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HARRISON
Continued from Page 9 in were all canceled due to the pandemic. When the NJSIAA decided that the basketball season could begin on Jan.19, the Blue Tide were in the midst of a COVID-19 crisis. The program was shut down and the team was in quarantine mode. However, the day before the quarantine was placed, Caliendo had to deal with tragedy. Her mother, Rose Mockus, who was a great supporter of the Harrison basketball program, died after a long illness. “She was part of me,” Caliendo said of her mother. “She was truly part of our program.” The Blue Tide had to remain away from basketball for two full weeks. “Our two leaders (senior
Haley O’Donnell and junior Emily Leiras) accepted the responsibility and conducted Zoom meetings,” Caliendo said. “But we went two full weeks without seeing each other. It was such a gap.” Caliendo kept her chin up. “I always see the beauty in things,” Caliendo said. “It’s a building season for us. Patience is our team’s attitude right now. We had to slow things down and work on fundamentals. A lot of the girls don’t know fundamentals, so it’s been tough. We haven’t been able to have a smooth couple of days.” The Blue Tide had two days of practice last week before facing a very good team in Weehawken. The final result was not pretty. “We have hard working young girls,” Caliendo said. “I’m so proud of them. They could have been down, but
they’re not. They’re not discouraged. They’re ready to fix their mistakes and get back out there. I’m excited about that.” Leiras is the team’s top returning scorer. The 5-foot-6 Leiras averaged 14 points and six rebounds per game last season. “She’s versatile,” Caliendo said. “She can play power forward. That’s her natural position. She shoots the ball really well. I’m going to use her on the perimeter a lot. She’s also very strong. I’m going to use her all over the floor.” O’Donnell is a 5-foot-3 point guard who averaged 12 points per contest last season. “She’s a good ball handler,” Caliendo said. “She brings energy to the game. She’s fun to watch. She’s willing to put her body out there, all over the floor. She dives for loose balls. She has black and blue knees.
HEALTH&WELLNESS & &WELLNESS
DIRECTORY
Wednesday, February 10, 2021
Black and blue knees should be part of the Lady Blue program. That’s what Haley’s all about. She’s our captain.” Sophomore guard Fatma Mohamed is a 5-foot-2 shooter. “She’s developing her basketball IQ,” Caliendo said. “She’s getting smarter. She also embraces criticism. Through eye contact, I can tell she’s listening. She’s catching on quick.” That’s a great concept – listening with the eyes. Sophomore Janiyah Gutierrez is a 5-foot-5 forward. “She’s strong in the post,” Caliendo said. “She has a lot of energy. I’m giving her a lot of responsibility to watch the sophomores. With all the adversity we’ve gone through, we need that. She’s strong and has some basketball skills.” Sophomore Amaree Andujar is a 5-foot-1 guard. “She’s a good ball handler with a positive attitude and energy,” Caliendo said. “It’s something to capitalize on. It all starts with the right attitude. That’s the most important thing. She works with her teammates well.” Rasha Abdeljalil is a 5-foot-
5 sophomore forward. “She is a hard worker who is still learning,” Caliendo said. Another newcomer is 5-foot-6 sophomore center Jamie Benavidas. “I’m so pleased with her attitude,” Caliendo said. “She shows up and is executing. I’m working with her. I think I’ve found a center.” Make that an undersized one – just like Jenn Caliendo. Needless to say, Lady Blue won’t be a bunch of world beaters this season. “It’s a building season,” Caliendo said. “We have 13 girls in the whole program. We have a lot to work on.” But Caliendo is ready for the challenge. “I think the goal is teaching them how to define what success is to them,” Caliendo said. “Just being one percent better than yesterday. That’s it. It’s not just about the wins this year but choosing to push through the adversity. I believe we have something special in our hands. And all the challenges we have come across thus far shows that. I’m grateful to be in a position to teach them that.”
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