General Information

The JCC Maccabi games are the most recent offspring of a proud tradition of Jewish amateur sports. The Maccabi movement was founded in 1895 when the first all-Jewish sports club was organized and in 1932 the first Maccabiah Games were held. The World Maccabiah Games have been held every four years in Israel as a two-week international competition, and have consistently attracted the elite Jewish athlete, many of whom have achieved fame in the Olympics; most notably Mark Spitz, Mitch Gaylord, Ernie Grunfeld and Brad Gilbert.

The concept of the JCC Maccabi Games has existed for many years in Israel, Europe and South America. In 1982, the Jewish Community Centers Association of North America began the Maccabi Games in the United States. At this Jewish Olympic style event, each athlete has the chance to participate in one of the sports offered and events spanning the week-long experience, creating memories that will last a lifetime. The JCC Maccabi Games can be called the Olympics for Jewish Teens, but they serve a larger purpose than athletic competition. The Games also promote community involvement, teamwork, and pride in being Jewish. The Games are the largest Jewish teen event in the world-each summer, teens from around the US and the world, participate in the Games. Over 100,000 teens have benefited from the JCC Maccabi Games since 1982. The energy and excitement make it a unique and unforgettable experience for every participant, from athletes to volunteers, from coaches to host families.

The JCC Maccabi Games are made possible with the generous help of many sponsors and volunteers who donate time and valuable resources, including our continental sponsor, The Coca-Cola Company.

2013 Games Information

Austin Texas

Sunday, July 28 through Friday, August 2

U16 Boys Basketball
U16 Boys Soccer
U16 Boys & Girls Swimming
U16 Boys & Girls Tennis

Orange County California

Sunday, August 4 through Friday, August 9

U16 Boys Baseball
U14 Boys Basketball
U16 Girls Soccer
U16 Girls Softball

TRYOUTS

U 16 Boys Soccer

Sunday January 13             11:15pm-12:30pm         
Wednesday, February 6         8:00pm-9:15pm        
Sunday, March 3                    11:30am-12:30pm

Tryouts will be held at JCC***         

U 16 Girls Soccer

Sunday, January 13             7:00pm-8:30pm            
Sunday, January 27             7:00pm-8:30pm           
Tuesday, February 5            8:00pm-9:15pm

Tryouts will be held at JCC***        

Girls Softball
 

Thursday, February 28          7:30pm-9:00pm
Sunday, March 3                     5:00pm-6:30pm
Tuesday, March 5                   7:30pm-9:00pm

Girls softball tryouts will be held at:

The Academy of Baseball and Softball
16 Passaic Ave Unit 2
Fairfield NJ 07004

U14 Boys Basketball
 

Sunday, March 3              5:45pm-7:00pm          
Sunday, March 10            5:45pm-7:00pm 

 Tryouts will be held at JCC***         

U 16 Boys Basketball

Sunday, February 10          5:30pm-7:00pm               
Wednesday, February 13  8:00pm-9:30pm               
Sunday, February 24          5:30pm-7:00pm

 Tryouts will be held at JCC ***               

U16 Boys & Girls Swimming
 

Sunday,  February 24        9:30am-10:30am  
Wednesday, Feb 27      6:00pm-7:00pm

Tryouts will be held at JCC *** 

Baseball Tryouts
 

Sun. January 13  7:30pm-8:30pm     S U*
Sun. January 27 11:00am-12:00pm  E I**
Tue. February 5   8:00pm-9:00pm    S U*
Tue. February 12 7:00pm-8:00pm    E I**

*Sports Universe
355 Eisenhower Pkwy
Livingston, NJ 07039

**Extra Innings
23 Leslie Court
Whippany, NJ 07981

Tennis

 Sunday, January 13        12:30pm-1:30pm 

Tryouts will be held at JCC***  

***JCC MetroWest
760 Northfiel Ave
West Orange, NJ 07981

TRYOUT DETAILS

All tryouts will be held indoors at the JCC located at 760 Northfield Ave in West Orange unless otherwise noted.

Athletes must attend all of the tryouts.

Athletes may tryout for more than one sport however since competitions are simultaneous athletes would only be selected for one team.

Athletes can attend one set of Games only.

There is no fee and no registration to attend the tryout.

Boys Basketball

Coach: Evan Bashoff

Players: Jacob Badian, Evan Goldenstein, Miller Hickman, Jonathan Kay, Lance Perlow, Alex Wanatick and Corey Wichansky.  

Boys Soccer

Coach: Ian Marx

Players: Andrew Aronson, Evan Berney, Alex Marx, Jack Marx, Josh Nagler, Jacob Popolow, Joseph Simon, Ian Skinner, Zane Solender, David Sternlieb, Alon Tamir, Henry Ticknor, Justin Wachtel, Tommy Wachtel, and Liam Zielony.

Girls and Boys Swimming

Coach: Katya Mart

Swimmers: Jacob Leddy, Grace Levey, Alyssa Levy, Lily Ann Nossen, Maya Samuelson, Samuel Spitz, Alexander Weiss, and Joshua Zitomer. 

The MetroWest swimmers had a great time at the 2013 Junior Maccabi Games hosted by the Kaiserman JCC in Wynnewood, PA.  The team began their day with opening ceremonies, held on the field of the Kaiserman JCC.  After opening ceremonies they made their way to Friends Central School where the swim competition would be taking place.  We had 8 swimmers participate and we were led by our two returning swimmers 11 year old Jacob Leddy and 10 year old Alyssa Levy.  The swimmers had a wonderful time and were proud to earn many medals.  The group enjoyed the Erev Junior Maccabi Social on Saturday evening where they were able to meet other participants from NY, NJ, MD, DE, and PA. The team bonded together and with 7 swimmers being able to return for the 2014 games we look forward to return in 2014, as more experienced and stronger swimmers. Katya enjoyed training the team this year and was excited by their enthusiasm and willingness to work hard. Check back soon for the medal results! 

Gold

10 yr old 200 Medley Relay 2:35.19

10 yr old 50 Free Grace Levey 33.03

10 yr old 100 Free Samuel Spitz 1:13.77

11 yr old 100 Back Jacob Leddy 1:28.71

10 yr old 50 Fly Grace Levey 37.46

10 yr old 50 Fly Samuel Spitz 36.53

10 yr old 100 Fly Alyssa Levy 1:28.23

10 yr old 100 IM Alyssa Levy 1:21.72

10 yr old 100 IM Samuel Spitz 1:28.41

Silver

12 yr old 50 Free Joshua Zitomer 28.34

10 yr old 50 Back Alyssa Levy 36.06

10 yr old 100 Back Lily Ann Nossen 1:30.93

11 yr old 100 Back Alexander Weiss 1:42.46

12 yr old 100 Back Joshua Zitomer 1:14.35

10 yr old 50 Breast Grace Levey 46.29

11 yr old 50 Fly Alexander Weiss 47.40

12 yr old 100 Fly Joshua Zitomer 1:12.81

10 yr old 100 IM Lily Ann Nossen 1:29.43

11 yr old 100 IM Jacob Leddy 1:26.79

Boys Baseball

Coaches: Alan Model and Michael Kessel

Players: Tyler Adelman, Jonah Berman, Joshua Feinberg, Cole Jacobson, Tyler Kaufman, Zachary Kessel, Tai Mair, Cole Model, Jake Panzer, Benjamin Sinins, Alex Supran and Justin Weiss. 

The Boys Baseball Team had a great experience at the 2013 Junior Maccabi games in Philadelphia, PA.  The boys overcame an opening round defeat at the hands of Rockland and fought their way back with a tie and a win over Greater Washington and Delaware.  They lost a 2-1 heartbreaker in the semifinal to the Katz JCC of Cherry Hill.  The boys then played a rematch with Greater Washington for the Bronze Medal - their 5^th straight game of the day.  It was an extremely close game but the boys pulled away in extra innings and were glad to take home a Bronze Medal for themselves and the MetroWest JCC.  The older boys enjoyed their last hurrah at the games while the younger boys look forward to participating in future Maccabi events together and defending their medal.

Girls Soccer

Coach: Beth Kaniewski

Players: Sydney Agnello, Carline Balick, Carly Bernstein, Marisa Buchholz, Ashley Sarah Ellsworth, Alexa Forte, Taylor Hirsch, Katherine Kaniewski, Hannah Richman, Erica Rosenbaum, Danielle Samuelson, Julia Schneider, Ella Singer, Brooke Sodowich, and Sarah Timpone. 

Check out the 2013 Junior Maccabi Photo Gallery! 

Our Group Exercise Classes

Use our easy-to-read Group Exercise Schedule to find the class that's custom fit for you:

Group Exercise Schedule

• In our Pools: Aqua Fit, Aqua Cardio Circuit, WaterYoga
• Indoor Cycling: 20 classes a week on 28 Keiser M3 Bikes
• Mind/Body: Yoga, Pilates Mat, Meditation, and Tai Chi
• Cardio: STEP 360, Kickboxing, Step, Dance, and Low Impact
• Toning: Body Sculpt, Total Body Blast, and Stability Ball
• Martial Arts: Tai Chi
• Kids and Teens: Fitness for Kids with classes such as Kid's Boot Camp, Zumbatomic®, Kid's Conditioning, Kid's/Teen Spinning
• Senior Classes: Forever Fit, Osteoporosis Class, Low Impact, Balance & Weights

Comments

We want to hear what you think!

Give us feedback on classes, programs, special events, customer service, or anything else that matters to you.

Contact Shannon Koenig, Group Exercise Director at 973-530-3514 (skoenig@jccmetrowest.org).

Girls Soccer

Coach: Bryan Fieldler
Sophie Brause, Halle Fiedler, Samantha Goldman, Zoe Grebin, Lauren Krinsky, Peri Lamkin, Ilana Lurie, Lia Mund, Julia Schneider.

The Metrowest Girl’s 12 and under soccer team won the gold medal in the 2012 JCC Mid Atlantic Junior Maccabi games hosted  in Harrisburg. The girls went undefeated in their five games as they scored 26 goals and only allowed 2 goals against them. Halle Fiedler and Sophie Brause led the scoring while Peri Lamkin and Orli Forster put constant pressure on the opponent’s  defense. The defense was led by Lia Mund with support from Ilana Lurie, Sam Goldman, and Julia Schneider.  Zoe Grebin and  Lauren Krinsky did an amazing job in goal while some making great saves.  This year’s games was truly a success for the girls on and off the field.   

Swimming

Coach: Katya Mart
Michaela Deutsch-Dornfeld, Jacob Leddy, Alyssa Levy, Hannah Percely, Kathryn Shepard, Rachel Vogel, Alana Wernick

The Metrowest swim team had an extremely successful Junior Maccabi games, taking 3^rd place overall and 1^st place in relays.  Metrowest swimmers medaled in 15 out of 18 events that they swam in.  It was a great day both in and out of the pool.

Gold Medals:

1. 10 Year Old 50 Free Jacob Leddy 35.15
2. 10 Year Old 50 Back Alyssa Levy 37.79
3. 11 Year Old 50 Back Michaela Deutsch-Dornfeld  39.62
4. 12 Year Old 50 Back Katy Shepard 33.53
5. 10 Year Old 50 Fly    Alyssa Levy 36.70
6. 10 Year Old 100 Free  Jacob Leddy 1:17.96
7. 12 Year Old 100 Free  Katy Shepard 1:03.86
8. 12 Year Old 50 Breast Hannah Percely 41.90
9. 12 and Under 200 Free Relay 2:11.84 Michaela Deutsch-Dornfeld Jacob Leddy Katy Shepard Rachel Vogel

Silver Medals:

1. 12 Year Old 50 Free Rachel Vogel 31.54
2. 12 Year Old 100 Breast Hannah Percely 1:29.66
3. 12 Year Old 50 Back Jacob Leddy 40.20
4. 12 Year Old 100 Back Rachel Vogel 1:24.31

Bronze Medals:

1. 12 Year Old 100 IM Katy Shepard 1:13.80
2. 10 Year Old 50 Free Alyssa Levy 34.02
3. 12 Year Old 50 Free Hannah Percely 33.02
4. 12 Year Old 50 Fly Rachel Vogel 36.64

Girls Basketball

Coaches: Michael Handwerker, Sharon Duhaney
Gabrielle Alpert, Kyra Cooperman, Jamie Handwerker, Amanda Margolis, Emily Mester, Sarah Rovit, Renee Zavidow, Raquel Winer.

The Girls Basketball Team traveled to the Jr Maccabi games in Harrisburg, PA with very little experience playing together.  They had some great practices and got better and better with each one.  They played some extremely tough teams in the first round but they never gave up.  They played tough defense making it very difficult for the opposing teams to score and got lots of easy baskets as well.  The girls had a positive experience at the games and look forward to competing in future Maccabi events in the coming years.

Boys Basketball

Coach: Sam Levy
Tyler Barishaw, Michael Bressler, Steven Bressler, Emanuel Deutsch-Dornfeld, Ross Gang, Seth Gelwarg, Bryan Levy, Jake Needlemen.

The Boys Basketball Team had a great experience at the 2012 Junior Maccabi games in Harrisburg, PA.  The boys beat Katz, Buxmont and Baltimore and finished the preliminary round with a record of 3-0.  Based on their record they were awarded the #1 seed and would receive a 1^st round bye in the playoffs, and advance to the quarterfinals.  They easily won their quarterfinal game and would advance to the semifinals where they would face a team from Greater Washington.  Greater Washington had at least 2 players who were very skilled and at least 6 feet tall.  It was an extremely close game and the game came down to the final minute.  Metrowest lost to Greater Washington but would get a chance to play for a Bronze Medal.  The game was very close and came down to the last second. The boys lost on a controversial last second tip-in that nobody other than the score-keepers thought was timely.  While the team was sad to lose their all enjoyed the Junior Maccabi games and look forward to participating in future Maccabi events together.

Boys Baseball

Coaches: Mark Lim, Brian Kaufman
Cole Becker, Ari Brown, Tyler Kaufman, Zachary Kessel, Benjamin Lim, Cole Model, Max Model, Nathan Orbach, Ryan Sauborn, Harry Stiel

Boys Soccer

Coaches: Dave Schwartz, Jay Schwartz
Ari Cohen, Evan Cohen, Matt Feresten, Josh Naiman, Jeffrey Nelson, Max Ramer, Brayden Schwartz, Zachary Schwartz

 Photo Gallery

Click here to see our photos

JCC MetroWest Teens participate in JCC Maccabi Games in Rockland NY

Mixed MetroWest U16 Girls’ Soccer

The 2012 JCC Maccabi Games held in Rockland County, NY were a learning and growing experience for MetroWest’s  Mixed Girls’ Soccer Team.  Success for this group was not determined by wins or losses, but by how the group of girls came together over the course of the tournament.

Two athletes from MetroWest were joined by ten others from Springfield (MA), Stamford (CT), Hartford (CT), Marblehead (MA), and Richmond (VA) to form this mixed team.  While some of the girls knew one or two others from their area, as a team, the group had never met or played together until the first game of the tournament.  The first game did not provide much of an opportunity for pleasantries or getting to know each other as the team faced an always strong Los Angeles side.  After going down to LA 0-5 in the first half, the team really found some heart, and played to a 2-2 tie in the second half with goals coming from the “Hartford Connection”, Sydney Gellerman and Hannah Merritt.

After the first game, the team had a chance to really come together, and they did.  The girls watched other games together to scout their competition, had team lunches most days, hung out with each other during down time in between games, and spent the evenings unwinding with fun night time activities.  

The team went on to play four more games in the tournament and each game saw the girls come together more and more as a team.  There was talking on the field and the athletes started to get a feel for where their teammates would be.  By the second game, the girls had other teams and coaches shocked that they were playing a mixed team because it looked like the girls had been playing together for years.  The cohesiveness of this group was really remarkable.   The remaining matches included a 4-1 win over our “neighbors from across the pond”, Great Britain, close matches versus Rockland A and Rockland B, the home town teams and a final match against a tough Toronto squad. 

Gellerman led the team in scoring with 6 goals in 5 games, including a 4 goal effort against Great Britain.  She wound up being one of the top scorers in the entire tournament.  Also tallying goals were Merritt (2), and Biana Iosiovich (2).  Elana Silverstein was outstanding in goal the entire tournament, keeping many of the games close.  Hannah Katz anchored the defense as the sweeper, playing most of the tournament and coming out for just a few short water breaks.  Arielle Rosenberg and Rosie Pofcher both contributed to the strength of the defense and really turned some heads with their play.  Tammy Stevens and Emily Libowitz also turned in great efforts on defense throughout the tournament, even playing through slight injuries at times to help the team.  Many of the girls, including Rebecca Satz, Shana Criscitiello, and Madison Johnson, were asked to play all over the field, at times in positions they were not accustomed to, and did a great job helping the team from both the back and up top.  The sacrifices they made for the benefit of the team were appreciated by all.

16U Baseball

In 2012, the MetroWest 16u baseball team intended to go the Rockland Games with one mission in mind:   to medal after a very disappointing tournament a year earlier in Philadelphia that was cut short by torrential rain.  Unfortunately, however, that 2011 team was stacked with many veteran players that had since aged out.  As a result, with only a few returning players, we were compelled to field a team in 2012 that consisted of seven players that were only 13 and 14 years of age.  Although our squad was more equipped to play at the 14u level, we nevertheless played “up” to accommodate the few older players who were denied their fair chance to win a medal in 2011.  With this backdrop, as we prepared for and traveled to the Rockland Games, we became resigned to the fact that our expectations were simply too high.  We began viewing this year as one that would be for the love of the game only, and an opportunity to get some experience as there was “no way” we would be able to compete in the older 16u division.

But then a funny thing happened on the way to the baseball field….

Our group of young, talented players – many of whom had already won two consecutive Gold Medals with the MetroWest Junior Maccabi baseball team in 2010 and 2011 – refused to accept this as a “lost” campaign, and after a slow start, the team really took off, winning 3 of its final 4 games, including a thrilling 5-4 victory over Boca Raton for the Bronze Medal.  The keys to victory included virtually flawless defense, timely hitting particularly with two outs and runners in scoring position, and quality starting pitching.  Playing excellent fundamental baseball in all aspects of the game, MetroWest was not going to be denied.

Now, as we begin preparation for the 2013 games, with another year under our belts, we look forward to further growth on and off the field, and have set our designs on bringing home the Gold Medal.

Athletes

Nathaniel Bargad
Tyler Benson
Joshua Buchholz
Joshua Katz
Ryan Kehr
Max McCauley
Joseph Morrissey
Brett Sass
Jason Sedell
Daniel Stern
Matt Timpone

 
Coaches         

Eric Katz
Jim McCauley

15-16 Girls Swimming

Elyse Abrams

Silver - 200 Free Relay

Carly Abrams

Silver - 400 free Relay
Bronze - 200 Med Relay

Tabatha Hickman

Bronze - 200 Free Relay
Silver - 50 Back
Silver - 200 Fly
Bronze - 400 Free Relay
Silver -  200 Med Relay

Andrea Shepard

Bronze -100 Fly
Silver - 500 Free
Silver - 200 Fly
Bronze - 100 Free
Silver - 400 IM
Gold - 400 Med Relay
Gold - 200 Fly
Bronze - 200 IM

16U Boys Basketball

Mitch Cohen (Sparta), Josh Drill (West Caldwell), Wyatt Kalb (North Caldwell), Jacob Kaplan (Pine Brook), Ben Kizel (Short Hills), Julian Ritholz (Short Hills), Tyler Storch (Pine Brook), Alex Tarowsky (Pine Brook), Jesse Warech (Pine Brook) were the members of the U16 basketball team that represented MetroWest in the 2012 Games hosted by Rockland County. The team was led by coaches Lonny Tarowsky and Gary Warech. Half of the team were veterans having competed in past JCC Maccabi Games including winning the gold medal in the U14 division in 2010 in Richmond, VA.

As always the competition was fierce. On Monday the team won their first game against Central Jersey. They lost the second game by one point in overtime to Greater Washington. They won both games on Tuesday and their first game Wednesday. Going into the quarter finals Wednesday afternoon the boys had a record of 4-1.  MetroWest lost the quarter final game by 4 points to South Jersey, the eventual gold medal team.

My week at the Games 

By Jesse Warech

Basketball is a major part of my life and I have enjoyed playing ball in the JCC Maccabi Games for the past three summers.  I am 16 years old and this past August in Rockland was my fourth summer playing in the games. My first year at the Games as a 13 year old I competed in tennis. Each year brought more fun than the last.  The athletics are intense, the activities are fun, and you get a unique chance to give back to the local community.

This past summer I played for the MetroWest basketball team in the U16 division.  Most of the guys on the team this year have played together in previous games.  We always enjoy getting to play on the same side since during the high school season most of us are going against each other.  The level of competition was high as always and the team was tested on more than one occasion.  We had an overall record of 4-2 and lost in the quarterfinal to the eventual champions.  Even though we didn’t get to the final, I still enjoyed the experience very much and although I was there to play basketball, the sports aspect was only a small piece to a great week. 

On Wednesday, all of the participants took part in the JCC Cares Program.  This gives everyone the opportunity to give back.  This year our team went to an assisted living center where we played bingo and did karaoke with some of the residents.  It truly is an experience I will never forget.

In the evenings, when the sports were over for the day, everyone in the games gathered for night activities.  The first night was a pool party and BBQ.  On Tuesday night we went to Dave and Buster’s and Wednesday was host family night.  On this particular evening the athletes spend the night with their host family.  This year my host family had a few of their friends over who were hosting athletes as well.  The last night was closing ceremonies.  There was a carnival and all the participants watched a video showing some clips and highlights from the week. 

These fourth JCC Maccabi games in Rockland were my last, but I hope to continue on and eventually take part in the Maccabiah Games in Israel.

JCC MetroWest Teens participate in JCC Maccabi Games in Houston TX

U16 Boys Soccer

The Metrowest 16 and under boys Maccabi soccer team went to Houston in August 2012 and came home with the gold medal. The boys finished with a record of 7-0 and beat a strong Orange County team in the finals 4-0. They scored 51 goals and only allowed 5 against them. Zachary Beckerman ,Sam Eisen,  Matt Picon led the team in scoring while Dylan Fiedler Brett Dinowitz and Ross Florin controlled the midfield. Lucas Weissman,  Matt lemash  and Gideon Tamir held held off the opponents on defense while Bobby Schneiderman and Mark Langendorff did a great job in goal. The boys had a great time together both on and off the field.

Athletes

Zachary Beckerman
Brett Dinowitz
Sam Eisen
Dylan Fiedler
Ross Florin
Marc Langendorff
Matthew Picon
Bobby  Schneiderman
Gideon Tamir
Lucas Weissman
Gary Lemash

Coach

Bryan Fiedler

16U Tennis

Metrowest Maccabi tennis 2012 brought 3 16 yr. olds to Houston. Jordan Gelman, Adam Brodkin and Jason Ginsburg represented our JCC admirably and played some great matches. The heat and long hours on the courts didn't phase them a bit. Jason reached the quarter-finals in singles and Jordan and Adam fell short of a bronze in doubles by 1 game. All three had never played Maccabi before and were thrilled to have such a unique experience and to have captured many lifetime memories.

Athletes

Adam Brodkin
Jordan Gelman
Jason Ginsburg

Coach

Rayni Borinsky

Baseball

Coaches: Eric Katz, Jim McCauley, Mark Lim
Players: Joseph Blum, Zachary Freeman, Spencer Frey, Daniel Greiss, Jonathan Holland, Josh Katz, Harrison Kern, Benjamin Lim, Max McCauley, Elais Neibart, Daniel Stern

The MetroWest Jr. Maccabi baseball team arrived in the 2011 games with a single focus, repeat. Having lost key members from the gold-medal winning 2010 squad, they knew that the road ahead was going to be more difficult but that would only serve as motivation. From the coaches to the returning players to the new additions, gold was always the goal. The boys' families served as fans and witnesses.

Game 1 vs. Delaware: W5-0

Strong pitching and a 5-run 2nd inning proved to be the winning combination for Metrowest. Behind 3 strong innings from Elias Neibart (1 hit, 0R, 5Ks) and one inning from Daniel Greiss (K), Delaware posed little resistance in a 5-0 win. Offense was contributed by Harry Kern (1B, BB, 1 RBI, Run), Josh Katz (1B, 2B, BB, RBI, Run), Max McCauley (1B, 2B, Run), Daniel Greiss (BB, Run), and Benny Lim (HBP, Run). End of game excitement was provided via a 6-3-2 double play to end the game.

Game 2 vs. Katz JCC: L10-0

The Katz JCC proved to be a formidable team as they cruised to a 10-0 whitewash over MetroWest. Behind their ace, Jared Delargo, allowed only one baserunner, Daniel Stern (BB) and held MetroWest hitless in 3 innings. The MetroWest squad proved that they could learn quick lessons in the eventual rematch in the finals against the same pitcher.

Game 3 (Semi-finals) vs. Kaisserman JCC Team A: W4-3

It was déjà-vu all over again as the Kaisserman team faced MetroWest in the Semi-finals for the second year in a row. This year, the game went into extra frames but MetroWest showed resilience in showcasing strong pitching and timely hitting on its way to a 4-3 win. Josh Katz (3 inn, 6 hits, 0ER, 2 Ks) and Benny Lim (2 inn, 0 hits, 0ER, 3Ks) combined to hold down a strong Kaisserman offense. The offense produced 8 hits and was sparked by a tremendous home-run from the bat of Daniel Stern (HR, BB, 3RBI) in the first inning. Contributions were supplied by Benny Lim (2 hits), Daniel Greiss (Run), Josh Katz (2 hits, Run), Elias Neibart (Single, Run), Max McCauley (Single), and Harry Kern (single, Run).

Game 4 (Finals) vs. Katz JCC: T1-1

Eight innings and over 2 1/2 hours of baseball could not settle a winner in the rematch of game 2 between MetroWest and Katz JCC of Cherry Hill. Standout pitching came from Elias Neibart (3inn, 0R, 2H, 2BB, 5Ks), Benny Lim (3inn, 0ER, 1H, 0BB, 5Ks), Josh Katz (1 inn, 0ER, 2Ks) and Daniel Stern (1 inn, 0ER). Offense came from Benny Lim (2H, Run), Daniel Greiss (Single), Josh Katz (2H, BB, RBI), Elias Neibart (2H), and Max McCauley (2H).

Also contributing to the team's success throughout the tournament were Joseph Blum, Zachary Freeman, Spencer Frey, and Jonathan Holland.

Sharing the gold with the host team was the result of the tie. It was a fitting end to another great tournament.

Boys' Basketball

Coaches: Marc Rosenberg, Dan Ravitz
Players: Andrew Karp, Charlie Levinson, Bryan Levy, Brandon Perry, Zach Ravitz, Will Rosenberg, Will Schaffer, Perry Schwartz, Maguire Sweeney

Girls' Basketball

Coaches: Emily Einhorn, Josh Breitman
Players: Emily Rachel Blum, Adi Brickman, AJ Dansky, Lindsay Friedman, Jamie Handwerker, Rebecca Landau, Ally Langendorf, Haylee Mevorah, Maya Robbins, Julia Schmulewitz.

The girls' basketball team took for the most part a new team to the 2011 Junior Maccabi games. The team began preparing for the games with weekly practices beginning in March, leading up to the games in May. The team had many practices which were able to prepare them for the games. The team was comprised of 10 players from both Essex and Morris County. The girls would compete against other teams from Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey.

The first game was against a team from the Harrisburg JCC. The girls came out strong from the opening tip and never looked back. They executed well on offense and played strong defense. The team had a balanced scoring attack with at least 8 girls scoring a basket. In the second half you could see that the girls were really coming together. On many possessions the girls would make the extra pass, resulting in wide open layups. MetroWest beat Harrisburg by a score of 26-10.

The next game would be against the Kaiserman JCC. This was a physical game from the start. MetroWest played tough and strong defense in the first half and was leading by 1 at halftime. Unfortunately in the second half, one of our point guards took an offensive foul and landed on her wrist. Due to her injury, she was out for the remainder of the tournament. The second half was just as physical but the girls played tough until the final buzzer. We lost the game but the girls did not hang their hands.

Our first playoff game was against Bux Mont, last year's gold medal winner. Last year MetroWest played Bux Mont for gold, but came up a little short. This year was a different story. The girls dominated from the opening tip. They played strong defense and executed extremely well on offense. They had a 15 point lead at halftime and never looked back. They would beat Bux Mont and move on to the semifinals, where they would face Cherry Hill.

The semi final game between MetroWest and Cherry Hill was a strong one. The girls were extremely patient on offense by taking their time to set up. They were able to move the ball around and wear down the defense which resulted in many wide open shots. Every time either team made a basket the other team would match it. No team was ever up by more than 5 points. In the last few minute Cherry Hill went on a run and MetroWest wasn't able to catch up. We lost the game but would play for the bronze medal later on in the day.

MetroWest would face JCC on the Palisades for the bronze medal. MetroWest started the game out strong, jumping out to an early lead. Palisades went on a late run and MetroWest was unable to catch up. This was the teams 5th game of the day and the girls were a little exhausted but played hard until the end. They would take 4th place in the tournament.

Although they didn't medal the girls played their hearts out every single minute that they were on the floor. As the day progressed they really came together on the court, which was apparent, especially in their afternoon games.

The girls all had a great experience at the 2011 Junior Maccabi games and look forward to participating in future Maccabi programs together.

With 6 players being able to return to next years squad, MetroWest looks forward to returning to the games, stronger and more experienced with the goal of winning a gold medal.

We can't wait until next year!!!

Swimming

Coach: Courtney Stec
Players: Michaela Duetsch-Dornfeld, Madeline Frankel, Alexis Gihorski, Kate Gihorski, Kathryn Shepard, Rachel Vogel, Alana Wernick

The MetroWest swim team had an extremely successful Junior Maccabi Games. Each of the seven swimmers swam 3 individual events and 1 relay. MetroWest swimmers medaled in 17 of the 23 events they swam in, with each swimmer earning at least one medal. It was a great day in and out of the pool.

Gold Medals

1. 12 and Under 200 Medley Relay 2:23.86
   Kate Gihorski, Alexis Gihorski, Rachel Vogel and Kathryn Shepard
2. 10 Year Old 100 IM Kate Gihorski 1:18.00
3. 11 Year Old 100 IM Kathryn Shepard 1:20.22
4. 10 Year Old 100 Fly Kate Gihorski 1:29.56
5. 11 Year Old 100 Free Kathryn Shepard 1:07.41
6. 10 Year Old 100 Back Kate Gihorski 1:24.00
7. 11 Year Old 100 Back Rachel Vogel 1:29.08

8. 11 Year Old 50 Fly Rachel Vogel 38.70

Silver Medals

1. 11 Year Old 50 Free Kathryn Shepard 29.75
2. 12 Year Old 50 Free Madeline Frankel 32.27
3. 10 Year Old 50 Back Michaela Deutsch-Dornfeld 42.74

4. 12 Year Old 100 Breaststoke Alexis Gihorski 1:20.52

Bronze Medals

1. 10 Year Old 100 IM Michaela Deutsch-Dornfeld 1:38.14
2. 10 Year Old 50 Free Michaela Deutsch-Dornfeld 37.35
3. 12 Year Old 100 Fly Alexis Gihorski 1:13.16
4. 12 Year Old 50 Fly Madeline Frankel 37.03
5. 10 Year Old 50 Fly Alana Wernick 1:12.72

Tennis

Players: Emily Krupnick, Aaron Tucker

The Junior Maccabi Games were a fun and successful day for the MetroWest tennis players. Emily Krupnick dominated the girls' tournament, winning all three of her matches en route to the gold medal. Aaron Tucker won his first match and lost the second.

Boys' Soccer

Coaches: Ira Steinberg, Larry Wieseneck
Players: Zach Gollin, Ben Grinberg, Matt Konop, Jeffrey Nelson, Aidan Pope, Harry Rosen, Cooper Steinberg, Max Weintraub, Brahm Wieseneck

The MetroWest boys' soccer team played three games in the tournament, scoring 6 goals while conceding only 3. The team began on a high note with a win over Greater Washington. The team played Mid-Westchester close in their second preliminary game, ultimately losing by one goal. The team drew the defending champion Bucks County side in the first medal round game. Bucks County had defeated the MetroWest team in 2010 in the gold medal game. The rematch was hard fought by both teams. Regulation and overtime could not determine a winner and the game went to penalty kicks with Bucks County converting more in the end. The team did not hang their heads though. They gave it their all. More important than the results on the field was how the boys acted throughout the day, being great teammates to each other and showing respect for their opponents, referees, and fans. They earned high praises from their coaches.

Girls' Soccer

Coach: Bryan Fiedler
Players: Jessie April, Morgan Darrow, Orli Forster, Samantha Goldman, Zoe Grebin, Peri Lamkin, Lia Mund, Sarah Miller, Ilana Lurie, Lexi Porigow, Ashley Reuter

The MetroWest 12 and under girls' team had a great result in the Cherry Hill games by winning the Silver medal. The most exciting game was the semifinals against a tough Greater Washington team in which Peri Lamkin scored the tying goal in the last minute of regulation time. After a short overtime period, the game went to penalty kicks and the MetroWest girls won with the final kick 11-10. MetroWest lost to a tough Bucks county team in the finals and went home with the silver. It was a team effort by all of the girls and they had a great time on and off the field. Lia Mund anchored the defense, with the support of Jesse April, Ilana Lurie, and Morgan Darrow. We had a strong offensive performance by Peri Lamkin, Ashley Reuter, Lexi Porigow, Sarah Miller, and Orli Forster. Samantha Goldman played both defense and offense and put constant pressure on the other teams. The girls could not have been so successful without Zoe Grebin in the goal.

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