Wednesday, January 19, 2022
The Observer | www.theobserver.com
Sports & Recreation WITH
Jim Hague Observer Sports Writer OGSMAR@AOL.COM
9
Kearny native Mullen signs NIL deal with ‘EatCleanBro’
Harrison girls survive COVID-19 shutdown “We only had seven practices all of last year,” Caliendo had high hopes Caliendo said. “I think they for the 2021-2022 girls’ high came back this year with school basketball season. the mentality that they Things just had to be better wanted to learn. I think for the Harrison High they were ready to roll with School alum in her second the punches, but they weryear as the head coach for en’t ready for a three-week the program where she once played before heading quarantine. I think the senior leadership did well off to play at nearby Rutwith the rest.” gers-Newark. So when the Blue Tide “We won our first game returned to action last week of the season,” Caliendo after the unexpected layoff, said. “The morale of the Caliendo was impressed team was high. We were with the way the Blue Tide able to have team meetcame back. ings. We went to a college “I think they came back basketball game together excited to play,” Caliendo (at St. Peter’s University) as said. “I could tell that they a team. Things were going did a lot of work on their well.” own.” Then disaster struck. However, the Blue Tide The omicron variant of the suffered a setback during COVID-19 coronavirus shut the first week of the return. down the Blue Tide’s operSenior guard Emily Leiras, ations for three weeks. the team’s leading scorer, “It’s not easy to get shut suffered a knee injury in a down like that,” Caliendo loss to Secaucus, soon after said. “It was up to the girls rolling her ankle as well. to stay in playing shape Leiras, who averaged close while we were shut down. At the end of the day, it was to 15 points per game, will up to them to do it on their be lost to the Blue Tide for an undetermined amount own. But it was tough on of time. them. I always tell these “We’re going to have to girls how tough they are. adjust to not having Emily,” Well, this was proof. I Caliendo said of the 5-footalways get compliments on 6 senior, who plays both how tough our girls are.” guard and forward when Caliendo said that her team is still in the learning stages. See VIEW, Page 11
HARRISON – Jenn
Photo courtesy of Jimmy Mullen’s Facebook page
Kearny native Jimmy Mullen, the standout football player and wrestler for St. Joseph Regional of Montvale, has signed an NIL deal with EatCleanBro.com.
By Jim Hague ogsmar@aol.com
KEARNY – The idea that college athletes are capitalizing on the new NIL (Name Image and Likeness) deals to receive some sort of remuneration for their talents is still a relatively a new idea. But high school athletes? It’s very rare. However, one of the first
high school athletes to secure an NIL deal just happens to hail from Kearny. Jimmy Mullen, who won the NJSIAA heavyweight wrestling championship as a freshman two years ago while competing for St. Joseph Regional of Montvale), has signed an endorsement deal with the healthy food organization called EatCleanBro.
com. The company reached out to Mullen to see if he would be willing to put his name, image and likeness to EatCleanBro. “We went back and forth,” said Mullen, who is in the middle of his wrestling season at St. Joseph after a great footSee MULLEN, Page 10
