Gill St. Bernard’s Winter Athletic Season Preview 2024 – 2025 

As the winter season begins at Gill St. Bernard's School, excitement is in the air for another thrilling chapter in Knights athletics. With a roster of talented student-athletes, dedicated coaches, and unwavering community support, GSB is poised for an action-packed season. 

This winter, teams will strive to build on past achievements while embracing fresh opportunities for growth, all while upholding the school’s athletic philosophy to “Be the Best Version of Yourself.” From the basketball courts to the indoor track, and even on the ice, the stage is set for an unforgettable season of competition and camaraderie! 

BOYS’ BASKETBALL 

2023 REVIEW 

After beginning the season 7-1 and climbing as high as #18 in NJ.com’s state rankings, the Gill St. Bernard’s Boys’ Basketball team battled through mid-year adversity against some of the top teams across New Jersey, including fellow Top 20 opponents such as St. Benedict’s, Roselle Catholic, Arts, and the Patrick School. 

GSB rebounded to collect well-fought wins in the Somerset County Tournament against Immaculata and Morristown-Beard in the NJSIAA Non-Public B North State tournament. The year ended in the State Quarterfinals, where the Knights nearly pulled out the upset against #11 ranked Montclair Immaculate, ultimately falling 55-51. 

After graduating four starters from last year’s team, the young roster finished the year 11-16 with a 3-5 record in a stacked Skyland Delaware division. 

2024 Varsity Roster 

12th Grade: Stanley Njekwe, Kobe Closeil, Zach Donohue, Sebastian Lalo 

11th Grade: Jakube Maleki, Dorsett Mulcahy, Declan Corrigan 

10th Grade: Jamal Dixon, Prosper Highlander, Josh Boampang, Jacob Derocco, Niko West, Marco Leonardis, Kieran Quinn, Carter Cistaro, Chase Weider, Jason Geltzeiler, Jason Shann 

9th Grade: Connor Junker, Tyler Lombardi, Lucas Lemos, and William Wilson  

COACH’S CORNER 

"We’re very excited about this season, and how our boys have performed so far in our pre-season workouts. We return all five starters from our squad last year, and we expect our chemistry to improve even more on and off the basketball court.  

We will rely heavily on our seniors Stanley, Kobe, and Sebastian, and we believe that Kieran Quinn, Jakuba Maleki, and Dorsett Mulcahy will make a significant jump this year. We will also add a group of new players to the varsity roster in Connor Junker, Prosper Highlander, and Declan Corrigan.  

This is one of the deepest rosters we've had in quite some time, and we believe this team has a very high ceiling of potential that can be reached.” 

-- Head Varsity Coach Mergin Sina and Assistant Varsity Coach Jaren Sina 

 

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL 

2023 REVIEW 

The Gill St. Bernard’s Girls’ Basketball team concluded their 2023-24 season with a resounding 24-5 record, cementing their status as a top-tier program in the state. 

The Knights finished their year ranked ninth in NJ.com Top 20 state rankings and climbed as high as sixth in the state during the season. The talented roster kicked off the year on a high note when they traveled to Orlando, Florida to compete against top teams across the country in the prestigious KSA Holiday Tournament. The team clinched the tournament title, leaving no doubt about their prowess with dominant victories against Perkiomen Valley (PA), Metropolitan (NY), and Horizon (FL). 

The Knights rode an impressive eleven-game win streak from January 11 to February 4, including big stage matchups at the Coaches Choice USA College Showcase and More Than a Highlight Showcase. 

2024 Varsity Roster 

12th Grade: Maya Abramson, Tessa Lozner, Gandy Malou-Mamel, Cassidy Moore, Sidney Quinn 

11th Grade: Addy Platt 

10th Grade: Sadie Finn, Melina Miller, Caity Platt, Brooke Shaw 

9th Grade: Aayna Aggawarhl, Nadia Mikalainis, Anya Miller

COACH’S CORNER 

“We are extremely excited about the upcoming season as we have a very talented group that starts with our five seniors, who have given so much to this program both on and off the court.  

Maya Abramson, Tessa Lozner, Gandy Malou-Mamel, Cassidy Moore, and Sidney Quinn all provide leadership, team play, dedication and work ethic to help make this one of the top teams in the state. Four of the five have committed to play at the college level: Malou-Mamel to UConn, Quinn to Navy, Lozner to Johns Hopkins, and Abramson to Stevens Institute.  

Our lone junior, Addy Platt gives us additional scoring, leadership, and ability to take over any game. We also return a very promising core of sophomores: Melina Miller, Sadie Finn and Brooke Shaw; and very promising newcomers: Kaity Platt and Nadia Mikalainis.  

As always we play a very competitive schedule and look to win the Somerset county and state tournaments. Our outstanding team chemistry is what will separate us from our toughest competition.” 

-- Varsity Head Coach Mark Gnapp 

 

CHEERLEADING 

2023 REVIEW 

During the 2023-24 winter athletic season, the GSB Cheer team continued to serve as a constant source of energy and school spirit. 

After welcoming eight new faces to the program at the start of the year, the Cheer team worked hard over the season to introduce and improve on exciting new dance routines, cheers, and acrobatic stunts. In addition to demonstrating their synchronized athleticism at home games, the squad was also instrumental in furthering community building efforts across campus.  

Whether it was supporting fellow students at team Senior Days, leading cheers at National Girls and Women in Sports Day, or inspiring young learners by visiting the Lower School’s Welcome Wednesdays, the team had one goal in mind – be the face of Knights nation. 

2024 Varsity Roster 

12th Grade: Teigan Flanagan, Caroline Simonelli, Savanna Zucker 

11th Grade: Gavin Godfrey-Ryan, Oyin Opawuyi 

10th Grade: Lauren Antonelli, Elyse Duque, Gabriella Liberti, Suri Marrero, Emily Rapp, McKinley Weese 

COACH’S CORNER 

“This year will show another year of growth and progress for our GSB Cheer Team. With 11 girls on the team, nine of them returning members, the level of difficulty has increased. The experience they have from being a second-year team is going to prove instrumental in their success.   

Building on the basic stunting skills learned last year, the girls met during the off-season to train with a gymnastics coach in an effort to improve their acro abilities. This pre-season training is paying off with an increased level of difficulty in our stunts as well as more synchronized tumbling work throughout our routines. Our 2025 repertoire includes a new pre-game routine as well as a new and exciting half-time dance routine. Get ready to be "Thunderstruck!"  

Led by seniors/featured tumblers: Savanna Zucker, Teigan Flanagan, and Caroline Simonelli, the team includes juniors Gavin Godfrey-Ryan and Oyin Opawuyi, and returning sophomores Lauren Antonelli, Elyse Duque, Gabriella Liberti, Suri Marrero, Emily Rapp, and McKinley Weese.  

"As we approach the start of the basketball season, I can confidently say that our team is currently in better shape than where we were at the end of last season. The girls have worked very hard, learned new things, and showed they are ready to perform at a higher level."  

-- Head Varsity Coach Margery Schiesswohl 

 

ICE HOCKEY 

2023 REVIEW 

In perhaps the most monumental victory in program history, Gill St. Bernard's Ice Hockey team clawed back from a two-goal deficit to pull off a heart-pounding 3-2 overtime win against West Morris, securing the program's first ever Haas Cup championship. 

The Knights, who finished the 2023-24 season 12-4-2, entered the title game as the #2 seed in the MCSSIHL Haas Division to take on top-seeded West Morris, who entered the matchup as two-time defending Haas Cup champions. The last time GSB competed in the Haas Cup championship was the 2019-20 season, where they narrowly lost to Mountain Lakes-Boonton. 

2024 Varsity Roster 

11th Grade: Brendan Binder, Luc Jansson 

10th Grade: Tyler Bilanin, Wyatt Mercado, Michael Nehmar, Michael Tighe, Brendan Whiteley 

9th Grade: Gabe Raphel, Noah Schultz 

COACH’S CORNER 

"This team's roster is unlike any other. With only nine skaters, it will no doubt be a challenging year, but the Knights are up for that challenge.  

Last year's team had a lot of success in winning the program's first HAAS Cup. Unfortunately, we graduated a handful of key seniors. We do, however, have some key returning players.  

Luc Jansson was a first team all-conference player last year and is one of the best goalies in the state. Brendan Binder will be stepping into a leadership role this year and is our top returning defenseman. Michael Tighe was a conference honorable mention last year and will look to improve on his impressive freshman year. Brendan Whiteley was a conference newcomer of the year award winner last season, and like Michael, will be looking to improve on his impressive freshman season as well.   

Gabe Raphel and Noah Schultz, our freshman, will be thrown into a big role on the ice, but they are more than capable of doing just that.  

The team will lean on its youth to produce this year, and its junior class leadership to guide them through a challenging year ahead.” 

-- Head Varsity Coach Miles Atkian 

 

INDOOR TRACK & FIELD 

2023 REVIEW 

The GSB Indoor Track & Field had countless great moments during the 2023-24 season. Whether it was breaking a PR, earning a medal, qualifying for the Meet of Champions, or simply getting better each day at practice, the Knights were in it for the long haul. 

The team, which holds its practices outdoors throughout the winter, worked tirelessly to train for sprint, distance, jumps, hurdles, and throwing events during the season. The group traveled to compete in several Invitationals across New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania while mentally and physically preparing for their end of year tournaments.  

That determination paid off as the boys’ team earned a 5th place finish at the State Relays and Prep State Championships, respectively, and the girls’ team a 6th Place Finish at the State Relays and a 5th place finish at the Prep State Championships.  

2024 Varsity Roster 

Girls’ Team 

12th Grade: Josephine Adebambo, Madeline Craig, Ema Hercules, Kate Horton, Catherine Klein, Ellie Roslund, Caroline Simonelli, Bridget Wood 

11th Grade: Anna Bockelman, Cameron Coates, Gurnoor Pakka 

10th Grade: Suzanne Horton 

9th Grade: Calista Huerfano, Amelia Litchfield, Risa Sadler 

Boys’ Team 

12th Grade: Sanjay De Silva, Deshan Kawatra, James O'Brien, Patrick Penafiel 

11th Grade: Chase Cignarella, Alberto Cornonado Diaz, Jasper Guella, Davis Herr, Ben Keller, Oliver Litchfield, Jordan McDonald, Rohan Norden, Neil Procaccino 

10th Grade: Ethan Craig, Logan Domsic, Ben Fedon, Harry Finn, Aksh Kothari, Neel Singh 

9th Grade: Henry Rzemieniewski, Julio Rzemieniewski, Ryan Tedesco 

COACH’S CORNER 

“We are ready for another exciting season of Indoor Track & Field!  This year's team is led by 13 outstanding seniors (our largest number yet) and a talented group of younger athletes.   

Our team comprises of fundamentally sound multisport athletes. They are not just track & field athletes, but they play soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, tennis, baseball, etc. Although our team trains outdoors in the elements, this team is up for the challenge. They are enthusiastic, eager to learn, and ready to jump right into events.   

Our squads are coming off of stellar fall athletic seasons. I'm hoping to carry that drive and determination into our winter season of training hard and performing at a high level in our invitationals. We look to achieve PR's every time we step onto the track or in the circle. Our team goal is to challenge and place as one of the top teams in our Prep and Group State Championships.   

Everyone will make a contribution to the team.  Key standouts are: 

• Girls’ Team - Ema Hercules in distance, Maddy Craig in mid distance, Cameron Coates in sprints, Catie Klein in shot put 

• Girls’ Top Newcomers - Calista Huerfano in sprints, Amelia Litchfield in sprints, Gurnoor Pakka in distance 

• Boys’ Team - Sanjay De Silva in shot put, Harry Finn in hurdles, Oliver Litchfield in sprints 

• Boys’ Top Newcomers - Ethan Craig in sprints, Logan Domsic in jumps, Ryan Tedesco in distance, Jordan McDonald in sprints, Neel Singh in jumps 

Last year, both teams finished fifth, and we are looking to cover each event to provide our best chance for personal and team performances.” 

-- Head Varsity Coach Shelly LaBarre