Jen Retzer Honored By Middletown North, SJVHS Girls' Softball

HOLMDEL, NJ — This past Saturday, the Middletown North and Saint John Vianney High School softball teams honored a former SJVHS player who is recovering after a devastating skiing injury.

SJVHS was down 1-0 against Middletown North Saturday in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinal when former SJVHS pitcher Jen Retzer arrived mid-game to support the team. SJVHS rallied for a hard-fought 3-2 victory and advanced to the Shore Conference finals.

Retzer is a former Lancers standout. She was a star pitcher for the girls' softball team and graduated in 2011. She went on to the University of Pennsylvania, where she played softball as well. However, this past February Retzer was in a skiing accident and she was critically injured. The 23-year-old young woman was in a coma for several weeks; doctors told her family they did not know if she'd ever come out of a vegetative state. Well, Jen did and she is now working hard to recover.

Jen is a native of Middletown, and her family is known throughout Middletown.

Earlier in the season Middletown North and SJV participated in Jenn's Road to Recovery event. This was a six-game showcase featuring some of the Shore Conference's top teams where they raised nearly $4,000 for Jen's family.

After the game, the two teams united in support for Jen's continued recovery. Pictured are the SJVHS and Middletown North softball teams and coaches surrounding Jenn Retzer. SJVHS has quite an impressive record this year, by the way, 27-1.