Top Ten Sports Moments of the Winter

Though this winter season didn’t net any state or county championships for the Millers, it was still a season worth celebrating. The wrestling team saw some success at the district level, both basketball teams made the state playoffs, the boys fencing team had a solid showing, and the girls swimming team stunned everyone but themselves by winning the Essex County championship.

Here are the Top 10 moments of the winter season.

1. Super freshman Cailey Silbert leads Millburn girls swimming to county crown - 1/22/11: Mount St. Dominic was supposed to be the class of the county, but Silbert and the Miller girls had other ideas at the county championships at Seton Hall University. Silbert won the 200- and the 500-yard freestyle events (setting records in both). Ali Morreale won the 200-yard backstroke and led off Millburn’s winning 200-free relay, with Katie McGrath, Carolyn Demeo and Silbert. The girls scored 258 points, edging the two-time defending champs by five points.

2. Blake Udland wins sectional championships in one- and two-mile events - 2/6/11: Blake is making the most of his junior year, winning his second consecutive sectional championship (he won at the section in cross country during the fall) this winter at Toms River. He edged Phillipsburg’s Jon Harper in both races by slightly more than a second. He finished third in the one mile in Group 3 and 16^th at the Meet of Champions.

3. Simon Levin wins District 10 championship - 2/20/11: The Miller junior starred at 152 lbs. for the Blue and White boys, putting together an astounding 35-4 record this winter. In late February at MHS, Levin defeated Romario Herbert to claim his first district championship. He made a run all the way to fourth place in the Region 3 Tournament.

4. Gabe Gordon wins District 10 championship - 2/20/11: While many could’ve guessed that Levin would be a contender this season, Gordon did not even place in the district as a sophomore. This year, he won the district as a No. 2 seed and made it to the Region 3 quarterfinals.

5.Boys epee squad repeats as District 3 champs - 1/30/11: Rei Otake and Ricky Eschenbach led the way for the Miller boys at Wayne Valley High School. Eschenbach was unbeaten in the team competition and the boys edged Montclair Kimberley Academy by one point. In the individual competition, Otake and Eschenbach finished in first and second place.

6. Jenny Smith scores 26 in girls basketball opening round win - 3/2/11: Millburn’s long range threat was on fire at MHS against Nutley in a 56-49 win. Smith scored 19 points in the first half and nine points in the second quarter to lead the locals to their second consecutive second round playoff appearance.

7. Boys basketball makes a late season push to playoffs: After beginning the season at 3-12, it looked as though the locals would not be playing any extra basketball this season. But Millburn reeled off six consecutive victories (all very close games) to squeak into the playoffs as a 16 seed.

8. Girls basketball finishes up 16-0 in the Colonial Division - 2/24/11: With a 55-43 win over West Side, the Miler girls basketball team completed a clean sweep of the Super Essex Conference Colonial Division, winning their second straight divisional championship.

9. Levin reaches county finals - 1/29/11: The 13-5 final score in the championship match doesn’t tell the story. Levin was down by a point and had West Essex’s Frank Marrotti on the brink of a takedown, but could not finish the move. Nonetheless, Levin finished higher than any other Miller, leading the locals to an 11^th place finish.

10. Millburn boys swimming takes third at county championships - 1/22/11: Being that Seton Hall Prep has had a stranglehold on the title since the mid-90s, finishing in the top three is a big accomplishment for anyone else. The Millers got a first place finish from Ben Lin in the 200 yard individual medley and a second place in the 100 back to lead the locals.