the buzzer and the half ended with Old Tappan up 23-15.“It’s a testament to them,” Tobia said of her team. “We say it’s the little moments that can keep you in the game – going after the loose balls, offensive rebounds. We had 11 offensive rebounds in the first half. We have games where we don’t have 11 offensive rebounds in the entire game.”Early in the second half Layla Giordano fed twin sister Maya underneath for an easy 2 points to put the Golden Knights ahead by 10, 25-15, but WE went on an 11-5 run to close out the third quarter, thanks, in part to excellent passing.First, Schlosser found Castro for a layup. Then, after OT senior Grayson Housley drained a three-pointer, LeBorgne zipped a pass inside to Resnick for two more points. Maya Giordano scored to give Old Tappan an 11-point lead but Schlosser canned a trey, Resnick stole the ball and went coast-to-coast for a layup and Balzano hit a jumper to cut the lead to 30-26 heading into the fourth quarter.“We said to them every single game of the season we can be in any game we put our hearts and our heads into,” Tobia said. “We have the ability to compete with anyone. One of our senior captains (Ava Visaggio) is hurt and we had a starter who couldn’t be here today because she is sick. We proved regardless of all of that we could still play hard.”“The thing about them is they’re scrappy and tough,” Dunn said of WE. “They’re not going to quit, they’re not going to stop playing.”Old Tappan righted the ship in the fourth quarter as no fewer than six players each scored at least two points in the final frame to emerge with a victory.Layla Giordano led all scorers with 17 points, including career point No. 1,000. Maya Giordano had 9 points and Derrico, Drullinsky and Housley chipped in with 5 points apiece. The Golden Knights (22-6) will host Ramapo (24-3) Thursday night in the tournament semifinals.The season ended for West Essex (15-13). Schlosser scored 13 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. LeBorgne tallied 9 points, while Resnick had 7 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocked shots. Senior guard Sofia Brignola and Balzano each grabbed 4 rebounds and Balzano chipped in with 4 points.“We say we’re not the biggest team, we’re not the most technically sound team – we make plenty of mistakes – but they work their tails off,” Tobia said. “I can’t be more proud of them and I’m thankful to coach a group of kids like this. It doesn’t come around every year and I think my biggest takeaway is you can coach basketball but you can’t coach heart and you can’t coach toughness. The hardest part as their coach is having the season end. Every day is so much fun to be around them.” By JC Baumuller/NJS.com Staff Writer

Previews & Picks Group 3 girls basketball NJSIAA Tournament semifinals

Feb 28, 2024

The 2023-24 girls basketball state tournament keeps moving along, and we’re on to the sectional semifinals.Below, find a quick breakdown and picks for each of Thursday’s North 1 Group 3 semifinals.3-Ramapo at 2-Old TappanRamapo and Old Tappan will meet for the second time this season after Ramapo had a hard-fought win over sixth-seeded Northern Highlands in the quarterfinals, while Old Tappan beat 10th-seeded West Essex in the quarterfinals. Old Tappan won the first meeting 43-34 on Dec. 16, the second game of the season for both teams. Ramapo has been strong defensively this season and will have to try and contain Old Tappan senior Layla Giordano, who scored her 1,000th career point in the win over West Essex.The pick: Old Tappan5-Demarest at 1-TeaneckDemarest defeated fellow Big North Conference opponent and fourth-seeded River Dell to advance to the semifinals, while Teaneck had a hard-fought win over eighth-seeded Morris Knolls. Demarest and Teaneck’s semifinal contest will be the third time this season that the two teams will play each other. Teaneck won the first meeting, while Demarest won the second contest. Both coaches are likely going to come up with a wrinkle or two on Thursday compared to the first two meetings. Controlling the glass is also going to play a factor as far as who comes out on top.The Pick: Teaneck

Old Tappan Advances to State Sectional Semifinals

Feb 27, 2024

North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 quarterfinals#2 Old Tappan vs #10 West EssexFor the second consecutive year, second-seeded Old Tappan will appear in the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 semifinals after defeating 10th-seeded West Essex 46-35 in Old Tappan. This was also a day that saw Layla Giordano score her 1,000th career point as she led her team with 17.Old Tappan (22-6) finished the first quarter up 14-2, but West Essex (15-13) chipped away in the second and third to make it a four-point game heading into the fourth. But late in the 4th quarter, Maya Giordano (9 points) returned to the court after early foul trouble to help Old Tappan take control as they outscored West Essex 16-9 in the final quarter. Giordano Sisters netted 26 points for Old Tappan in the win.Old Tappan will face third-seeded Ramapo in the semifinals on Thursday. The Golden Knights have also won 14 of their last 15 games.Proud Grandmothers of Maya and Layla Giordano

Old Tappan Secures Semifinal Spot in NJ Section 1, Group 3 Tournament; Giordano Hits 1,000 Points

Feb 27, 2024

Old Tappan clinches a 46-35 victory against West Essex, led by Layla Giordano’s 1,000th career point. The game showcases competitive spirit and standout performances, setting the stage for a thrilling semifinal match. In an electrifying showdown at the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 tournament, second-seeded Old Tappan defeated 10th-seeded West Essex with a score of 46-35, marking a significant victory that propels them into the semifinals for the second year in a row. The highlight of the game was Layla Giordano’s impressive achievement of scoring her 1,000th career point, leading her team with a total of 17 points.Early Dominance and Competitive SpiritOld Tappan showcased their dominance early on, finishing the first quarter with a commanding 14-2 lead. Despite this strong start, West Essex, with a season record of 15-13, managed to narrow the deficit to just four points as they entered the fourth quarter, demonstrating resilience and competitive spirit. However, Old Tappan, holding a season record of 22-6, ultimately regained control and outscored West Essex 16-9 in the final quarter, securing their victory and advancing to the next round.This victory not only highlights Old Tappan’s team strength and determination but also marks a significant personal achievement for Layla Giordano, whose 1,000th career point will be remembered as a milestone in her high school basketball career. As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on these talented athletes as they continue to strive for excellence on the basketball court.Standout PerformancesAside from Layla Giordano’s milestone, the game featured notable performances from both Giordano sisters and both teams. Maya Giordano ripped down 14 redounds and netted 9 points. Madelyn Schlosser of West Essex achieved a double-double, scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, showing her prowess on the court. Sasha Resnick also made significant contributions with eight points and 13 rebounds, further highlighting the competitive nature of the game. Despite their efforts, West Essex fell short as Old Tappan proved too strong in the crucial moments.Looking Ahead to the SemifinalsWith this victory, Old Tappan is set to face third-seeded Ramapo in the semifinals, a team that has been on a winning streak with 14 victories in their last 15 games. This upcoming match promises to be an intense battle as both teams compete for a spot in the finals of the prestigious tournament. Fans and players alike are eagerly anticipating what is expected to be a thrilling encounter between two of the top teams in the tournamentBy Salman Khan

NJSIAA Tournament quarterfinal picks for North 1 Group 3

Feb 26, 2024

NORTH 1, GROUP 310-West Essex at 2-Old TappanWest Essex pulled off a minor upset when it defeated seventh-seeded and Passaic County Tournament Wayne Hills in the first round. Old Tappan advanced to the quarterfinals with a win over fellow division opponent and 15th-seeded Tenafly. West Essex seems to have found its footing right as the state tournament got underway. Old Tappan has been playing well over the last month. They hope to continue to see outstanding performances from the Giordano Twins. The pick: Old Tappan8-Morris Knolls at 1-TeaneckMorris Knolls came away with a hard-fought win over ninth-seeded Pascack Valley in the first round, while Teaneck, the No. 20 team in the NJ.com Top 20 and defending sectional champions, defeated 16th-seeded Roxbury. Morris Knolls will have to find a way to control the glass against a Teaneck team that is among the best rounding teams in the state. The pick: Teaneck5-Demarest at 4-River DellTwo Big North Conference teams will meet for the first time this season when River Dell hosts Demarest. Demarest is coming off a first-round win over 12th-seeded Morris Hills, while River Dell beat 13th-seeded Montville in a high scoring game. Expect defense to be the key for the winner in this contest. The pick: Demarest6-Northern Highlands at 3-RamapoNorthern Highlands and Ramapo will be meeting for the third time this season after Northern Highlands defeated 11th-seeded Sparta and Ramapo beat 14th-seeded Wayne Valley. Ramapo won the first two meetings this season, but the old saying is it’s hard to beat a good team three times. The team that probably puts in the most wrinkles from their first two matchups has a good chance at advancing to the semifinals. The pick: RamapoByLauren Knego | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comLuis Torres | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Big North Conference stat leaders through Feb. 13

Feb 13, 2024

PlayerSchoolGamesPTS TotalPTS AvgSamantha SerranoHoly Angels2052626.3Jessaiah ReynosoPassaic2350522Olivia IsaacsonWayne Valley2247521.6Angie TiradoDemarest2448220.1Siena ShusterWayne Hills2243218.8My’shayla ClancyPaterson Kennedy2444618.6Nyasia PauldoPaterson Eastside1018917.2Juliet SchwartzTenafly2034816.6Celina BussanichPascack Valley2338016.5Lexi CarnegieTeaneck1321116.2Sienna CoreyNorthern Highlands2235316Layla GiordanoOld Tappan2234115.5Kate WalshWestwood2234215.5Zoe WasserlaufTenafly2436915.4Kylie CabanaParamus Catholic2335415.4Bianca EllisParamus Catholic2334615Selena CieszkoImmaculate Heart2130214.4Nadia OtuyeluRidgefield Park1724114.2Nevaeh BanksPaterson Eastside2230714Camden EpsteinRamapo2332013.9Sofia ValenteImmaculate Heart2128713.7Demi SimpsonTeaneck2128113.4Gabriella MittelmanDemarest2431813.2Cayla MenicolaRamapo2228813.1Faith ErasmoFair Lawn1924512.9Celine De La RosaBergenfield1924412.8Celeste HarperHoly Angels2025412.7Madison TrocolarIndian Hills1721412.6Ava BurkePascack Valley2429812.4Gabriella BartelucciDumont2328412.3Cate WeinbergerNorthern Highlands2226612.1Alexandra StefanelliPassaic Valley1315411.8Leayana DorvilleTeaneck2529311.7Amelia GuardascioneLakeland2326611.6Marissa LaVerghettaMahwah2427811.6Erin GashlerWestwood2427611.5Zahniya CastilloPaterson Kennedy2225111.4Catie KlemmRidgewood2123911.4Avery VaccaWest Milford2124011.4Sophia MandalakisDumont2326011.3Krista PricePassaic Valley1921111.1Gianna PeraltaLakeland2324510.7Leeya AncleCliffside Park1919910.5Charlotte AutyRamsey1818910.5Harper CohnMahwah2424810.3Toni PernettiRamapo2323610.3Madisyn McNairHackensack1818310.2Raina GibbsPascack Valley242379.9Maya GiordanoOld Tappan222179.9By Luis Torres | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Old Tappan Disappointed with loss to Teaneck in County Tournament

Feb 10, 2024

FAIR LAWN – Teaneck sprinted out with an 11-0 run to open the fourth quarter to bolt past Old Tappan, 51-45, in the semifinals of the 49th Annual BCWCA Basketball Championship Saturday afternoon. The Highwaywomen face Saddle River Day, 89-45 winners over Holy Angels, for the championship on Wednesday night.Teaneck beat Saddle River Day, 61-57, Jan. 6 and coach Brad Allen believes that will help his team.“Our team meeting Saddle River Day once is a good thing,” he said. “We’re familiar with the players and some of the things they do. We’re not going in not knowing their capability and their skill level. We have film and we have a scout and [now] we’re going to sit down again and see them play.”Suffocating defense was key to the Teaneck run as the Highwaywomen converted turnovers into baskets. They tallied 8 points in the first minute and a half to erase Old Tappan’s 35-32 third quarter lead.“Our main objective is defense – in our system and our program,” said Allen. “I told them we can’t win this game without playing defense. So we went back to our man press and it worked out very well for us. That’s the one thing we were great at in the beginning of the season. We had injuries and we were using different lineups and we kind of got away from that. So now that everyone’s getting healthy and back in the mix we’re getting back to what we were doing early in the season.”Freshman Leayana Dorville opened the fourth quarter with a basket from in close, senior Demi Simpson canned a pair of jumpers and junior Imani McKenzie hit from the corner to give Teaneck a 40-35 lead.After two timeouts by Old Tappan Teaneck senior Erin Frazier drained a free throw and Simpson drove and scored off a great pass from Dorville and the lead grew to 43-35 with 3:23 to go in the game.A lot of Teaneck’s success was a result of superior rebounding, something they didn’t have when they lost to Old Tappan last Tuesday.“On Tuesday there was a big rebounding edge for Old Tappan when we lost the game,” said Allen. “So in practice this week we focused on boxing out and grabbing every rebound, making sure we hit the boards and getting second chance opportunities. That was the one thing that was missing on Tuesday. We worked on that the next couple of days, including the Tenafly game, and it worked out well.”Simpson was particularly effective, pulling down 14 rebounds to go along with her 18 points.“We sat Demi out Tuesday because she was sick so she made a big difference from a rebounding perspective,” said Allen. “The girls played so hard Tuesday – we lost by six – but it was a tough game that was played so we knew with her back in the lineup it would make a difference.”“I owed it to my teammates,” Simpson said. “I wasn’t there last week or on Tuesday – so I was definitely working to get back. [Rebounding] just kind of comes to me with my teammates – all of us communicating on the floor, boxing out, playing together.”Frazier scored 4 points and chipped in with 7 rebounds and 3 steals, sophomore Jillian Carter had 9 points, while Dorville finished with 8 points.“They’ve been playing to their potential,” Allen said of his team. “The good part about this team is we can go 10 deep. We played nine today and that’s without Lexi (Carnegie, a sophomore who tore her ACL a week after the game against Saddle River Day). If you can play nine without a First Team All-State caliber player then you have a good team.”Old Tappan managed to score 10 points in the final three minutes led by sophomore Sadie Murphy who swished two 3-pointers to finish with 9 points in the game. Senior Maya Giordano led the way with 14 points and 6 assists, while Maya’s twin sister, Layla, scored 12 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and had 3 steals.“We knew what we wanted to do,” said Simpson. “We use our basketball IQ. It was really more of a mental thing – knowing we were up and didn’t need to score. We needed to slow the game down – we’re not playing with a shot clock. It was really just us playing together and focusing on the end goal.”Teaneck improved to 19-6, while Old Tappan fell to 18-6.“The last time Teaneck went to the county finals was 2012 and they won,” said Allen. “Some of the alumni from that team come and help us practice. They teach us the history and the girls know them personally so there is that personal connection. That drives them a little bit. It’s like a sisterhood – so it’s big sister and little sister moments. They’re telling them of the experience so they’re living examples of what we are trying to achieve.”“We’re chasing history,” added Simpson. “Teaneck hasn’t won counties in over 10 years. It really is unbelievable. Everyone wants to win. We’re grateful. We’re not scared – it’s survive and advance and we’re ready for the next game.” By JC Baumuller/NJS.com Staff Writer

Preview: The Bergen County Tournament Final Four – Old Tappan Girls Basketball

Feb 09, 2024

The Bergen County Tournament was turned on its head when 18th-seeded Cresskill upset second-seeded Immaculate Heart, last year’s runner-up, in the Round of 16, opening the door for another team to make a deep run as one of the favorites was eliminated early.The top seed is still alive in Saddle River Day, which has won seven consecutive Bergen County Tournament titles, and is the favorite to win its eighth in a row. However, three other teams are vying to end Saddle River Day’s unprecedented streak.Here is a look at Bergen County Tournament semifinal matchups happening at Fair Lawn on Saturday.FULL BRACKET7-Old Tappan (17-5) vs. 3-Teaneck (17-6), 2pmOld Tappan and Teaneck know each other very well, a product of being in the National Division of the Big North Conference. Saturday’s semifinal meeting will be the third time this season the two teams have played each other and the second time this week.Teaneck won the first meeting on Jan. 11, 48-40, before Old Tappan won the second meeting on Tuesday, 65-59, to even up the season series.Old Tappan, the No. 19 team in the NJ.com Top 20, advanced to the semifinals by picking up wins over Glen Rock and Cresskill, while Teaneck advanced to the semifinals by defeating Ridgewood and River Dell.Old Tappan coach Brian Dunn leans on senior twins Layla and Maya Giordano. Layla Giordano is averaging a team-leading 15.1 points per game, while Maya Giordano is averaging 9.9 points per game.Teaneck has battled through injuries this season as coach Brad Allen has had to adjust his lineups to compensate for the injuries. Seniors Demi Simpson and Erin Frazier have been two cogs in the lineup and so has freshman Leayana Dorville. Simpson hasn’t played in Teaneck’s last three games. Dorville is averaging 11.8 points per game. 5-Holy Angels (13-5) vs. 1-Saddle River Day (15-3), 5:30Veteran coach Sue Liddy has guided Holy Angels to the semifinals on the heels of wins over Pascack Valley and Ramapo, while Saddle River Day defeated Park Ridge and Demarest to book its spot in the Final Four.Holy Angels arguably has the top player in the Big North Conference and one of the best in the county in senior Samantha Serrano. Serrano has been brilliant this season, averaging 26.1 points per game, among the highest in the state. She is also grabbing 6.6 rebounds per game.Serrano will have to play extremely well against Saddle River Day, the No. 10 team in the NJ.com Top 20, as first-year coach Joseph Pedone will come up with a game plan to slow down Serrano. Seniors Cristina Parrella and Julianna Almedia have been Saddle River Day’s two most productive players this season. Parrella is averaging a team-leading 17.1 points per game and making 48 3-pointers, while Almedia is averaging 15.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Junior Faith Williamson has knocked down 42 3-pointers and can’t be left open along the perimeter.

No. 19 Old Tappan wins 10th straight behind stout defense in win over Pascack Valley

Feb 08, 2024

Old Tappan coach Brian Dunn knew there would be some peaks and valleys heading into this season.It was bound to happen after the graduation of key seniors from a team last season that won 22 games and reached the semifinals of the North 1, Group 3 sectional tournament.There was a peak early in the season, one in which Old Tappan won its first five games before back-to-back losses. A valley came in early January, which saw three consecutive losses. But those three straight losses seemed to have been an awakening for Old Tappan and Dunn’s team.Since then, Old Tappan has yet to lose a game. Dunn’s squad is peaking at the right time, and they peaked in the second half against Pascack Valley on Thursday as No. 19 Old Tappan used stifling defense in the second half to roll to a 54-27 victory in a Big North Conference National Division matchup.The win was Old Tappan’s 10th consecutive victory as the Golden Knights improved to 18-5 on the year. Old Tappan’s stifling defense allowed just seven points in the second half after leading 27-20 at halftimeSenior Layla Giordano led all scorers with 24 points, while pulling down five rebounds and dishing out four assists.“We were a really young team heading into the season. We graduated a lot of people last year, so I think we had to try out a lot of things to get to the combinations we have right now,” Giordano said. “Our schedule is very hard compared to a lot of other teams, and I think that’s really helping us.”Giordano, a state champion in both the discus and shot put, was a force on defense in the second half and was able to get going on offense early in the contest.She knocked down a season-high four 3-pointers and seems to be finding her form from beyond the arc in the last two games, making seven of her 12 3-pointers for the season.“It’s very rare that happens for me, but it’s been cool. The last few games I’ve been able to shoot a couple threes, and that’s been able to help out our team a lot,” Giordano said.Twin sister Maya Giordano chipped in with 10 points and nine rebounds.Pascack Valley junior Celina Bussanich scored a team-high 14 points. Link to Photos

Old Tappan back in NJ’s Top 20 Rankings – Girls Basketball

Feb 08, 2024

Girls Basketball Top 20, Feb. 8:It’s tournament time for the 2023-24 girls basketball season. More specifically, county tournament time. We’re getting close to crowing county tournament champions as teams are currently in the thick of having county bragging rights. The state tournament power point cutoff is also on Saturday, meaning games up through Saturday will determine how the state tournament will be seeded.The latest NJ.com girls basketball rankings sees some changes around the top, but the elite teams continue to prove why they are elite. Some upsets caused some reshuffling in the back half of the rankings. While some familiar teams, Old Tappan, sneaks back into the top 20, as they continue their winning ways late in the season. Old Tappan is on a 9 game winning streak, with key wins against Pascack Valley, Jefferson, Demarest, and Teaneck. .Here is the NJ.com Top 20 for Feb. 8:19-Old Tappan (17-5)Last week: UnrankedOld Tappan has won nine-straight games since their three-straight losses back in early January. Old Tappan will face Pascack Valley on Thursday before playing Teaneck in the Bergen County Tournament semifinals on Saturday. With a win on Saturday in the semifinals, Old Tappan will be the first Pubic School to appear in the finals since 2018

Maya Giordano resets her career stats with a triple from the corner

Feb 06, 2024

Maya Giordano of Old Tappan High School launches a three pointer from the corning to bust the game wide open vs. Teaneck, Tuesday evening. Maya’s three, which was her first in her career, brought the lead to 11, late in the game. With the win, Old Tappan will share the league title for sure and has a chance to win it outright later this week.Click link below for full video.

Old Tappan is heading to the Bergen County Final 4 – Girls Basketball

Feb 04, 2024

Holy Angels, Teaneck and Old Tappan joined Saddle River Day to comprise the Final 4 of the 49th Annual BCWCA Basketball Championship by posting victories in the Elite 8 on Saturday afternoon. The Final Four will be played Feb. 10 in Fair Lawn.Old Tappan ends Cresskill’s Cinderella runCresskill came into the Elite Eight game Saturday having upset Tenafly in the first round of the tournament and absolutely shocking Immaculate Heart Academy in the Round of 16 a week ago. So Old Tappan knew they had to be ready for them.“They played two great games in the tournament,” said Old Tappan coach Brian Dunn. “We had to be serious about getting ready for them. They play tremendous “D” and No. 4 (senior Erin Fahy) is fantastic and has been for years. She’s a tough matchup for anybody. She’s a handful and coach (Mike McCourt) does a fantastic job of getting his team to play.”Nevertheless, the Golden Knights got off to a strong start and clamped down on defense in the second half to crush Cresskill, 47-23, in the final game of the day.Old Tappan jumped out to an early lead and when the Cougars got within 2 points, 15-13, the Knights went on a 10-4 run to coast to a 25-17 lead at the half.A three pointer by Old Tappan sophomore Mia Derrico jump started the Knights into a run which doubled their halftime lead of eight to a 38-22 advantage as the third quarter ended. More importantly they shut down the Cougars offense, yielding only a pair of field goals by Fahy and one free throw by senior Maddie Morgan in the entire quarter. And in the fourth quarter Cresskill was held to one point.For the Knights senior Maya Giordano was extremely effective inside, scoring 8 of her 10 points in the second half.“She was in foul trouble,” said Dunn, “but in the second half she got a couple of drop steps. We were able to get the ball into her. She did a great job of closing them out.”Giordano’s twin sister, Layla, led all scorers with 16 points and the sisters combined for 16 rebounds. In all six players managed to score at least 2 points for the Knights.“We have a good mix grade wise,” said Dunn. “We have our consistent kids where we know what we’re going to get in the older kids. Then the younger kids are still developing. If we’re playing well we need one of them to step up each game and get some good buckets.”The Golden Knights will play Teaneck Saturday at 3:30 and Dunn appreciates the significance of making it to the Final Four.“It’s always special,” he said. “If you can advance it means you’re playing well at the time of year where you want to be playing well [because] you’re going to be playing great teams. You could play great and lose. If you get to the Final Four it means you’re playing well at the right time of year which is always your goal.”

Old Tappan knocks off Cinderella to advance to the Final Four

Feb 03, 2024

Everyone likes to root for a Cinderella story, except of course for the opponent. The Golden Knights (16-5) ran out to an early 10-2 lead on No. 18 Cresskill (12-9) and kept bringing the defense throughout their 47-23 win. Old Tappan held the Cougars to six points and only two field goals in the second half, the last of which came midway through the third quarter.Twins Layla and Maya Giordano combined for 26 points and 16 rebounds, while Grayson Housley and Sienna Drullinsky made four steals apiece.“This is the time of year where you want to be playing well,” Golden Knights coach Brian Dunn said. “If you get to the [county] final four, it means you’re playing well at the right time of year, which is always your goal.”Four days before they meet in the semifinals, the Golden Knights will visit Teaneck on Tuesday Feb 6th in a game that has major Big North National title implications. The Highwaywomen (7-1 in division) lead Old Tappan (6-2) and Demarest (6-2) by one game, and each has two National games left. Old Tappan needs the win with hopes of taking the League Title.

Old Tappan Shuts Down Cresskill in Bergen County Tourney Quarterfinals

Feb 03, 2024

Seventh-seeded Old Tappan rolled to a 47-23 win over 18th-seeded Cresskill in the quarterfinals of the Bergen County Tournament in Demarest. The Giordano Twins were hard to contain as they scored 26 points combined. They also shared the duty of guarding Cresskill’s leading scorer, Erin Fahy. Their defense was instrumental in the win as they held Fahy to only 9 points.Old Tappan (16-5) will take on third-seeded Teaneck in the quarterfinals of the Bergen County Tournament in Demarest.

Old Tappan wins seventh straight, tops Demarest – Girls Basketball

Feb 01, 2024

Layla Giordano had 15 points as Old Tappan won its seventh game in a row, defeating Demarest, 46-39, in Old Tappan.Maya Giordano scored 12 points and Sadie Murphy added eight for Old Tappan (15-5), which closed the game on an 11-3 fourth quarter run.Demarest, which saw its 11-game winning streak come to an end, falls to 17-4.

Old Tappan wins in Bergen County Tourney opener vs Glen Rock

Jan 27, 2024

Seventh-seeded Old Tappan rolled to a 49-40 win over 10th-seeded Glen Rock in the opening round of the Bergen County Tournament, in Old Tappan. Layla Giordano with a team high 12 Points and Maya Giordano chipped in 7, while she cleaned the paint with 10+ rebounds. Old Tappan will face 18th-seeded Cresskill in the quarterfinals on Saturday, Feb 3 at Demarest.Old Tappan improved to 13-5 on the season, while Glen Rock fell to 12-4.

Giordano Twins receive 33% of the Votes as N.J.’s top girls basketball Senior

Jan 17, 2024

Maya Giordano & Layla Giordano, also known as the Giordano Sisters or Giordano Twins totaled 33.42% of all votes cast in the poll for N.J.’s Top Girls Basketball Senior. As a total, they are N.J.’s top girls basketball seniors. But, this was an individual poll. So they came in 2nd and 3rd place.A little history of the Giordano Twin’s story.As Freshmen in 2021 they came in 5th and 6th, receiving 21,785 total votes.As Sophomores in the 2021/2022 season , Maya Giordano won outright with 28% of the votes.As Juniors in the 2022/23 season, Layla Giordano took 1st and Maya Giordano 2nd. Combined they received 63% of the votes.As their high school careers near the end. We take our hats off for them as a gesture of a Thank You for all the great moments we got to see them together on the court. And good luck for the rest of the season. We hope you have been saving your best for last.

Badurina Gets Hot in the 4th to Help Old Tappan Win Over PV – Girls Basketball

Jan 16, 2024

OLD TAPPAN – NV/Old Tappan freshman Alivia Badurina drained three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to lead Old Tappan to a 55-51 comeback victory over rival Pascack Valley Tuesday afternoon. The back-and-forth contest featured 11 ties and numerous lead changes.“It was a typical performance where everybody is competing hard,” said Old Tappan coach Brian Dunn.Valley grabbed a 15-10 lead on a 3-pointer by junior Celina Bussanich but Badurina’s first trey of the game and a basket by Knights sophomore Sadie Murphy, after the two teams had traded points, tied the game at 17-all three minutes into the second quarter.“Alivia and Sadie did a great job off the bench,” said Dunn. “Sadie hit a big one for us and got us back tied. I think they both did a great job off the bench. They’re young kids and in an Old Tappan/PV game to step up and do it means something.”With less than two minutes to go in the half Bussanich and Badurina traded 3s and a minute later Panthers junior Ava Burke completed a 3-point play to give Valley a 27-26 lead heading into intermission.“In the first half everybody made some shots,” said Dunn. “I thought both teams shot the ball pretty well.”Knights senior Layla Giordano scored quickly to open the third quarter on a putback, but Burke tallied a pair of free throws and drove to the basket for two more to give Valley a three-point lead, 31-28. After the teams traded points Giordano swished a 3-pointer to tie the game at 32-32.A series of free throws by both teams preceded Valley freshman Raina Gibbs hitting on a long trey and the Panthers took a 42-40 lead into the fourth quarter. Fouls plagued the Golden Knights as Layla Giordano and her twin sister, Maya, each had four fouls heading into the final frame. Maya picked up her fourth foul midway through the third quarter and went to the bench. Layla picked up her fourth and fifth fouls less than a minute into the fourth quarter so Old Tappan was without the twins for an extended period of time.“Our other kids stepped up,” said Dunn. “I thought [sophomore] Mia Derrico did a great job on No. 4 (Bussanich) to keep her in check and not let her free on the 3-point line. It was a good combination of stuff and for the most part we took care of the ball at the right times and got the shots we needed at the right times.”Thirty seconds after Layla Giordano left the game Badurina drilled the first of her fourth quarter 3-pointers to tie the game 43-43.“We were lucky we had Alivia jump in and knock down some big shots when Maya was out with foul trouble,” said Dunn. “She hit some big ones for us.”A minute later senior Grayson Housley stole a pass and dribbled the length of the court for a layup to give Old Tappan the lead for good, 45-43. Thirteen seconds after Housley’s heroics Badurina drained another three to boost the lead to 48-43.“When I know I’m ready and I’m set I just have to shoot it,” Badurina said. “I know the game and I know my strengths. When I know I have the shot I just shoot it.”After Burke added a free throw Old Tappan moved the ball around and found Badurina alone outside. She promptly drained another trey to make it 51-44 with 3:44 left to go in the game. After the game Badurina explained how she was able to get open.“Ball movement is one of the top things we’re known for,” she said. “The main thing is screening. We always work on screening at practice. When I get a screen I really have to make sure I cut hard and fast off the screens.”Valley was able to close to 51-49 when Burke scored on a putback of her own missed shot. She finished with a game-high 23 points. But Maya Giordano scored from in close to boost the lead back up to four.After the Panthers hit a couple of free throws Derrico made it a two-possession game with a pair of free throws with 3.4 seconds left. Layla Giordano finished with a team-high 19 points while Badurina added 17. Burke led all scorers with 23, while Bussanich had 17 for the Panthers.After the game Dunn reflected on what positives can be taken by the team, which was forced to play a large portion of the game without their big guns.“Any situation where there is some adversity, and it can pop its head in a 100 different ways or a 1,000 different ways,” he said, “and you overcome it and do something different that you haven’t done before and see you can handle it, it gives you more tools and more mental toughness. You develop some ability to problem solve and handle new situations. It’s a good experience and it builds confidence.”“Coming in from the start [of the season] coach said you have to show up for every single game but especially this one,” Badurina said. “I grew up watching PV vs. Old Tappan and I know it’s a big one. On the court I just knew you have to show up and play even harder than what your hardest is. It’s a relief and it’s great [to win] but we have to get ready for the next one.”

Giordano Twins Net 41 Points in Overtime Loss to Demarest – Girls Basketball

Jan 09, 2024

DEMAREST – Northern Valley/Demarest overcame a buzzer-beating, fourth quarter basket by NV/Old Tappan senior Maya Giordano to get past their district rival, 79-71, in overtime on Wednesday afternoon.Demarest was led by junior Angie Tirado (34 points) and sophomore Gabriella Mittleman (28) as Tirado scored 20 of her points in the first half, while Mittleman scored all of her points in the second half and overtime.“She’s been a gem,” Norsewomen head coach Jenny Jurjevic said of Tirado. “I haven’t seen her play since the seventh or eighth grade. She went to the Bronx and was playing basketball in New York. She came back to her home school and lives in Closter, so we are still getting acquainted with each other from early on.“The cool thing is she’s embraced us with a warm welcome as much as we’ve embraced her. It’s been mutual. There are no frustrations – she’s selfless. The cool thing about her is she celebrates every moment. Bergen County basketball probably isn’t like where she was playing basketball before, where everything is loud and it’s a crazy environment. She gleans that level of composure and hype at the same time. If you look at her every possession she’s clapping, saying ‘let’s go,’ slapping everybody with a high five. If she misses shots she doesn’t shut down. She mentally is there for everybody else.”Tirado ended a back-and-forth first quarter by draining a 3-pointer behind the circle surrounding the half-court line to tie the game 18-all heading into the second quarter. She laughed when she said she works on that shot all the time, especially before a game.“Before we play a game we shoot half-court shots, just like that,” she said. “It was great. I had girls in front of me and I just let it go. I thought, ‘it might go in, it might go in.’ And there it was.”Demarest opened the second quarter with a 6-0 run, including another trey by Tirado and a jumper by senior Taylor Miller. Old Tappan went on a run with two minutes to go as Maya Giordano scored twice, sandwiched between another basket by Miller, and a basket by Layla Giordano to close the half 32-30 in favor of Demarest.The score remained close in the first two minutes of the third quarter, but then Mittleman caught fire.“In the first half she missed some shots but she prevailed,” Jurjevic said. “Her mojo kind of came to her at halftime and her teammates hiked her up. Taylor Miller does an excellent job of doing that – sharing the mojo and hiking those kids up because she’s been in these pressure moments before. That’s why it’s important to have seniors like what we have.”It’s also important to have underclassmen as freshman starter Deana Finkelstein proved as she scored 4 of her 10 points in the third quarter. She also grabbed some key rebounds to give Demarest extra scoring chances and the Norsewomen headed into the fourth quarter ahead, 53-48.Old Tappan, however, is a veteran team that has balanced scoring and six players tallied points in the fourth quarter comeback.Tirado extended Demarest’s lead with a 3-pointer but Old Tappan chipped away with two baskets by sophomore Sienna Drullinsky (12 points), a basket by sophomore Mia Derrico (5 points) and two free throws by senior Grayson Housley (8 points). Housley’s points gave Old Tappan a 61-60 lead, its first lead of the game since the first quarter.Maya Giordano (22 points) scored 7 fourth quarter points, including the buzzer beater, as the Golden Knights completed the comeback.“She lit us up,” Jurjevic said of Maya Giordano. “I understand that they’re twins but they both bring different things to the game. Layla Giordano (16 points) is more agile around the perimeter. And Maya Giordano knows her role. She gets those touches and on any given night she can put down those points. She is really a force to be reckoned with.”The overtime period was all Demarest. It opened with an 8-0 run, including a back-breaking layup on a pinpoint pass inside from Miller to Mittleman.“Mittleman and I have pretty good chemistry,” said Miller. “We were together last year. I knew she was going to roll on that and I trust that she’s always going to be there. Luckily she got it in.”Demarest also sank 5 free throws in a row to close out the victory.“It all comes out of our team chemistry,” Tirado said. “We all hang out a lot. Our coach makes sure we are all connected. We’re always talking when we’re doing ‘shoot around’ in practice.”Old Tappan fell to 8-3, while Demarest ran its record to 9-3 and is much improved over last season.“Last year we had a lovely group of young ladies, but we had two kids transfer out and it was devastating,” said Jurjevic. “I didn’t have an answer. You can only develop kids so much in this league. This is big dog basketball. If you’re not athletic and you’re not fast it doesn’t matter how many fundamentals we do in practice. I didn’t have the caliber of athletes to hang.“This year we are enjoying every moment. I don’t know if a team will go through what we went through last year but we’re not going to take any of these games for granted. Even if we had lost this game it would not have been a big deal. Even if we lose the next one it’s not going to be a big deal because we have a lot of basketball left and we’re going to continue to grow and get better.”

Layla Giordano leads way as No. 19 Old Tappan tops Tenafly – Girls Basketball

Jan 02, 2024

Senior Layla Giordano scored 18 points as Old Tappan — No. 19 in the NJ.com Top 20 — held off Tenafly for a 54-39 home win. Old Tappan won for the seventh time in nine games. Mia Derrico scored 11 points and Maya Giordano added 10 points and dominated the paint in the win. Old Tappan closed out the game with an 18-6 fourth quarter. Maya Giordano (45) of Old Tappan races up court against Juliet Schwartz (4) of Tenafly during the girls basketball game between Old Tappan and Tenafly at Northern Valley Regional Old Tappan High School in Old Tappan, NJ on Tuesday, January 2, 2024.

Housley Steals a win for Old Tappan & Coach Dunn’s 500th Girls Basketball Win

Dec 22, 2023

Dunn gets his 500th as Old Tappan improves to 5-0 OLD TAPPAN – Brian Dunn’s first job in education came with a head coaching position at Pascack Hills High School. When he moved over to Northern Valley/Old Tappan a year later he thought his days as a girls basketball coach had already come and gone.“After that year I switched to teaching at Old Tappan and I thought I was done with girls hoops,” said Dunn. “I moved over here and wanted to continue coaching, but I thought it was going to be in football in baseball.”He was half-right. Dunn has gone on to become one of the most successful football coaches in the history of Bergen County public school football, but he has also become inseparable from local girls basketball. After Old Tappan beat Ridgewood, 47-31, on Thursday afternoon, Dunn was holding up a banner prepared by his players in honor of his 500th victory in a career that includes two outright Group 3 state championships (2016 & 2018).“After a year away [from girls basketball] when I got here I came back and coach the freshmen squad for Marty Doherty,” said Dunn. “Then Marty retired, they asked me to take the job. I did and here we are.”Grayson Housley and the Giordano twins, Maya and Layla, have been through this drill before. The three seniors were all on the floor when Old Tappan volleyball coach Melissa Landeck recorded her 500th career victory in the fall and all three were instrumental in Thursday’s win.Housley led a smothering defensive effort with six steals as Old Tappan held Ridgewood to just 11 made field goals in the game. Representing the 07647, Maya Giordano scored four straight points late in the second quarter as the Knights started to pull away and Layla finished with a game-high 20 points, 15 of them in the second half in which Old Tappan maintained a double-digit cushion for the final 10:13“It is crazy that Landeck got it and that Dunn got it in the same year and we were here for both. Next has to be P[eter] Dunn in track. We have to see how many wins he has,” said Maya Giordano, who, like her sister, is a three-sport standout. “We have known [Brian] Dunn for so long. We were at the game when he won his 400th, so to be out there playing for him when he won his 500th game is a real honor.”Dunn entered the season with 495 wins and it has been an all-out sprint to .500. The season started on December 14 and on December 21 the Golden Knights improved to 5-0 heading into a brief holiday break before they play in the Joe Poli Tournament at Pascack Valley next week.“It’s been hectic and a little crazy, but today was very exciting,” said Housely, “To think that Coach Dunn has been doing this for more than 25 years and that he has now won 500 games, it is so well-deserved. He is a really good coach, he has taught us so much and I am really happy for him.”Up against a daunting early schedule and with three sophomores in the starting lineup, Ridgewood (1-3) is off to a bumpy start that got a bit rougher when Catie Klemm rolled an ankle early in the opening quarter. The Maroons hung in there, however, and scored the final six points of the opening stanza, the last three on Quinn Duffy’s 3-pointer from the corner that left her team trailing by just two points, 11-9, heading into the second quarter.There was a further opening when Layla Giordano picked up an offensive foul, her second personal, 1:18 into the second quarter and went to the bench for the rest of the half, but instead the Knights extended their advantage. After two missed Ridgewood free throws that could have tied the game, Sienna Drullinsky cut to the basket and scored off an assist from Maya Giordano (6 points) to kick off a 9-2 run that pushed the OT lead to 20-11.Emily Bussanich scored the final two points of the first half and the first two of the third quarter to get Ridgewood to within 20-15, but Maya Giordano answered with a bucket on the block to reestablish the Knights’ offense and they outscored the Maroons 15-8 in the period to take a 35-21 advantage into the final quarter.The Giordanos, the only two seniors in the starting lineup that also included three sophomores combined to score more than half of the Knights’ points, but others took turns in support. Mia Derrico added 9 points and was 3-for-4 from the free throw line where OT went 8 for 14 as a team. Alivia Badurina scored 7 points to lead the second unit, Housley and Drullinsky each made a field goal and Sadie Murphy’s fourth quarter free throw rounded out the scoring for the Knights.“We have a really young team, so me and Maya really have to communicate on the floor and try to guide all of the sophomores that are starting with us,” said Layla Giordano, who plays a lot as a point-forward and also a slasher from the wings. “I think it helps a lot that we have experience, we both have played since our freshman year, and we can help them with their journey on the court.”Bussanich led Ridgewood with 7 points, Duffy added 6, Morino and Alysha Arora each added 5. Taylor Douma, Kelsey Shafer and Lucy Bjerke all added field goals for the Maroons, who were just 7 of 22 combined from the line and just 2 for 12 in the third quarter when the game slipped out of reach.

Dunn joins 500-win club as Old Tappan remains undefeated with win over Ridgewood

Dec 22, 2023

Brian Dunn has had a lot of success as the head football coach at Old Tappan High School, and it turns out he’s also pretty good at coaching girls basketball too.Dunn, who is in his 27th season as the head girls basketball coach, celebrated his 500th career victory on Thursday night with a 47-31 victory over Ridgewood. He now joins a host of other coaches who have reached the milestone, including Chatham’s Joe Gaba, who won his 500th game on Dec. 14.“All it means is that I’m getting older, to be honest. It feels good to know that I’ve been able to last this long (coaching), I love it,”Dunn said. “The most important part is it’s meant a lot of relationships developed over a long period of time, so that’s the biggest part of it.“People say your job isn’t who you are, but it’s kind of who I have been for a long time. I love the place, it’s a great place to work, everybody’s been good to me for a long time. I live right there in the community so it’s nice that I still have all of the connections and see all the people around, former players and parents and all that, so that part is always special. It didn’t take getting to a certain game to make that part special though.”Dunn coached his very first season at Pascack Hills before moving over to Old Tappan, which is ranked No. 19 in the NJ.com Top 20, and he has been there ever since, winning two Group 3 titles with the Golden Knights in 2016 and 2018.“Five hundred is even more impressive when you consider the strength of schedule he seeks every year within our league and through independent games,” Old Tappan assistant coach Christine Massaro said. “He could pad his stats and have many more wins if he sought up cupcake games, but he wants to challenge our team and see where we stack up and what we need to improve on. By doing that and maybe taking some tough early season losses, he ensures that the team is battle tested. He’s never about himself or his stats, he sets the tone for a team-first mentality. And what’s more, he always sets the bar at 20 wins at minimum, because that would mean you went deep in counties and state tournament. I know personally from playing for him four years and coaching with him for 19 seasons now. He sets the bar high for Old Tappan basketball.”Coaching two sports isn’t an easy task, especially two sports that are completely different from each other and require a lot of work, before, during and after the season itself. But Dunn doesn’t shy away from the challenges of coaching two sports in back-to-back seasons, and instead embraces it.“It’s hard, it’s getting harder every year just from being able to handle all of the things that are required year-round, but I love it, it keeps me busy,” Dunn said. “If I didn’t enjoy it I’d give up one or the other, but I still love doing both. I love coaching two completely different sports, boys and girls, not that I coach them any different, coach them both the same as athletes, but they’re two different animals and I enjoy both of them.”The win over Ridgewood on Thursday night was the fifth-straight win of the season for the Golden Knights, which also has victories over Holy Angels, Ramapo, Paramus Catholic and Wayne Valley. Old Tappan has held its opponents to an average of 38 points per game so far and are currently atop the Big North National Division.Senior twins Layla Giordano (16 ppg.) and Maya Giordano (11.8 ppg) lead the team, while Alivia Badurina (5.8 ppg.), Mia Derrico (6.8 ppg.) and Sienna Drullinsky (4.2 ppg.) have also contributed.“That’s the biggest thing I’m happy about, we played five games in eight days to start the season, and I’ve never done that before in 27 years,” Dunn said. “So that was a grind and I’m really proud of our kids. We’re playing some young kids, some young guards but I have these two twins, the Giordano kids, we always have a shot against anybody with them on the floor, so I’m proud of those kids. Just having them out there and starting the season off the way we did is great, but being around them every day makes the job so fun.”

Dunn earns 500th win, No. 19 Old Tappan defeats Ridgewood – Girls Basketball

Dec 21, 2023

Head coach Brian Dunn earned his 500th win with Old Tappan, No. 19 in the NJ.com Top 20, as it defeated Ridgewood 47-31 in Old Tappan. Old Tappan (5-0) took a 20-13 lead into halftime before pulling away in the second half and outscoring Ridgewood 27-18. Layla Giordano led her team with 20 points. Maya Giordano with 6 points. The Giordano’s helped to add 50+ wins to Dunn’s 500 win total through their career. Dunn joins Chatham’s Joe Gaba as the second girls’ basketball coach to reach 500 wins this season as Gaba did in an opening-night win over Montville. Ridgewood fell to 1-3.

Old Tappan Cracks NJ’s Top 20 Early in the Season – Girls Basketball

Dec 21, 2023

Girls Basketball Top 20, Dec. 21:Week 1 stunners lead to upheaval in rankings The opening week of the 2023-24 girls basketball season came and went. The top teams and players in the state took basketball courts around the state and proved themselves against each other as well as others facing some top teams from out of the state. The first week of the season featured plenty of upsets with previously unranked teams knocking off ranked teams as well as ranked teams beating other ranked teams. Holiday showcases are around the corner, with several marquee ones taking place in New Jersey that includes some of the top teams. Others will be going out of state to prove themselves against top competition.19-Old Tappan (4-0)Last week: UnrankedOld Tappan finds itself in the Top 20 this week after starting the season at 4-0. The Golden Knights opened with wins over Holy Angels, Ramapo, Paramus Catholic and Wayne Valley and are currently atop the Big North National Division. Led by seniors Layla and Maya Giordano, Old Tappan will look to remain undefeated against Ridgewood and River Dell.

Brick City Showcase: Old Tappan edges Paramus Catholic

Dec 17, 2023

Old Tappan got a great performance from Mia Derrico, who scored 15 points to lead her team to a narrow 52-51 victory over Paramus Catholic in the Brick City Showcase at Essex County College. The Giordano sisters had a strong game for Old Tappan, with Maya and Layla Giordano each scoring 13 points apiece.Down by five in the second half, Old Tappan stayed the course and wound up taking a two-point lead at the end of the third quarter. In a seesaw fourth quarter, Old Tappan scored the timely buckets needed to win.

Giordanos of Old Tappan & Saxtons of Ramapo Battle in Early Season Matchup

Dec 16, 2023

Old Tappan Girls Defeats RamapoGirls BasketballNot many times in High School Sports will you see three sisters on each team playing each other. The Saxton’s & the Giordano’s battled every minute of the game. Ending with Old Tappan having a strong 4th quarter to take the win.Giordanos: #45 Maya, #5 Layla & #23 JoleySaxtons: #44 Ella, #4 Maddie & #43 Grace.🏀 Old Tappan girls basketball won against Ramapo at Ramapo High School 43 – 34.🌟 Key players in the game included OT #5 Layla Giordano & OT Maya Giordanohttps://giordanoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-22-at-8.46.19-AM.pnghttps://giordanoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-22-at-8.37.08-AM-1536x1049.png

Giordanos conspire to lead Old Tappan by Holy Angels

Dec 14, 2023

Seniors Layla and Maya Giordano scored 16 points each as Old Tappan edged Holy Angels 40-37. Old Tappan turned a one-point deficit into a four-point lead with an 11-6 second quarter.

2023-24 Girls Basketball Preview: Players to watch in New Jersey

Dec 12, 2023

The 2023-24 girls basketball season will officially tip off on Dec. 14, and there will be countless teams to follow from one end of the state to the other. NJ Advance Media is highlighting the top players in each conference as Opening Night nears.Here are the players to watch in the Big North Conference:Layla Giordano, Old Tappan, Sr.: The definition of an all-around athlete, Giordano is coming off a year where she averaged 13.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game last season.Maya Giordano, Old Tappan, Sr.: An interior player, Giordano, along with her twin sister, Layla, make up a formidable duo. Maya averaged 10.6 points and seven rebounds last year.

Who are the top returning Group 3 girls basketball stat leaders for 2023-24?

Dec 04, 2023

Check out the state girls basketball leaders below who return for the 2023-24 season in Group 3 across three stat categories: points, assists and rebounds.*These numbers are based off stats reported by coaches to njschoolsports.com.PointsPlayer- School – 2022-23 PointsRhian Stokes Ewing 610Taylor Derkack Colonia 603Te’Yala Delfosse Ewing 524Joi Johnson Ewing 505Lia Manuel Mendham 485Emma Thornton Barnegat 467Kristina Turner Burlington Township 446Reese Downey Absegami 439Breelynn Leary Highland 437Kayla Butler Payne Tech 431Lexi Carnegie Teaneck 425Ella Kreuzer Chatham 398Ana Pellecchia Clearview 387Labreya Lewis Winslow 375Siena Shuster Wayne Hills 375Layla Giordano Old Tappan 373 PointsCelina Bussanich Pascack Valley 372Mikayla Taylor Westampton Tech 369Jaelyn Morris Warren Hills 358Gabriella Mittelman Demarest 355Eli Clark Ocean Township 354Javaeh Agosto Snyder 351Mia Semioli Chatham 338Kasey Bretones Mainland 334Ava Aldarelli Robbinsville 330Christa Ramos Neptune 325Nyla Felton North Plainfield 324Jahaysia Ledesma Carteret 324Paula Antunes Iselin Kennedy 324Christina Sikaras Freehold Borough 322Zoey Spady Westampton Tech 315Bella Soto Warren Hills 315Damiya Graham Millburn 306Ava Mazur Mainland 306Sayuri Penaranda Freehold Borough 304Bella Curanovic Cranford 302Analyse Intenzo Moorestown 297Delenie Streeter Rahway 296Bella Mazur Mainland 294Julia Lewis Cherry Hill West 285Maya Giordano Old Tappan 285 Points Natalie Fonseca Ferris 281ReboundsPlayer – School – ReboundsEmma Thornton Barnegat 384Taylor Derkack Colonia 380Demi Simpson Teaneck 307Joi Johnson Ewing 277Irma Sanchez Garfield 267Siena Shuster Wayne Hills 265Te’Yala Delfosse Ewing 251Breanna Cies Freehold Borough 245Alonsa Thomas Highland 234Caroline Polloway Red Bank Regional 232Lexi Carnegie Teaneck 221Rhian Stokes Ewing 217Nakhiya Poindexter Westampton Tech 205Kayla Herzer Brick Memorial 202Aliyah Lambo Randolph 200Aiyonna Alexander Winslow 199Kennedy Havens Hopewell Valley 197Sayuri Penaranda Freehold Borough 192Isabel Riccardi Nutley 190Maya Giordano Old Tappan 190 ReboundsSavannah Butz Colts Neck 185London Sutton Highland 184Emily Kolodziej Somerville 183Gamila Betton Ocean Township 180Tori Wehmeyer West Morris 179Talia Shumate Winslow 178Sianni Schoeber Burlington Township 176Lexie Haigh Morris Hills 176Erin Frazier Teaneck 176Ava Aldarelli Robbinsville 174Karleigh Aber Middletown North 172Layla Giordano Old Tappan 170 ReboundsDacia Mack Highland 169

Maya Giordano is Voted First Team All-Group 2 in New Jersey

Nov 27, 2023

Girls Volleyball Postseason Honors: All-Group 2 teams, 2023 seasonFirst TeamTaylor Miller, Demarest, Sr.Haley Maher, Sparta, Sr.Erin McCabe, River Dell, Sr.Claire Song, Demarest, Sr.Abby Kim, Gov. Livingston, So.Cassandra Chauhan, Montville, Jr.Maya Giordano, Old Tappan, Sr.Aralyn Saulys, Sparta, Jr.

Maya Giordano 2023 Volleyball Season Highlight Video

Nov 24, 2023

We would like to thank, Matt Small at Small Moments Productions for putting together a great video for us to remember the season.Click link below for the full video.

Old Tappan’s Maya Giordano Voted as N.J.’s Top Girls Volleyball Senior

Nov 17, 2023

Congratulations to Old Tappan’s Maya Giordano, who was voted as the top girls volleyball senior in New Jersey. Giordano received over 6,800 votes of the 26,500-plus casted.Giordano has crushed over 200 kills this season for No. 5 Old Tappan, including eight matches with 10 or more kills. Her season-high in one match came against Ridgewood on September 22, logging 20 kills.Layla Giordano posted 2nd place behind her Twin Sister, Maya Giordano. These two had an outstanding Senior year. Here are the Top 10 finishers in the poll. See the complete list of nominees and the full results of the poll, below.1-Maya Giordano, Old Tappan2-Layla Giordano, Old Tappan3-Nicoletta Amato, Ridgefield4-Annalyse Santowasso, Rutgers Prep5-Grayson Housley, Old Tappan6-Liandra Taylor, Oak Knoll7-Mia Matias, Mother Seton8-Maggie Gesek, Jefferson9-Ava Estrada, Ferris10-Melanie Lara, Fair Lawn

Old Tappan extends its perfect start to 3-0 – Girls Volleyball

Sep 14, 2023

OLD TAPPAN – Northern Valley Old Tappan’s volleyball team, fresh off a win over a loaded field at the Hendrick Hudson Tournament this past weekend, used balanced scoring and strong defense en route to a 2-0 (25-18, 25-18) win over Pascack Valley in league play on Wednesday night.“I think this team has a lot of potential,” said Old Tappan senior Layla Giordano. “We have depth in all positions and I think we’re looking forward to playing the tough games coming up. Our schedule is pretty good. I’m just excited to see how far this team can go.”“Today we served and passed well,” added coach Melissa Landeck. “Pascack Valley was doing a lot of good things on their side of the net. I know they graduated a lot last year but you can see they’re a team that is going to continue to improve.”Old Tappan trailed only once — when Valley took a 1-0 lead on the first point of the match on a great block by senior middle blocker Mia Hachadourian. The Golden Knights tied and took the lead on a blast by junior Samantha Kranzler and service ace by senior libero Grayson Housley.Panthers junior outside hitter Jillian Feeley tied the game 2-2 with a well-placed kill, but Old Tappan junior outside hitter Brenna Delaney hammered a kill to give the lead back to the Knights. The teams exchanged points and Feeley’s service ace tied the game at 6-all. Maya Giordano gave Old Tappan the lead for good, 7-6, with a thunderous kill, one of the many hard hits in the match. We’re all tall, big girls and we play a lot of other sports, which I think helps,” Maya Giordano said. “We play sports together, we train a lot and we do a lot of stuff outside of volleyball that helps us get ready for the season.” The Old Tappan defense kept Valley from going on any scoring runs so they were able to maintain a 5- to 7-point advantage throughout the first set.“I just think we are good at reading the hitters and where they’re going to hit,” Housley said. “We have good communication and can trust each other. If one of us calls the ball off to someone else we are good at communicating.”“That’s something we talk about all the time,” said Landeck. “Everybody has got to be on the same page, talking on every ball, regardless of what grade they are in or what position they play. When the communication is there we’re just a better team.”Old Tappan jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the second set thanks to a block by junior setter Addison Gioffre, a pair of kills by Kranzler, a thunderous kill by Layla Giordano and seven service winners, including an ace, by Delaney. The balanced scoring is something the Knights can use to their advantage.“It’s a benefit for us to use against the other team,” said Maya Giordano. “They never know where the ball is going. Anytime it goes to anyone it’s a kill. We have a lot of great options to confuse the other team and it works so well.”“Every rotation we have options we can use and kids that either get a kill for us or make a smart shot and put it in the court if they don’t have the point,” Landeck added. “We’re also making some good decisions out there.”Later in the second set a service ace by Kranzler boosted the advantage to nine, 13-4, and Valley never got closer than within six points the rest of the way.“We’re fortunate that we have a lot of depth and kids that can play multiple positions,” said Landeck. “We have practiced with several different lineups and played matches. We were just in a tournament. We have a lot of nice options and kids that will contribute in all kinds of ways depending on the day.”Feeley finished with 6 kills and 6 digs, while Hachadourian added 4 kills and 2 blocks and sophomore setter Celia Torres had 9 assists for Valley, who fell to 1-2 on the season. Old Tappan improved to 3-0, as Kranzler led all scorers with 12 kills and also scooped 8 digs. Maya Giordano tallied 6 kills, while Delaney contributed 5 kills. Layla Giordano chipped in with 4 kills. Junior setter Addison Gioffre had a kill, a block and an impressive 29 assists.“We have high expectations for the season,” said Housley. “It’s really fun on and off the court. We do a lot of pasta dinners, a lot of bonding time. But when we’re in the gym we take it seriously. We set high expectations for each other. We call each other out when something bad is happening. Overall it’s good.”“This is the first game where everyone is playing together,” added Layla Giordano. “We had a couple of injuries and I feel as we play together and keep going we become one unit, one family and we can learn to sync together. A lot of us have played together in the past, but we are getting adjusted to this specific team for the rest of the year.”Team Photos & Head Shots

Girls Volleyball: Returning All-Group players for the 2023 season

Aug 21, 2023

The 2023 girls volleyball season is almost upon us. Plenty of all-stars return to the court in hopes of giving their team another run deep in the postseason. These players will be relied on once again, or perhaps even more so than a year ago.Have a look below at the dozens of returning All-Group players from last season, along with their respective 2022 stats.Group 2First TeamSamantha Kranzler, Old Tappan: 196 kills, 127 digs, 28 acesHaley Maher, Sparta: 432 digs, 28 acesTaylor Miller, Demarest: 264 kills, 152 digs, 36 aces, 27 blocksSecond TeamCassandra Chauhan, Montville: 218 kills, 153 digs, 58 blocks, 27 acesErin McCabe, River Dell: 135 kills, 74 digs, 35 blocks, 21 acesAralyn Saulys, Sparta: 244 assists, 123 kills, 123 digs, 27 acesPayton Simpson, Sparta: 137 kills, 157 digs, 50 acesThird TeamLaurel Conway, Sterling: 233 digs, 93 kills, 68 aces, 11 blocksLayla Giordano, Old Tappan: 106 kills, 42 blocksMaya Giordano, Old Tappan: 108 kills, nine blocks

Old Tappan's Track & Field School Records as of 6/2023

Jul 01, 2023

Old Tappan High School GirlsTrack & Field RecordsIndividual Events100m Abigail Dennis 12.07 2023100HH Abigail Dennis 14.41 2023200m Abigail Dennis 24.91 2023400m Aileen Trendler 57.2 1984400IH Heather Parrish 64.0 1991800m Caroline O’Sullivan 2:11.04 20181600m Caroline O’Sullivan 4:50.76 20183200m Dianna Russini 11:12.7 2001Long Jump Abigail Dennis 19‘0″ 2023Triple Jump Shenise Halsey 37’8″ 2006High Jump Taryn DeLeon 5’7″ 2013Shot Put Layla Giordano 45’6″ 2023Discus Layla Giordano 170’4“ 2023Javelin Shannon Spafford 143’9″ 2004Pole Vault Marisa DiGia 12’2″ 2019Shot Put Relay (3)99‘8.5″ L. Giordano, M. Giordano, B. Delaney, 2022Discus Relay (3)336’4“ L. Giordano, M. Ward, M. Giordano, 2022Triple Jump1 Shenise Halsey 37-8 20062 Marisa DiGia 35-11.5 2019T3 Stacia Palahnuk 35-9 1983T3 Jazzin Clark 35-9 20165 Aileen Trendler 35-8.75 19846 Debbie Pagan 35-2.75 19807 Taryn DeLeon 34-11 20138 Alyssa Fanucci 34-10.5 20049 Lauren Bilali 34-10.25 201310 Amy Hever 34-6.5 199211 Layla Giordano 34-3.75 2022Shot Put1 Layla Giordano 45’6″ 20232 Andrea Cerbie 39-8.5 20043 Sophie Downey 37-3.25 20184 Maya Giordano 36’7.5′ 2023Discus1 Layla Giordano 170’4″ 20232 Chaya Tesker 118-6 19963 Jeanine DeSocio 118-0 19884 Andrea Cerbie 116-3 20045 Kirsten Teschauer 116-2 19836 Maya Vanderlinden 115-0 20177 Rachel Goldstein 114-3 20008 Jane Kim 114-0 20129 Jackie Kelly 111-9 201810 Mackenzie Ward 111-8 202211 Jean Marie Marconi 111-6 199412 Maya Giordano 111’10” 2023 Javelin – new Javelin 20021 Shannon Spafford 143-9 20042 Mackenzie Ward 132-2 20223 Christine Spilka 123-6 20104 Gianna Saccoccio 112-1 20195 Jackie Kelly 111-7 20186 Andrea Cerbie 107-9 20027 Taylor Nash 107-5 20158 Gabby Bedrosian 106-10 20169 Noelle Forcellati 106-4 202210 Ashley Sullivan 105-9 201511 Sohee Kim 103-9 201612 Elliana Olivo 103-0 201913 Layla Giordano 99-5 2023High Jump1 Taryn DeLeon 5-7 20132 Shenise Halsey 5-6 20063 Taylor Parcells 5-4 20154 Dunja Hinrichs 5-3 1979T5 Debbie Pagan 5-2 1980T5 Emily Lamparello 5-2 1998T5 Jazzin Clark 5-2 2016T5 Marisa DiGia 5-2 20189 Kristen Pilatowski 5-1 1980T10 Cheryl Dunn 5-0 1977T10 Jean Marie Santoro 5-0 1982T10 Lois Glasgow 5-0 1985T10 Monica Nathans 5-0 1992T10 Shannon Spafford 5-0 2002T10 Sydney Walsh 5-0 2011T10 Ariana Chipolone 5-0 2013T10 Skylar Regan 5-0 2016T10 Jamie Budge 5-0 2017T10 Julia Powell 5-0 2018T10 Carly Powell 5-0 2018T10 Samantha Kranzler 5-0 2022T22 Jen Krokus 4-10 1987T22 Tamar Hagopian 4-10 2008T22 Rachel Abolafia 4-10 2013T22 Natalie Carril 4-10 2021T22 Layla Giordano 4-10 2021

NJ.com’s girls track & field All-State teams and full postseason honors, 2023

Jun 29, 2023

The N.J. outdoor track and field season concluded with the NJSIAA Meet of Champions on June 15.Eighteen girls athletes and relays teams were crowned gold medalists. Now, it’s time to honor more than those who took home the state championship hardware in Somerset.Below, find our complete girls postseason honors package for the 2023 campaign, which includes our statewide honors, All-State teams, All-Group teams, local area honors and our final Fab 50 and Top 20 rankings.Statewide honorsField Athlete of the Year: Layla Giordano, Old TappanAll-State teamsFirst Team All-StateAll-Group teamsAll-Group 3Conference honorsBig NorthFinal rankingsNJ.com Fab 50NJ.com Top 20

Layla Giordano captures 2023 Meet of Champions shot put crown

Jun 15, 2023

Layla Giordano wasn’t having her greatest stretch of success in shot put. As of late, she was not satisfied with her results, but all of that was erased on Thursday at Franklin High School. Garnering her first-ever gold medal at the Meet of Champions, Giordano won the shot put with a throw at 44-3 1/4.“I’m so excited. Coming into today, I was little worried. At my last meet, I was a little off, so I felt fortunate to make it here,” Giordano, a junior, said. “But I know what I am capable of and I’m so happy I was able to pull it off today.”It was Giordano’s third throw that was her best of the day and her third-best of the season. She also has the state’s second-best mark this season, having gone 45-6 on May 12 at the Bergen County Championships. Surrounded by New Jersey’s strongest, she could feel the top-tier level of competition and allowed that to fuel her to victory. Her first two throws fed the opportunity for her to size up the rest of the field and make the proper adjustments, causing an impressed round of applause by the spectators . “There is so much talent at this meet. Watching them throw got me really excited and I told myself I could throw just as well. I anticipated great competitors and that really me juiced me up to get to this point.” Giordano spent little time celebrating her first-place finish. She had to run over and compete in the discus final just steps away.“I’m really proud and I’ll reflect on it more later. But I have to stay in the zone for just a little bit longer,” Giordano said with a smile.SHOT PUT RESULTS1 Layla Giordano 11 Old Tappan HS 44-3.252 Madison Stevens 11 Columbia HS 43-8.753 Ciara Demarest 12 Williamstown HS 43-1.504 Nilaja Wiltshire 12 Phillipsburg HS 42-4.505 Chanel Swain 10 Willingboro HS 38-1.256 Catalina Holliday 10 Nottingham 37-10.257 Sarah Slowikowski 12 Demarest HS 37-108 Meghan Kreinberg 11 Dayton HS 37-7.759 Grace Gilbert 9 Ramapo HS 37-6.5010 Kennedy Miller 10 Red Bank Catholic HS 37-5.7511 Mitra Sampson 9 Hammonton HS 36-10.25 212 Emily Kolodziej 11 Somerville HS 36-8.75 213 Elliot Eddy 11 Hasbrouck Heights HS 36-7 114 Maya Giordano 11 NV – Old Tappan HS 36-215 Guerlande Pierre 11 Timber Creek Reg. HS 35-11.5016 Sonjay Baylor-Reeves 10 Trenton Central HS 35-9.7517 Danielle Meribe 12 Roxbury HS 35-918 Afua Apau 10 West Windsor-Plainsboro North 35-719 Michaela Ruffa 11 Hillsborough HS 35-0.5020 Alyssa Craigwell 11 Secaucus HS 34-8.75

Old Tappan ends 2023 season ranked #2 in New Jersey – Girls Track & Field

Jun 09, 2023

2-Old TappanLast ranking: No. 5The Golden Knights pulled off the North 1, Group 3 repeat on Saturday. It’s the fourth sectional title in program history and it came thanks to a trio of gold medals from junior Abby Dennis in the 100 hurdles, 200 and 4×400. Dennis was also second in the 100 dash. Junior Layla Giordano picked up titles in the discus and shot put. While Maya Giordano medaling in both Disc and Shot put to help team repeat as sectional winners. We’ll see Old Tappan at the Group 3 meet in Delsea next.

Old Tappan sweeps girls & boys North 1, Group 3 titles – Track & Field

Jun 03, 2023

Both the Old Tappan girls and boys track & field teams put on a show to win their respective titles in the North 1, Group 3 sectional meets at Vernon High School.The girls team repeated after ending a long Northern Highlands run of eight straight years last season and have now begun of a streak of its own. Old Tappan put up 114.5 team points, which was 39.5 points better than second-place Mount Olive. “It’s amazing to be able to repeat this,” junior Abby Dennis said. “We won by a a decent margin, and I can only credit that to the seniors. They’re all the people I’ve been looking up to the past three years. I was just so excited to be able to bring it home for my team in the 4X4.” Dennis had a huge day for Old Tappan as she finished second in the 100 with a time of 12.20 seconds — a PR time — and first in a very competitive 100 hurdles race with a time of 14.57 seconds. She led a group that featured three other runners — Morgan Ryerson of Mount Olive, Belle Bennett of Northern Highlands and Ariyana Jackson of Randolph — that all posted top 10 New Jersey times in the sectional race. Dennis also hit a PR of 25.20 seconds to edge Mount Olive’s Natasha Redmond to win the 200 and anchored Old Tappan’s first-place 4X400 relay team (4:04.40). Kate Meeks also had a solid day as a runner for Old Tappan placing third in the 800 (2:17.89), third in the 1600 (5:19.43) and second in the 800 with a PR time of 11:25.41.“My coach always says that we are a June team,” Dennis said. “We have a lot of studs and people who will consistently place first or second. “I’m just happy that we can be that June team, repeat it and win by a lot.”Out on the field, Layla Giordano won the shot put with a throw of 40-11, good for a top 10 mark in the state. To one up herself, Giordano won the discus with a throw of 157 feet, which was a PR for her and good for a top 25 mark in the country this year. Maya Giordano had two PR throws in Disc and Shot to earn a pair of medals. Mackenzie Ward placed second in the javelin with a throw of 115 feet, three inches. In the plot vault Jamie Kim (10 feet, six inches), was second and Joie Kim (10 feet) was right behind in third.It was a closer call for the boys, but they hung on for the sectional title as Old Tappan put up 88 points to beat second-place Morris Knolls by 12. Old Tappan was motivated to get the trophy back after winning it two years ago, but falling short last season.“This is definitely good,” junior Goran Saric said. “We got a lot of guys in a lot of different events who did their jobs. It’s quite an achievement winning this two out of the last three years. It’s really about every individual person worrying about what they had to do.” Saric posted a PR in the 400 hurdles (54.92) to take home first place. He also posted a PR in the 400 dash (49.52), but just lost out on the top prize to Luke Schagelin of Morris Knolls. “I came in last year as the number one seed and I didn’t win,” Saric said. “I wasn’t going to let that happen again. I had to finish strong.”The Golden Knights really shined in the field events. The dominated the pole vault as Tyler DeMarco barely edged out teammate Nathan Park as both posted state top 10 throws of 14 feet.Jack Small recorded a second-place finish in she shot put with a state top 10 throw of 55-5.75 and won the discus by throwing 158 feet, five inches. Evan Brooks (javelin) and Thomas Scott (long jump) both contributed third-place finishes.Both Old Tappan squads are now ready for the momentum to carry forward into the Group 3 Championships. “Winning by this big a margin at sectionals makes a statement,” Dennis said. “We showed other teams that we’re here tor rumble and we’re going to come get you in groups.” “We’re coming for that group title,” Saric said. “I know the girls won it last year. If we can do the same thing that we did today and win both championships, that would be huge.”

Maya Giordano voted North Jersey Girls Basketball Player of the Week

Feb 27, 2023

After four days of voting, Old Tappan junior forward Maya Giordano was selected as the North Jersey Girls Basketball Player of the Week In three state-playoff games, Giordano scored 60 points – including 33 in a semifinal loss to an elite Sparta team – and collected 33 rebounds. Coach Brian Dunn praised her defense and noted, “She really peaked in crunch time.”Here were the other nominees:Alyssa CraigwellSecaucus junior guardCraigwell propelled the Hudson County runners-up to the North 2, Group 2 final, averaging 26 points, 6 rebounds and 5.3 assists. She also netted her 1,000th career point in a 48-33 sectional-quarterfinal victory over division rival RutherfordErin FrazierTeaneck junior forwardFrazier was instrumental in her team advancing to a sectional final for the first time since 2014. In three games, she averaged 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists, with a double-double (10 points, 10 boards) in an upset of Montville.Kyra GarciaNorth Arlington sophomore guardIn helping the Vikings reach the sectional semifinals for the first time since 2003, Garcia averaged 10.7 points, 10 rebounds and 2.3 steals in the North 2, Group 1 tournament. She also went 12-for-19 (63 percent) at the free-throw line.Amanda RosenRamsey senior forwardAfter tallying her 1,000th career point the previous week against Hackensack, Rosen led the Rams to the sectional semifinals. In three games, she averaged 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals, adding a trio of blocks against Westwood.

Maya Giordano Dominates the Paint in a Win Over Teaneck

Feb 07, 2023

Old Tappan posts a win over Teaneck OLD TAPPAN – Golden Knights junior Maya Giordano scored eight points from in close in the third quarter to open up an 11-point lead and Old Tappan coasted to a 56-39 victory over Teaneck Tuesday afternoon.“I’ve been having trouble posting up and getting into my right technique,” she said. “But she (a Teaneck defender) was playing behind me and I saw that. It wasn’t a mismatch – she was just playing behind me. They can’t really stop me when they’re behind me. We work really hard in practice to get our post passes in.”The Knights had a 26-23 halftime lead when Giordano took a pass from her twin sister Layla and scored a minute into the third quarter. She scored again midway through the quarter on a drive to the basket.With time ticking down senior guard Mackenzie Ward fed Maya Giordano for two points and 26 seconds later Layla Giordano’s perfect pass to her sister earned Old Tappan two more to boost the lead to 38-30.Ward followed with a 3-pointer and Old Tappan had a comfortable lead heading into the fourth quarter.“She has to be confident in doing her thing for people to get her the ball,” said Old Tappan coach Brian Dunn. “It’s a two-way street. When you’re a post person you rely on everyone else getting you the ball. But you have to present yourself, get open, know where to cut, find the opening.”In addition to the offensive explosion the Old Tappan defense took Teaneck out of its game, outscoring the Highwaywomen 30-16 in the second half.“They like to speed up the game,” Ward said, “and we try to slow them down, take them out of their normal routine and put them at our pace. If we control the pace of the game we control them. We go at every team like that, but especially with a quick team like this. To be able to take them out of their offense is really vital. Getting stops when they are trying to move the ball quickly really unravels them.”“We were better prepared this time,” added Maya Giordano. “We played them a few weeks ago and today we were more prepared for the press. They’re a great defensive team but we knew it was coming and we practiced it.”The game started fast with Teaneck getting some quick points and grabbing an 8-4 lead on baskets by sophomore Imani McKenzie and freshman Lexi Carnegie. Knights senior Melissa Brennan canned a three-pointer to cut the lead to 8-7, but Teaneck senior Ciara Forbes drained a 3 of her own to boost the lead back up to 11-7.A pass inside to Maya Giordano netted a pair and then Old Tappan senior Natalie Carril stole the ball and drove the length of the court for a layup. About 30 seconds later the Knights zipped the ball around the perimeter and found Brennan who swished another three and Old Tappan took the lead for good, 14-11.Layla Giordano led all scorers with 18 points. Maya Giordano finished with 16 and Ward chipped in with 11. Carnegie and Forbes led the Highwaywomen with 11 apiece and McKenzie contributed 10.“We know if we don’t get the ball inside at least once every three possessions it’s not going to go well,” said Ward. “Our offense runs through Maya and we’re successful when she’s in the game. When she has a good game everybody has a good game. It’s vital for us to win. She’s important.”“Layla did a good job with a couple of high-low passes inside,” said Dunn. “I was happy for Maya – she’s been due for a game like that. If she’s playing like that she’s tough to handle and we’re tough to beat.ByJC Baumuller/NJS.com Contributor

Giordano’s overcome foul trouble in win over Highlands

Feb 05, 2023

DEMAREST – Old Tappan overcame extended absences by the Giordano twins, Layla and Maya, who were both in foul trouble from the first quarter on, to get past Northern Highlands, 40-31, in the Bergen County Tournament quarterfinals on Saturday at Northern Valley/Demarest.“We have a really gritty couple of kids that come off the bench for us,” said Golden Knights senior Mackenzie Ward. “They’re willing to come out and perform no matter who they are guarding. We can have a 5-foot guard guarding their biggest player. She’s going to dig in and do whatever she can when [someone on] our starting five can’t be out there.”The Knights grabbed a 13-3 lead a minute into the second quarter, but a Northern Highlands 13-7 run that carried into the first minutes of the third quarter drew the Highlanders within four, 20-16. Senior Ashley Crystal tallied 7 of her team-high 13 points during the run.“These kids never give up,” said Highlanders coach Mike Kilgallen. “We see it every day in practice. They just fight regardless of score, regardless of situation, regardless of opponent and that’s why we’re most proud of them. The only thing we ask is that they play hard.“We were 3-3 and we changed our whole theme of the season into ‘Trust.’ And we also asked them to play hard because if you play hard, play for each other, we’ll let the chips fall where they may. And they’ve done that. Today was another example of that.”Layla Giordano stopped the run with a 3-point play and the defense also picked up. So by the end of the third quarter Old Tappan led by 11, 29-18.“What sets us apart is we always dig in and play defense,” said Ward. “We strive to outwork and outhustle every team we play. That starts with senior leadership obviously but I’ve taken that personally for these four years. I’ve made it my mission to shut down their best player, no matter who it is or what goal they are striving to get just to shut them down and take them out of their game completely. Defense is the key to winning games.”“That was a very good basketball team we were up against,” said Kilgallen. “There is a reason why we didn’t shoot particularly well tonight – because they play really good defense. And he [NVOT coach Brian Dunn] bar none is the best coach in Bergen County in any sport. We hung tough with a very good basketball team. I’m incredibly proud of the fight of these girls.”Layla Giordano led all scorers with 15 points. She and her sister Maya combined for 17 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Senior Melissa Brennan chipped in with 8 points. Highlanders senior Emma Starr had 8 points.Old Tappan moves on to the semifinals next Saturday in Fair Lawn against Saddle River Day, 77-61 winners over Tenafly.“We did a good job,” said Dunn. “The [Giordano] twins were in foul trouble and other kids came in and did a good job. A couple of the younger kids were nervous but they came in and did the job. I thought [senior] Marin [DeGennaro] did a great job and when Mac (Ward) was in foul trouble, [senior] Natalie [Carril] did a fantastic job on Starr. She played a great game.”ByJC Baumuller/NJS.com Contributor

Giordano twins lead Old Tappan past Chatham – Girls Basketball

Jan 15, 2023

Maya Giordano and Layla Giordano combined for 29 points to lead Old Tappan to a 56-46 victory over Chatham in the Zack Latteri Foundation Benefit Games in Hillsdale. Maya Giordano tallied 15 points, while Layla Giordano posted 14 points. Old Tappan and Chatham were tied 21-21 at halftime, but a 19-12 run by Old Tappan in the third quarter allowed them to take control of the game. Old Tappan extended its lead to double-digits in the fourth quarter. Melissa Brennan scored 14 points to pace Old Tappan (11-2). Chatham falls to 8-6.Corey Annan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Old Tappan edges Northern Highlands – Joe Poli Classic – Giordano Sisters Scored 15 each

Dec 26, 2022

Maya Giordano and Layla Giordano scored 15 points apiece to lead Old Tappan to a 62-60 win over Northern Highlands at the Joe Poli Classic at Pascack Valley in Hillsdale. Old Tappan will play River Dell in the semifinals on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.Melissa Brennan also made three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points in the Knights’ win. Natalie Carril netted 11 points, too, while Grayson Housley had five.Old Tappan remains unbeaten at 5-0. Northern Highlands is 3-2 after the back-and-forth contest.Photo LinkBy Chris Nalwasky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The Lance – Old Tappan Varsity Girls Basketball 2022/23

Dec 20, 2022

Head Coach: Brian Dunn; Assistant Coaches: Christine Massaro and Joseph ClauseCaptains: Emily Clune, Erin Schoolsky, Ashley Belous, and Nina StonitschRoster: Erin Schoolsky, Nina Stonitsch, Ashley Belous, Emily Clune, Mackenzie Ward, Natalie Carill, Kyra Chrenko, Sophia Wagner, Marin DeGennaro, Melissa Brennan, Sierra Lumia, Layla Giordano, Maya Giordano, Grayson Housley, Katie Fitzugh, Sam Tate, Sam Weyer, Manda Lee, Lily Wagner, Mia Badurina, Sky Debonis, Madison Kosmark, Madison Fernandez, and Alexa Essmann (Manager)Greatest Rival: Pascack Valley or Northern Valley DemarestFavorite Pre-game Tradition: Locker room pregameFavorite Pasta Dinner Location: Mountain HouseFavorite Out of School Bonding Activities: Pasta Parties

Old Tappan Bergen County Team of the Year – Track & Field

Jun 08, 2022

2022 Bergen County Award Winners100m Sanai Bryant Dumont 12200m Zuri Williamson Teaneck 9400m Izzie Anzaldo Ramapo 12800m Lucia Rabolli Ridgewood 121600m Christina Allen River Dell 103200m Leanna Johnston IHA 11High Hurdles Abigail Dennis Old Tappan 10Intermediate Hurdles Molly Bennett Northern Highlands 12High Jump Alexandra Manetovic Fort Lee 12Pole Vault Talia Hutchinson Ridgewood 11Long Jump Abby Romero IHA 10Triple Jump Kiley Mironenko Waldwick 12Shot Put Casey Sullivan Demarest 12Discus Layla Giordano Old Tappan 10Javelin Nicole Woods Demarest 124 x 100 Relay Gina Rubio Paramus Catholic 11Fiona Carter 12Brianna DeSanto 11Sydney Dungey 104 x 400m Relay Hailey Pataki Northern Highlands 12Alexa Birch 9Anna Bryan-Jones 10Molly Bennett 124 x 800 Relay Bianca Wertheimer Ramapo 12Julia Wowkun 12Brianna Braver 11Carly Griffin 11At Large1 Maegan Feeney IHA 122 Olivia Grace Ridgewood 123 Norina Khanzada Tenafly 114 Cara Hliboki Old Tappan 125 Lauren Dunnigan IHA 11Team of the YearPublic A (Large School) Old TappanC&D Non Public B (Small School) Hasbrouck HeightsCoach of the Year Rob Brady – Hasbrouck Heights

Old Tappan Break Bergen Counrty Relay Record in Discus

May 24, 2022

Layla and Maya Giordano along with Mackenzie Ward combine for 336-4 in the discus relay at East Coast Relays. This mark sets a new Bergen County Record.Bergen County Track and Field RecordsCompiled by: Jacob Brown, List collected by: Paul Schwartz, Updated June 2023Relays:3xDiscus:348-10 Old Tappan High School (Layla Giordano-(146-7), Maya Giordano-(103-7), Mackenzie Ward-(98-8)) 20234×100 meter relay:41.71 Teaneck High School 201046.90 Paramus Catholic High School 20104×200 meter relay:1:26.78 Teaneck High School 20071:41.0 Paramus Catholic High School 20104×400 meter relay:3:15.15 Teaneck High School 20103:51.44 Northern Highlands High School 20134×800 meter relay:7:39.57 Ridgewood High School 20149:00.43 Ridgewood High School (M.McPaddan, H.Shigenobu, C.Davidson, C.Pagano) 20124×1600 meter relay:17:06.6* Paramus Catholic (*Adjusted from 4xmile: 17:12.2) 197320:27.2* Ridgewood (*Adjusted from 4xmile: 20:34.4) (M.Scutro, B.Pringle,M.Mileski,P.Mileski) 1983Sprint Medley (200,200,400,800):3:25.04 Ridgewood High School (M.Tai-22.3,K.Grant-21.6,K.Mack-49.9,M.Thurston-1:50.86) 20164:02.84 Westwood High School (? Ran faster at Nationals) 2013Distance Medley (1200,400,800,1600):10:04.2* Paramus Catholic High School (*Adjusted from yards –3.7) 197311:50.73 Ridgewood High School (C.Davidson, M.McPaddan, H.Shigenobu, C.Pagano) 20124×100/110 hurdles:59.2 Ridgewood High School (Lane, Rogers, Muth, Wankmuller) 197559.43 Paramus Catholic High School 20193×400 hurdles:2:47.8 Old Tappan High School 20153:13.0 Ridgewood High School (K.Muccio-(61.2), V.Purritano-(65.1), V.Morley-(66.7)) 20193xHigh Jump:18-8 Hackensack High School 198216-2 Ridgewood High School (R.DuFlon, B.Granata, B.Deetz) 19753xLong Jump:64-1 Rutherford High School 199751-6 Paramus Catholic High School (I.Dely-(18-4), T.Bautista-(17-5.5), K.Cox(15-8.5)) 20193xTripleJump:130-8 ½ Teaneck High School 2011106-9 ¾ Mahwah High School 20123xPoleVault:40-0 Ridgefield Park High School 201433-6 Demarest High School (Michell Rubinetti-(12-0), Caitlin Reverand-(11-6), Erin Yuder-(10-0)) 20163xShotPut:179-1 St. Joseph Regional High School 1970114-8 Demarest High School 20023xJavelin:547-9 Ridgefield Park High School 1993350-6 Garfield High School 2000

N.J.’s top girls basketball freshman in 2021

Mar 12, 2021

With the season cut short due to Covid. The Old Tappan Girls Basketball team only played 8 games. But, those games were enough to show why Maya and Layla Giordano were voted as one of the Top Freshmen for 2021 season. With a massive amount of total votes cast. The Giordano Sister combine for 21,785 total votes. Placing Maya 5th and Layla 6th overall. We look forward to great things from the soon to be famous, Giordano Sister, also known as the The Giordano Twins. It wouldn’t surprise me, if one of them won next year’s Top Sophomore in 2022.Full Article ByLuis Torres | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comBrian Deakyne | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com