Experienced St. John Vianney Girls Hope to Reclaim Title

Return Four Starters From Last Season's Team

By Mike Ready

HOLMDEL – The expectations always run high for a program as successful as the Saint John Vianney girls basketball program has been in the last 25 years.

Since 1990 the Lancers have won 14 Non-Public Group A Championships, including its most recent run of titles from 2008-to-2011. They’ve won six Tournament of Champions trophy’s as the number one girls basketball team in the state with the most recent being in 2009.

So after getting ousted from the Non-Public A South tournament the last two years, losing 11 games and placing second in the Class A Central division last season, four games behind Red Bank Catholic, many would consider this a drought.  

However, there’s not a program in the state that plays a more difficult schedule than the Lancers play year-in and year-out. Yearly opponents include: Gill St. Bernard, St. Anthony, Christ the King, Shabazz, Life Center Academy and Montclair just to name a few. That doesn’t even include Shore Conference powers like Red Bank Catholic, which was ranked No.3 in the state last season and who incidentally beat the Lancers in three very tight games, including a two-point loss in the Non-Public South A semifinal.

“We played really rugged schedule last year, which we normally do,” head coach Dawn Karpell said. “Unfortunately we had a few injuries but it’s promising for this year because everyone got a lot of experience. We took our lumps last year but we kept the very high standard schedule this year as well.”

Even with those 11 losses, the Lancers did win 18 games last season and were ranked fifth in the state in the final 2012-13 polls. They’re sort of like the Yankees; it’s an all-or-nothing proposition.

With four starters and seven other players with game-day experience returning this season, it looks as though the Lancers are in good shape to end the ‘drought’ and make another championship run.

Freshman sensation Kelly Campbell returns at point guard for her sophomore season after averaging 3.6 assists and 12-points per game in her inaugural season.

“Kelly is a very secure point guard,”Karpell said. “She distributes the ball excellently and has a great understanding of our system; she’s a great rebounder from the guard position. We’re really excited about what she’ll bring to our team this year.”

Back at center is six-foot senior Katie Beriont, who’s one of the Lancers four captains this season. Beriont, a first team All-State pitcher and Notre Dame recruit, averaged 10.6 points per game last season will be force under the basket this year for the Lancers.

“Katie is a tremendous athlete and brings great senior leadership,” Karpell said. “She does a great job in the low blocks and with the development of our younger girls it’s going to make her that much more dangerous.”

Another first team All-State softball player, Jackie Gallagher, will again be at the shooting guard position for the Lancers. A senior captain, Gallagher averaged 7.4 points a game last season and should see her numbers increase dramatically with the graduation of leading scorer and second team All-Shore guard Lyndsay Rowe. 

“Jackie is our top three-point shooter,” Karpell said. “The fact that we have a balanced inside game this year is really going to free her up for the open three-point shot.”

After returning from an injury midseason last season, Emily Uribe started the remainder of the season as a freshman and returns as a starter at the three guard for her sophomore season. Uribe had a solid second half of the season averaging 8.2 points a game.

“Emily is another great perimeter shooter and can hit the three’s as well. Emily, Kelly, and Jackie along with Kellie Crouch and Vanessa Pinho off the bench are all excellent three-point shooters, so I feel we’ll have some advantages in that area as well.”

Sophomore Gabrielle (Gi Gi) Camponegro gets the nod as the starting forward in Karpell’s top five. Camponegro is aggressive under the basket and will be counted on in the paint for scoring and rebounding. As a freshman, she averaged 2.5 points per game, posting a season-high 10 points versus Ossinings High School.

Crouch will be the first player off the bench for Karpell followed by senior captain Haley Scheuer at forward/center.

“Haley is a six-foot-one athlete that can shoot it,” Karpell said. “She’s going to help us spread the floor and give us some added length. She’ll play a big part in our team’s success.”

Junior guard Claire Stefanelli, another softball player who transferred from Rumson-Fair Haven, six-foot-three freshman center/forward Kim Evens, sophomore forward Zoe Pero (a transfer from Secaucus High School) and senior captain Sarah Journick at the forward spot will all see playing time in Karpell’s ultra talented rotation.

“Last year we learned how to compete and this year I’m hoping we learn how to finish it off and win,” Karpell expressed about her team’s chances this season. “We have another year of maturity and another year of molding a team that, but for Lyndsay (Rowe), all return. The team chemistry we’ve seen so far and their understanding of what we want them to do this year has the coaching staff really excited about the upcoming season.”  

Follow @getmready