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WEST ORANGE, NJ – There was a lot to celebrate at the annual West Orange High School Sports Awards Night held on June 6. As Athletic Director Ron Bligh welcomed students, coaches and family, he noted the stellar sports year and list of major accomplishments:
Football: North Jersey Super Football Conference-Liberty Blue Division champions
Boys’ Soccer: Runner-up in NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group 4 state tournament
Girls’ Volleyball: Super Essex Conference-Colonial Divsion champions (first time ever)
Cheerleading: Sectional, SEC and State champions, Sixth place nationally
Girls’ Basketball: SEC-Liberty Division champs, Runner-up in Essex County Tournament (first time ever)
Girls’ Swimming: SEC and Essex County champions (first time ever)
Boys’ Tennis: SEC-Independence Division champions
Girls’ Track and Field: Second place Essex County Relays, SEC-American Division champions
Boys’ Track and Field: SEC-American Division champions
Awards were given out to athletes in each sport as well as assistant coaches awards to Mike Marini and Billy Bock. Superintendent Jeff Rutzky and Board members Ron Charles and Mark Robertson were present to show their support for the sports program.
An emotional high point of the evening came as the family of Mackenzie Fitschen were recognized. Mackenzie was a member of the Varsity Cheerleading Team who passed away in 2016 following a battle with a rare form of cancer. She would have been graduating this month. The Cheerleading Mackenzie Fitschen Memorial Award was then given to co-captain Skyler Flesicher.
The WOHS Athletic Honor Roll awardees were Bryce Millington (Soccer) and CJ Onyechi (Football). In the most anticipated awards of the evening, Bukola Akinsola (Track) and Bryce Millington (Soccer and Golf) are the West Orange Hall of Fame Female and Male Athletes of the Year.
“This is a great group of young men and women,” said Bligh, “and I know they will go on to do great things.”
The evening concluded with a tribute to Track Coach Joe Picataggio, who is retiring after 15 years at West Orange High School. Waving to his mentor Joe Suriano in the audience, “Coach Pic” said, “Joe recruited me 15 years ago and I have loved every minute here.”
To see all the photos from Sports Awards Night, go here.
To see the complete list of award winners, go here.
Photo captions in gallery
Photo 1: From left to right: Ron Bligh, Dawn and Brian Fitschen, parents of Mackenzie Fitschen; Mackenzie’s friend Sydney Squires; and Principal Hayden Moore.
Photo 2: From left to right: Moore, retiring Track Coach Joe Picataggio, and Bligh.
Photo 3: From left to right: Bligh, Bryce Millington, CJ Onyechi, and Moore.
Photo 4: From left to right: Bligh, Bryce Millington, Bukola Akinsola, and Moore.
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