Saint John Vianney Lady Lancers • Back Row, left to right: Paige Knutsen, Marie Hallund, Mikaela Hubbard, Meg Calahan, Head Coach Dawn Karpell, Ashley Sofilkanich, Charlotte Dooley, Janie Bachmann • Front Row, left to right: Zoe Brooks, Julia Karpell, Bre Delaney, Aleena Dinker, Ashley O’Connor, Ciera Cevallos, Madison St. Rose
LADY LANCERS WILL FOREVER WEAR THE CROWN & the Coach Who Got Them There
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By Cathy Padilla | Photo Carmela Caracappa
fter more than 30 years of deciding the number one team in the state in various sports, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Tournament of Champions (TOC) is crowning its last teams after the November 2021 decision to discontinue the tournament. Many schools and sports programs have made a name for themselves in the TOC since it began in the 1980s, but one team stands out among the exceptional as the most-winning girls’ team in any sport in the state of New Jersey – Holmdel’s St. John Vianney’s (SJV) Girls Basketball Team. Not only do the Lady Lancers have a long history of success, but the current players have taken their legacy to a whole new level.
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Many are calling the Lady Lancer lineup the best ever in NJ girls basketball history, with the 2022 season setting several records. After their stellar season, post-season wins included the Shore Conference Tournament and the Non Public A State Championship, which is SJV’s 18th state title in program history (17 Non Public A and one Non Public B) and a state record. But one goal remained for the team – to win the only game left and the only title that had eluded them thus far this season – the very last Tournament of Champions to ever be played. On March 20, the Lady Lancers not only cemented their reign as the most-winning team by defeating Rutgers Prep 72-52, they added to SJV’s all-time record for the most TOC wins in girls’ basketball history bringing the total to eight (2022, 2016, 2009, 1999, 1997, 1995, 1993, 1991).