Englese, Green Named Patch Athletes of the Week

Congratulations to this week's Cranford Patch Athletes of the Week, track star Natalie Englese and boys' basketball standout Will Green.

Englese, who is the defending indoor Union County champion and a two-time outdoor county champ, is having a sensational winter campaign, currently ranked second in the state in the 400m dash with a time of 58.86.

"As a freshman and sophomore, she already had solid times," said track coach Peter Kane. "She's only getting better and better. She's having the best start to a season she's had so far. Once our training gets near the end of the season, I'm really excited to see what kind of numbers she's going to rip off."

The junior holds very impressive splits in the relays of 56.47 in the 4x400 and 24.97 in the 4x200. Englese's 4x200 relay just broke the school record from 1997 at 1:52.35 ranking 24th in the state.

"I definitely like mid-distance events, I have some endurance, but my speed is my main aspect," said Englese. "I keep pushing myself more and more in practice."

So far she has been a two-time State Sectional Champion in the 400m dash and 200m dash, Group 2 State Champion in the 400m dash, and owns two fifth-place finishes in the Meet of Champions with an outdoor personal record of 56.18.  Her biggest accomplishment so far is making it to the Meet of Champions since her freshman year.

"I want to continue to keep qualifying for the Meet of Champions, maybe this year or definitely senior year, I'd like to win it," said Englese. "I know that one of the girls in my state was able to go to Italy for the Junior World League Olympics. I would love to do that."

She has won the 400m dash twice and holds the Group 2 Central Sectional Meet record at 58.91.

"Her best event is definitely the 400," Kane said. "The 400 gives her the time when other girls are dying out, at the 250, 300 mark, she's able to eat up the track and continue pushing."

Englese, who was a key contributor for the 2009 Union County champion girls' soccer team, has also competed at the Indoor Nationals Meet and has already qualified for this year's Nike Indoor Nationals.

"She's got a great personality where other kids are excited to be around her," Kane csaid. "She doesn't even understand the word cocky. She's just a normal kid who has a great talent and works very hard. The other kids see that and push themselves as well."

Our boys' Athlete of the Week could be called "Mr Consistency" because senior Will Green can not only put up the points, but he loves to do the dirty work under the boards as well.

Green totaled 17 points and 14 rebounds last Friday in the Cougars 59-56 victory over Union Catholic, helping to rally his team to a key triumph.

"Will's a great leader for us. We had a down game against Westfield and he really stepped up last Friday to show his true senior leadership," said head coach Ryan Huber. "He was great down the stretch for us, and made some big plays to rally us to a victory."

"It means a lot, coming out here and playing hard every game," said Green. "I feel like I had to do that much to win the game. Scoring points and rebounding, I do whatever I need to do."

Green credits his early competition in helping to make him the player he is today.

"I started playing organized ball when I was in fourth or fifth grade at the boys and girls club in Newark, that got me into basketball," Green said. "The competition was high, so that really helped me strive and be a good player."

"He's just a hard-working kid. He gives us 100 percent every time he steps on the court," said Huber. "He'll do whatever it takes for his team to win. He's really developed his perimeter game, putting the ball on the floor, his left hand. He came in with a lot of potential and he's worked hard to maximize the potential he has."

Growing up, Green did have his favorite.

"I'm a Knicks fan, so I'm a Patrick Ewing fan, one of my favorite players ever," said Green. "I like his inside moves, he has a short jump shot, and I feel like I need that. He's a huge defensive player, even in college he was a great defensive player, so that's what I have to do."

"Will's a great kid," said Huber."Walking the halls, very respectful, always shaking your hand, always asks how everything's going, he's truly what a Cranford student-athlete is."

Green has college coaches looking at him for both football and basketball. American International and the University of Massachusetts are courting his game on the gridiron, while Rutgers-Newark, Montclair State and Fairleigh-Dickinson have shown interest in his work on the court.  It's a great place to be for Green, but someone is going to lose out.

"It's a shame, because one sport is going to lose a very good player," said Huber. "But he's going to be successful in whatever he chooses to do."