Layla Giordano

Articles of Layla Giordano

Penn Relays: Looking back at 50 of N.J.’s greatest performances ever

Apr 21, 2025

Photo Credit Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comGiordano snaps 20-year N.J. girls discus droughtWe’re only two days from the start of the 129th running of the Penn Relays. It’s time to chat about the best high school performances in Garden State history because plenty has happened on the track at Franklin Field and in the circles at the Irving “Moon” Mondschein Throwing Complex in Philadelphia. NJ.com has kept data on some of the state’s best Penn performances and there’s a lot to look back at — including several moments from decades ago.Below, find 50 of the greatest N.J. high school track and field performances at the historic meet.Editor’s note: Historical data, research and topics were prepared by former NJ.com track and field writer Jim Lambert.Year: 2024Old Tappan standout Layla Giordano was the Garden State’s first girls discus winner since 2004 via a 167-10. Giordano’s throw is the second-best U.S. mark in the history of the event. Delsea’s Jocelyn White had N.J.’s previous discus win at Penn with a 157-3. Layla is set to return to the Irving “Moon” Mondschein Throwing Complex this weekend, this time as a collegiate athlete representing Princeton University at the prestigious Penn Relays.By Ryan Patti | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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.

Players of the Week for Feb. 9 – Girls Basketball Layla Giordano

Feb 09, 2024

Big North ConferenceLayla Giordano, Old TappanLayla Giordano is a big reason why No. 19 Old Tappan has won 10 consecutive games. Giordano averaged 22 points per game over the span of three games this past week, including a game-high 24 points in a division win over Pascack Valley on Thursday.

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

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.

Predictions for 2024: Jersey High School Sports

Dec 28, 2023

My first prediction is that 2024 will be good to you.Oh right. My prediction game was on point. I went a perfect 7-for-7 on the state football finals.And looking back on my picks this time last year, well, just check out No. 20… but don’t look at No. 2.And 25, er, 30 pounds aside, I have never felt better. North Jersey athletes gave us plenty of thrills this past year. You can walk into a gym on any given night this winter and see some of the best young athletes in the country compete, and watch the best coaches coach. You can turn a pro or college game on your screen and see North Jersey products all over.While we wait for the calendar to flip, here are 24 of my best predictions for the upcoming year in North Jersey athletics. Make it a good one.2024 predictions#15. Layla Giordano of Old Tappan comes up short of a second-straight State Meet of Champions shot title but breaks the state record in the discus, throwing 183 feet 3 inches, to win the New Balance Outdoor Nationals for the second straight year.

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.”

Statewide Season Points Leaders Through Thursday, Dec. 21

Dec 22, 2023

The 2022-23 girls basketball season is already a week old, and we’ve already seen a number of impressive performances across the state.Below are the statewide season stat leaders in Points for games played from Opening Night on Dec. 14 through Thursday, Dec. 21.POINTSPlayerSchoolPTSDevyn QuigleyManchester Township135Faith Fedd-RobinsonNewark Central113Allie ShenloogianPark Ridge104Olivia IsaacsonWayne Valley102Reese DowneyAbsegami100Jill WatsonNorthern Burlington99Samantha SerranoHoly Angels99Sabrina LittleHoly Spirit98Christa RamosNeptune95Tamia SmithGlassboro95Kahmiyah NapierNewark East Side93Savannah SeawellMontclair90Kayla ButlerPayne Tech90Alyssa CraigwellSecaucus90Ma’Ziyah RichardsPlainfield86Angelina ZagoneGateway85Jessica DevineMiddlesex84Cadence AndersonPalmyra84Jackie SchelsWallkill Valley84Samiyah PoliteNewark Lab83Katherine BogutskyyJ.P. Stevens83Layla GiordanoOld Tappan80

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 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

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

Layla Giordano of Old Tappan is NJ.com’s Girls Field Athlete of the Year for 2023

Jun 29, 2023

In a year’s time, Layla Giordano went from one of N.J.’s promising throwers to one of the best in state history. It’s a leap no one saw coming – except for Old Tappan throwing coach Pete Dunn. Giordano plays volleyball in the fall and Pete’s brother Brian coaches her in basketball in the winter. Dunn knew her athleticism would eventually translate to the circle.After a then-PR 146-9 in the discus at her first meet of the spring, Dunn sensed an incredible year coming. “She broke the county record at the first meet of the year,” he said. “When you go over video and see what she can physically do in the circle, you can see how gifted she is. I always believed she was capable of doing some special things.” The junior won at nine of her 10 meets with the lone non-gold coming in a sixth-place effort at the Penn Relays. In the last month of the season, Giordano made that 146-9 look minuscule.She threw a 153-11 at the Bergen County Championships, a 156-3 at the county Meet of Champions, a 157-flat at sectionals, a 155-8 at groups, a 159-7 to win gold at the NJSIAA M of Cs and then a winning PR 170-4 at New Balance Nationals. The 170-4 puts her name third on the N.J. all-time list behind Alyssa Wilson and Jocelyn White."Giordano believes she simply needed time to hit her stride in the discus."“Last year was my first year ever doing discus, so it was a time to learn the positions I needed to be in and how to spin,” she said. “I knew I was going to get a lot better because of my performances towards the end of the season and it showed in the first meet. I was able to pinpoint the errors I needed to work on to get to where I am now.”In case you didn’t know, Giordano is also one of the state’s best shot putters.She threw over 40 feet seven times after not doing so once as a sophomore. Her PR 45-6 came in a win at the county championships and ranked second in the state. Her other golds came at the Hasbrouck Heights Penn Relay Field Event Qualifier (43-4), county relays (42-7), Big North Championships (44-7), county M of Cs (42-11 ¾), sectionals (40-11) and then at the NJSIAA M of Cs (44-3 ¼). Yes, she swept state titles in the discus and shot put.“I was really proud of my shot put win that day because I was in a slump for the last month of the season,” she said. “I wasn’t feeling balanced. I love discus more, but I know I still have talent in the shot. I just kept focused in practice to get back to where I was at the beginning of the season. I knew the best girls in the state would be there and I wanted to prove myself as the best shot putter.”The blessing for Dunn and the rest of the Old Tappan staff is that they have Giordano for one more season. The state record 182-flat thrown by Alyssa Wilson in 2017 is the number they will be looking at in the discus next spring. “That will be something on the horizon,” Dunn said. “She’s a three-sport athlete, so she’s going to be doing other stuff and that’s probably the best thing for her. She won’t be sitting around all year thinking about it. The goal when the season starts next year is going to be to get her back to where she left this year. The sky is the limit for this kid.”Giordano has volleyball and basketball to keep her occupied, but it’s going to be difficult to keep her mind off track. It’s her sport now. “I love the atmosphere that volleyball and basketball bring,” Giordano said. “I love the team aspect. But after my personal success this season, track is above the rest.”Ryan Patti | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Layla Giordano Named 1st Team All-State – Post Season Honors

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.Layla Giordano had an outstanding Track & Field Season:1st Team All-State1st Team Group 3 Field Athlete of the Year Discus: Layla Giordano, Old Tappan, Jr.Giordano opened the year with a county record 146-9 at her first meet. That was just the start of her incredible campaign. The junior cracked the 150-foot mark for the first time at the Bergen County Championships (153-11) and then did so at her last five meets. She hit a 156-3 at the county M of Cs, a 157-flat at sectionals, a 155-8 at groups and then a 159-7 to win at the M of Cs, where she also won the shot put title. She saved her best for last at nationals – a monster PR 170-4 to win and vault to No. 3 on the N.J. all-time list behind Alyssa Wilson and Jocelyn White.ALL-GROUP 3 – FIRST TEAMGroup 3 First TeamShot put: Layla Giordano, Old Tappan100: Naylah Jones, Timber Creek, Jr.200: Natasha Redmond, Mount Olive, Jr.400: Chloe Jones, Timber Creek, Jr.800: Maddie Scheier, Somerville, Sr.1,600: Grace Wassell, Highland, Sr.100 hurdles: Abby Dennis, Old Tappan, Jr.400 hurdles: Sophia Curtis, Ocean City, Jr.4×100: Timber Creek4×800: North HunterdonHigh jump: Elsa Spoor, Chatham, Sr.Long jump: Saniyah Evans, Rahway, Jr.Triple jump: Adannia Agbo, Morris Hills, Sr.Pole vault: Caden Cerminara, MiddletownDiscus: Rylie Theuerkauf, Tenafly, Sr.Javelin: Isabella Frattura, Sparta, So.By Ryan Patti | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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

Jun 29, 2023

LAYLA GIORDANO GATORADE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Jun 28, 2023

LAYLA GIORDANO GATORADE TRACK & FIELD PLAYER OF THE YEARCHICAGO (June 28, 2023) — In its 38th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade todayannounced Layla Giordano of Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan is the 2022-23 GatoradeNew Jersey Girls Track & Field Player of the Year. Giordano is the first Gatorade New Jersey Girls Track & FieldPlayer of the Year to be chosen from Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan.The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academicachievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Giordano as New Jersey’sbest high school girls track & field athlete. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Track & FieldPlayer of the Year award to be announced in July, Giordano joins an elite alumni association of state award winners in 12 sports, including Jasmine Moore (2018-19, Lake Ridge High School, Texas), Sydney McLaughlin(2016-17, 2015-16 & 2014-15, Union Catholic High School, N.J.), and Lolo Jones (1997-98, Roosevelt High School,Iowa).The 5-foot-11 junior won the discus at New Balance Nationals this past season with a personal-best throw of 170feet, 4 inches, which ranks No. 5 nationally among girls high school competitors in 2023. Giordano’s national titlecame one day after she won the New Jersey Meet of Champions with a throw 159-7. She became the third femaleathlete in state history to surpass both 170 feet in the discus as well as 45 feet in the shot put, with her 45-6 effort towin Group B at the Bergen County Championships, a distance that ranks among the top 40 marks in the countrythis season.Giordano has volunteered locally on behalf of Big Gift of Christmas, which provides presents and decorations tothe underserved during the holiday season. She is also a member of her school’s Make-A-Wish Foundation Club,Women’s Engineer Club, Diversity Club, Black History and Culture Club and Spanish Club. She has also donatedher time at youth track and field, basketball and volleyball camps. “Layla Giordano concluded the season inimpressive fashion, winning discus titles at the New Jersey Meet of Champions and New Balance Nationals onconsecutive days,” said Erik Boal, editor at DyeStat.com. “Giordano, who also won the shot put at the Meet ofChampions, improved on her discus PR by more than 10 feet in the New Balance final to become only the thirdfemale thrower in New Jersey prep history to surpass 170 feet.”Giordano has maintained a 4.13 weighted GPA in the classroom. She will begin her senior year of high school thisfall.The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each ofthe 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girlsbasketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Playerof the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year SelectionCommittee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate anddetermine the state winners in each sport.Giordano joins recent Gatorade New Jersey Girls Track & Field Players of the Year Angelina Perez (2021-22,Lakeland Regional High School), Lilly Shapiro (2020-21, Colts Neck High School), and Victoria Vanriele (2019-20 &2018-19, Governor Livingston High School), among the state’s list of former award winners.Being a Gatorade Player of the Year means paying it forward for the next generation. Through Gatorade’s Play itForward initiative, every Player of the Year receives a grant to give to one of Gatorade’s social impact partners,supporting Gatorade’s ambition to fuel the future of sport. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants havetotaled more than $3.5 million across more than 1,300 organizations.For nearly 40 years, Gatorade has honored high school athletes at the top of their game as teammates, supportingtheir communities and achieving academic success. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes and communityleaders, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport.

LAYLA GIORDANO CHAMPION GIRLS DISCUS – NEW BALANCE NATIONALS OUTDOOR 2023

Jun 18, 2023

Layla Giordano, a junior at Northern Valley-Old Tappan High in New Jersey, won the girls discus title with a fifth-round throw of 170-4 (51.92m) at New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia. Giordano also secured the discus crown a day earlier at the New Jersey Meet of Champions with a mark of 159-7 (48.65m).Here is her interview after being crowned a National Champion.Click Link Below

Old Tappan thrower Layla Giordano wins shot put and discus at Meet of Champions

Jun 15, 2023

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP — In one year, Layla Giordano went from being a promising jumper to New Jersey’s top thrower.The Old Tappan junior put a final stamp on the spring track and field season when she won the shot put and discus at the 54th NJSIAA Meet of Champions on Thursday at Franklin High School.Giordano captured her first NJSIAA titles and joined three other North Jersey individual event winners at the season-ending meet, including teammate Abigail Dennis, who won the 100-meter hurdles.“This is what I’ve been working for all season. I was No. 1 in discus and No. 2 in shot all season. Sweeping the throws just solidifies that I’m the state’s No. 1 girls thrower,” Giordano said. “I know I have a lot more in me. I was right around my goal and now I’ve set bigger goals. It was great that I was just able to finish the season like this.”Giordano set a personal record in the discus by more than two feet, throwing a meet-best 159-7 to outdistance runner-up Rylie Theuerkauf by 27 feet.Her performance in the shot put was equally impressive, although her outcome was surprising by even her own standards. Last week, she claimed gold in the discus at the group championships, but finished sixth in the shot put.“Shot put isn’t my favorite event” said Giordano, who had a top throw of 44-3. “I love throwing the disc. I’ve been in a slump the last few weeks. The goal was to get to the finals and I then felt like I could take it from there. Today gave me a lot of confidence.”Old Tappan throws coach Peter Dunn has watched Giordano’s progression and growth over the last year.“I’m actually amazed how quickly she’s picked things up. It’s textbook, honestly, the way she’s been able to improve throughout the season,” Dunn said. “Even this year, there was a time she went through a lull in the shot put for a few weeks. It happens with throwers. There are times when they go through a period when they’re not feeling things. Believe it or not, she’s still going through it. But she was able to get a good throw off today and it hung on for the win.”On Friday, Giordano will compete in discus at New Balance Outdoor Nationals at Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania.

Layla Giordano sets personal best, wins girls discus Meet of Champions title

Jun 15, 2023

Old Tappan junior Layla Giordano took the circle knowing that she had a state championship in the girls discus already in her grasp. Giordano’s first two throws in the finals were already better than everyone else’s throws during the day. But Giordano was looking to finish with a flurry with her final throw of the day. And did she ever.Giordano hurled the discus 159-7, setting a personal mark by two feet and winning the girls discus state championship at the Meet of Champions at Franklin High School in Somerset on Thursday. It was the second state title for Giordano on the day, and it came roughly an hour after winning the shot put with a throw of 44-3 1/4.“I feel like that’s always the goal; you just want to always win in any (meet) you go to, and that’s always my mentality,” Giordano said. “I want to win always. I’m a really competitive person, and I knew I was coming to this meet and my mindset was just to win.” She did it in style, improving from the third heat to the finals.During the third heat of the discus, Giordano’s second throw went 139-3. On her first throw of the final round, she threw 148-5, easily setting the mark for everyone else in the field to try and catch. Her final throw of the day looked as if the wind was about to carry it out of the sector for a foul throw, but it stayed in and cleared her previous best, but it did fall just short of her personal goal.“I’m just a little mad because it was a little off of my goal of 160 (feet),” Giordano said. “I have so much more potential left, and I think I’ll reach that goal in nationals this weekend, hopefully. I’m just really happy how I did today.” Giordano said she has only been throwing the discus for two years. Her coach, Peter Dunn, said he’s seen marked improvement from the lefty since she first picked up a discus last year. Giordano added she was thinking about starting the discus as a freshman, but decided against it, competing only in the shot put. She’s come a long way in a short amount of time. “The last throw kind of iced it for her, but it was fun,” Dunn said. “She had an awesome day. I’m proud of her. … The fact that she’s only a junior and she’s killing it right now, it’ll be fun to watch what she does moving forward.”“I don’t know what my ceiling is at this point, but I have so many more goals in mind and I think as I keep getting more experience with the sport and throwing in general, I think that I’ll just keep going up and up,” Giordano added.GIRLS DISCUS RESULTS1 Layla Giordano 11 Old Tappan HS 159-72 Rylie Theuerkauf 12 Tenafly HS 132-103 Maylisa Bluford 11 Clayton HS 130-34 Catherine Vota 12 Colts Neck HS 130-15 Julia Sobilo 10 Immaculate Heart Academy 128-26 Ciara Demarest 12 Williamstown HS 127-67 Aniyah Murrell-Sanders 11 Elizabeth 122-68 Tyaja Thomas 12 Paramus Catholic 120-49 Aniyah Smith 11 Eastern Regional 116-210 Madison Griffin 12 Pope John 116-111 Ella Karp 10 Washington Twp HS 115-1012 Kiomara Batista 12 Millville HS 113-713 Emily Kolodziej 11 Somerville HS 113-314 Savana Dodd 12 Eastern Regional HS 113-015 Brook-lynn Roberts 10 Winslow Township HS 111-316 Lea Del Grippo 12 Cinnaminson HS 111-017 Sunsarai Moore 9 Glassboro HS 109-118 Isabella D’Alessio 12 Pequannock HS 107-019 Sarah Slowikowski 12 NV – Demarest HS 106-920 Kayla Collins 11 East Brunswick HS 105-4

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

Layla Giordano Interview After She Takes Shot and Discus Title at Meet of Champs

Jun 15, 2023

Layla Giordano’s interview after she captured New Jersey’s Meet of Champions title in Discus and Shotput.Click HERE for full Interview

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.”

Layla Giordano Named North Jersey Female Athlete of the Week

May 26, 2023

North Jersey Female Athlete of the Week living up to her potentialLayla GiordanoSport: Track and fieldSchool: Old TappanClass: Junior. Age: 16Accomplishment: Giordano garnered gold medals in the girls shot put and discus events at Friday’s Bergen Meet of Champions, setting a new county record in the latter (156 feet, 3 inches).The “tired” question for Layla Giordano is, what’s it like playing three different sports with your twin sister?The “wired” question: What’s it like playing two different sports for coaches who are brothers?Giordano broke her own Bergen County record in the girls discus throw last week under the tutelage of Old Tappan throws coach Peter Dunn. Spring track and field has followed a season of being the top scorer for the Golden Knight girls basketball squad of coach Brian Dunn, Peter’s elder by a few years.“The sports that I play with them are very different, but the attitudes that they both bring to their sports are very similar,” Giordano said. “They have the same mindset, so they bring the same intensity to whatever they coach.”The 5-foot-10 junior shares the brothers’ desire to put in the work it takes to excel. At Friday’s Bergen Meet of Champions, she increased her discus best to 156 feet, 3 inches, which secured one of the two titles she earned. “Layla threw the shot 42-11, but in the discus, she crushed it,” Peter Dunn said. “She is now No. 6 all-time in history of New Jersey in the discus. She is also currently ranked in the Top 20 in the United States with that performance.”The younger Dunn “puts into all of our heads that we have so much potential, and there’s so much improvement that we could show if we focus on the little things,” said Giordano, who also throws the javelin and triple jumps. “That really helps all of us on the throws team to get better and get the marks that we want.” Because of her progress in the shot put and discus, track and field has gained “favorite sport” status of the three in which Giordano competes at Old Tappan.The Northvale resident and her twin, Maya, have been varsity regulars for the Golden Knights on the volleyball and basketball courts since they were freshmen. They do the same throwing events in the spring, but next year could be their last as teammates. “She wants to do track in college, too,” Layla said of Maya. “Neither of us have picked schools yet, but I think we’re going to go in different directions.” For now, their focus is on the sectional- and state-level meets looming in early June. Plus, Layla has qualified for New Balance Outdoor Nationals, held June 15-18 at the University of Pennsylvania.Giordano ventured to Franklin Field earlier this spring and shone in the spotlight, placing sixth in the Penn Relays girls discus with a distance of 145-4, which illustrates how far she has come in a month.“I’d never competed at that meet before, or at that level, so it was really cool to be in that atmosphere with all these really great throwers,” she said. “I think I did pretty good for my first time there, and I just want to carry that over to all the rest of the big meets that are left in the season.”

Highlights of the Bergen Meet of Champions 2023

May 22, 2023

HACKENSACK — Her goal is to get better in every meet that she throws in.Friday evening at Hackensack High School, Old Tappan junior Layla Giordano continued to stretch the boundaries of the girls discus in Bergen County, extending the county record in the event to an almost inconceivable 156 feet three inches and breaking the former record for a third time this spring.Giordano also won the shot put on Friday to earn the Paul Schwartz Field Event Performance Award, the first Golden Knight to receive the honor. And she’s not done yet.“I set a goal of 160 feet before the season started,” said Giordano, who moved into sixth place in New Jersey history in the event. “I knew when we started practice right after basketball season, that I came in with a better mindset and more mental strength and I knew what I needed to do to succeed as an athlete in track.”After throwing a personal best of 139-6 to win the state group 3 title a year ago, at the time third all-time in Bergen behind the Demarest duo of Jenn Flinchum (143-4, 1999) and Jessica Fazekas (140-8, 2002), Giordano could only watch as another Demarest duo, Casey Sullivan (144-0) and Sarah Slomikowski (141-4) went 2-3 in a wild 2022 State Meet of Champions while Giordano finished 10th at 115-3.“I knew coming out of last season that I had so much potential in the event,” said Giordano, “I had to get more consistent and do a full spin in both the shot and discus and improve my mechanics.”The results have been breathtaking. She broke Sullivan’s record by nearly three feet in the discus in winning the Hasbrouck Heights Penn Relays field qualifier April 6 by throwing 146-9 and also improved her shot personal best by more than 3 1/2 feet by throwing 43-4 in the same meet.She’s thrown more than 140 feet in each of her six major meets this spring. The combined number of performances by all other Bergen throwers in the more than 50 years since girls started throwing in interscholastic event is also six with only Slomikowski (142-4) and Flinchum having as many as two meets over 140.She broke her own county record by throwing 153-11 at the Red Littler Bergen County championships on May 13 and her 156-3 throw is nearly 30 feet better than any non-Bergen thrower in the state this year. She’s improved her shot to 45-6, second in the state and seventh on the all-time Bergen list.“(Today) I picked up the speed in the circle and I only got one fair throw, although I was throwing well,” said Giordano, who popped her big one on her second of six throws. “I’m going so far through the circle that I’m releasing the disc too quickly, but I’m going to work hard on fixing that before sectionals.”Paul Schwartz NorthJersey.com

Giordano takes sixth at Penn Relays in discus

Apr 29, 2023

Giordano’s consistency makes her a major player in the discusWhen Layla Giordano decided to do track in high school as a freshman, she figured it to be a side hustle that played third fiddle behind basketball and volleyball the sports she had excelled in for years and expected to continue to excel in.She continues to excel in both sports, earning second team all-Bergen honors in volleyball and second team all-North Jersey honors in basketball this scholastic year, but she admits track may not be her favorite sport.“It’s really grown on me,” she says. She’s certainly grown on the sport.Giordano took sixth in the Penn Relays discus Friday with a throw of 145-4, which would have set the Bergen County record if the Old Tappan hadn’t already thrown further at three meets this season, including a 149-9 personal best at a dual meet against Demarest earlier in the week. But she wasn’t too disappointed as she medaled in her first visit to the world famous meet.“This was really cool being around so many great competitors,” said Giordano. “I knew some of the other New Jersey girls and knew of some of the other throwers, but it was great to be part of this.”Giordano threw a personal best of 139-6 to win the state group 3 championship last spring but had only thrown over 125 feet one other time. She came into this season wanting to focus on consistent and repeat her best marks.“I’m still learning the technique and I’m mastering the little things I need to get better. I’m still waiting for a really big throw,” she said.It almost came on her final attempt Friday when she sailed one way over 150 feet but just wide of the legal sector that would have not only earned her a better medal but might have gotten her a watch as the top American finisher behind three Jamaican throwers. Paul Schwartz NorthJersey.com

Layla Giordano 6th place @PennRelays in the discus throw!

Apr 28, 2023

Layla Giordano with a 6th place finish @pennrelays in the women’s discus throw! 145-4. Good Stuff

Layla Giordano voted Girls Track and Field Performer of the Week

Apr 13, 2023

Old Tappan, Layla GiordanoAfter four days of voting, Old Tappan junior Layla Giordano has been selected as the North Jersey Girls Track and Field Performer of the Week.She warmed up by winning the shot and discus against Teaneck on Tuesday and then had a historic day at the Hasbrouck Heights Penn Relays Field Event Qualifier, setting a school record in winning the shot with a monstrous 43-5 1/2 toss, 11th best in Bergen history and then throwing 146-9 in the discus breaking the Bergen County record by nearly three feet.Paul Schwartz NorthJersey.com

Layla Giordano Season Opener 146-9 Discus Throw

Apr 07, 2023

Layla Giordano of NV Old Tappan opened 2023 with major PRs as well throwing a 146-9 mark in the discus to win and a 43-4 for the shot put victory. Both those performances currently sit NJ No. 1 ahead of opening weekend.That 146-9 is a Bergen County record for the discus taking down the previous standard of 144-0 by Demarest’s Casey Sullivanthrown during the 2022 NJSIAA Meet of Champions.Giordano, entering her junior season, was over 130 feet in the discus just once last spring and had never thrown over 40 feet before for the shot put.Click source link for video.

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

Layla Giordano voted North Jersey Girls Track Performer of the Week

Jun 02, 2022

Old Tappan, Layla GiordanoAfter four days of voting, Old Tappan sophomore Layla Giordano has been selected North Jersey Girls Track Performer of the Week for May 22-28.She set a school record in the discus in a runner-up performance at the Bergen Meet of Champions and the next day led her team to a Bergen County record in the discus relay at the East Coast Relays.

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