Sports Shorts

Karissa Leary of Marlboro, a freshman at Susquehanna University (Selinsgrove, Pa.) was a member of the school's women's cross country team. The Crusaders finished fourth at the Landmark Conference championships and 15th at the NCAA Mideast qualifier.

Leary's best 6K time for the year was 25:02 at the Paul Short Invitational.

Galaxy Gymnastics' Level 4, 5, 6 and 7 team members competed in the Pumpkin Cup Meet hosted by Rutgers Gymnastics.

In Level 4, Taylor Cusick was fifth on the beam, sixth on the floor, and sixth in the all-around. Sarah Kowalski was seventh on the bars and floor, and sixth in the AA with Cusick.

Claudia Bellariore was fourth on the vault, Elizabeth Moore was seventh on the vault, Jessica Nussbaum was fourth on the vault, and Samantha Federovitch took part in the competition.

In Level 5, Breanna Ray was fourth in the all-around, third on the vault, and fifth on the bars, beam and floor. Karlee Long, Jada Postadan and Cami Watanabe were the other team members participating.

In Level 6, Jessica Cataldo won the vault, took third on the bars and beam, and fifth on the floor. That led to a third place in the AA. Celine Rabo was second on the vault, third on the floor, fourth on the beam, and fifth in the AA. Emily Kelly was fifth on the vault, fourth on the bars, and sixth on the floor, and Jamie Aubain took sixth on the beam.

Bayleigh Fobes was sixth in the Level 7 AA, with a fifth place on the bars and floor, and a seventh on the beam.

The teams from Galaxy Gymnastics, which is based in Freehold, are coached by Kristyn Sheridan, Jennifer Fobes, Pam Borges and Dorine Shapiro.

The Rebel Track Club's 2008 Rebel Indoor Shot Put Series will begin on Jan. 8. This will be the first of four events held in the Howell High School gym. The other dates are Jan. 18, Feb. 5 and Feb. 21. Check-in is 6 p.m., with the meet starting at 6:30. Throwers will compete by class.

For additional information, contact John Hein at (732) 919-2131, ext. 8525, or hhshein@yahoo.com, or Joe Napoli at (732) 207-3925 or ntcanj@optonline.net.

Freehold Raceway and the Meadowlands will offer a combined 343 standardbred racing dates in 2008. The schedule, approved by the New Jersey Racing Commission at its November meeting in Trenton, calls for 192 dates at Freehold and 151 at the Meadowlands.

Freehold's Jan. 1-June 14 meet features 102 programs. There will be no racing on Sundays and Mondays in January and February (except for Jan. 21 and Feb. 18) plus dark dates on Jan. 2 and 22 and Feb, 19 and 26. March through May, Freehold will be dark on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays (except for Memorial Day, May 26) plus May 27.

During Freehold's 90-day meet from Aug. 7-Dec. 31, there will be no racing on Sundays and Mondays in August and September (except for Sept. 1) with additional dark days on Sept. 2 and 30. In October though December, the track will be closed on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays (except on Oct. 13, Nov. 11 and Dec. 30). Additional dark days will be Nov. 27 and Dec. 24 and 25.

The Meadowlands' 133-date meet runs from Jan. 2 to Aug. 2. It will be dark Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays in January, Mondays and Tuesday in February and March (except Feb. 3 and March 23 and 30), and Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays in April through July (except May 11, June 15 and May 26).

The November-December meet will have 18 dates from Nov. 21 to Dec. 27 (Nov. 21, 22, 28 and 29 and Dec. 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18. 19, 20, 26 and 27).

On almost any given weekend from March to November, an elite travel baseball team of 14-year-old boys can be found suiting up to play. They are the Central Jersey Cobras, based in Manalapan.

The Cobras have trained together since 2004, and 2007 has been another record year for them. They have garnered a record of 33 wins, 17 losses and 3 ties, going undefeated in their last 14 outings, and winning six straight championship titles. As a team, they have played just under .700 ball all year, with a combined team slugging percentage of .416 with 204 stolen bases. Cobras team pitching was perfect, with multiple one-hit games, and a no-hitter as well. An impressive record of tournament wins makes them the team to beat. The club is a two-time USABL 14/15U 2007 Championship team, Summer Heat Wood Bat 14U Champions, Cheesequake Summer Blast 14U Champions, and Jackson Labor Day Bash 15U Champions. When asked, the players will tell you that the most memorable win was the final game of the Jackson Labor Day Bash. A 6-5 win against the Jersey Bombers was a total team effort, and kept spectators on the edge of their seats. It was a hardfought victory, but it was pure baseball.

The Central Jersey Cobra players are No. 17 Michael Arecchi, catcher/outfielder; No. 16 Chris Baxter, right fielder; No. 33 David Bizenov, pitcher/first baseman/outfielder; No. 27 Steve Canoro, pitcher; No. 21 James Chiorello, pitcher/first baseman/ shortstop; No. 7 Ryan Demouth, left fielder/catcher/pitcher; No. 23 Marco Ferrante, first baseman/catcher; No. 57 Vinny Ferrara, second baseman/outfielder; No. 3 Jonathan Ingargiola, shortstop/pitcher; No. 44 Spencer Krug, right fielder; No. 13 Jonathan Lanza, second baseman; No. 22 James Lizama, catcher; No. 10 Nick Ortiz, center fielder/pitcher; No. 12 Joe Ramirez, second baseman/pitcher/outfielder; No. 11 Kevin Romano, pitcher/first baseman; and No. 4 Angelo Scaccetti, third baseman/ right fielder.

Carl Ingargiola, manager of the Cobras, has taken this group of talented young men a long way. Training begins the first weekend in January, with the first games beginning in March. From then on, it is all about baseball. Sunday, Nov. 18, was the Cobras' last game of the 2007 season. Playing in a cold, steady drizzle at 39 degrees didn't dampen the team spirit, however. They ended their year with a 10-1 win against the Howell Colts, capturing their second USABL championship title this year.