Seton Hall Prep adds Crew varsity program

WEST ORANGE, NJ – Seton Hall Prep Athletic Director Larry Baggitt today announced the addition of Crew as a varsity sport at the school.

“We are proud to elevate Crew to the varsity level here at The Prep,” stated Baggitt. “Crew affords many athletes the chance to compete in both the fall and spring, and by its nature, breeds discipline, teamwork, and a perseverance – all values our school looks to instill in every student.”

SHP Crew was started as a club under Activities Director Peter Durning, in the spring of 2015. Current senior Will Korner spearheaded an effort to form the SHP Crew Club, originally as a way for hockey players to train in the offseason, heeding the advice of Head Hockey Coach Mike Atkinson and Assistant Coach Angelo Giambattista.

Will started volunteering at the Passaic Rowing Association (PRRA), where he met Belleville High School Head Coach Joanne Victorio, who was intrigued by the opportunity of converting hockey players into rowers, and so graciously helped get SHP’s program off the ground.

Under Victorio’s tutelage, tremendous support from the founding members’ parents, and the supervision of Durning, Will and hockey teammate Jared Mehl, a fellow senior, established the Seton Hall Prep Crew Club and were joined by senior teammates James Kemp, Jack McConeghy, PJ Murphy, and Matt Robinson, junior Jimmy Ward, senior peers Alex Zaino, Aiden Mihalik, Chris Coppola, Carson Webber, and Cole Devine, junior Daniel Morace, and junior twins Austin and Branden Angelo. The original 25 members completed the Learn-to-Row program in May 2015.

SHP Crew was soon introduced to current Head Coach Bryan Villaruel, a former rower at Stevens Institute of Technology and Belleville HS, and entered a four-man boat and an eight-man boat to three of the nation’s most competitive regattas last spring.

Starting this fall, SHP Crew will compete in the Philadelphia Scholastic Rowing Association (PSRA), the most competitive high school rowing league in the country, alongside fellow Catholic schools:  Don Bosco Prep, Fordham Prep, St. Joseph’s Prep, St. Peter’s Prep, and Christian Brothers Academy. The Prep boasts a roster of 57 athletes, with a prospective 20 freshmen who have expressed interest in coming aboard the program.

Seton Hall Prep, founded in 1856, is the oldest Catholic school in New Jersey. The Athletic Department supports 16 varsity sports, including its newest program, Crew. To learn more about Seton Hall Prep, please visit shp.org. For all things SHP Athletics, explore gopirates.shp.org.