Livingston High School Athletes Walk the Runway at Fashion Show

The Big L Club's annual event also included the Taste of Livingston on Tuesday night.

Livingston High School students were dressed to the nines Tuesday as they took to the runway for the annual Lancers Fashion Show.  Hundreds of people and students packed into Livingston High School Tuesday night to see debonair and dapper students strut their stuff in the Big L Club’s senior athlete fashion show, which kicks off the countdown to graduation for the class of 2013.   Senior student Max Shevrin, who roaming the hallways with with friends shortly before the fashion show began, said he was excited about getting up on stage.  “I thought it was cool to be part of the senior class,” said Shevrin. “Obviously it’s our last year in high school, so I thought it would be a good time to get together with all the other student athletes …

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Essex County Wrestler Tops Dad's Record

James Caldwell High School freshman Dean Caravela surpasses father's record set in 1986, as well as 2004 school record.

Breaking a school record is one way to make your parents proud. But what happens when that record was formerly held by your dad? James Caldwell High School wrestler Dean Caravela achieved 35 wins his freshman year, the most in a single season in the program’s history. It’s a record his father Tom Caravela set in 1986, when he went 29-3 as a senior grappler with the Chiefs. The record was challenged by Blake Maffei, Mike Kwapniewski and Steve Martell, the latter who went 33-0 in his 2004 state championship season. Asked last week if he feels badly about surpassing his dad’s record, the 14-year-old with dark cropped hair and a big smile which reveals his braces, shook his head, looked at his father and said, “No.” Tom responded, “I’ll tell …

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Livingston's Spring Sports Round-Up

From soccer, baseball and golf to track and skateboarding, Livingston offers a myriad of spring sports programs. Here's what you need to know.

Livingston, well-known for its public school sports programs, also offers a host of other recreational sports programs.  Many Livingston athletes have not only benefitted from these programs—they have gone on to enjoy college level and professional sports. In fact, Livingston is the home of Olympian Brian Jamieson, a rower who won a silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics, in the quad scull event, professional basketball player Steve Nisenson, who set Hofstra's all-time scoring record, and the national collegiate season free throw percentage record, Stephanie DelPreore, all time leading girls basketball scorer (redounding and scoring record) for LHS and head women’s basketball and track coach at the University of Bridgeport, Conn, and …

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Big L Club Holds Big Fundraiser

A food tasting, tricky tray and fashion show will benefit sports booster club.

The Livingston High School cafeteria will turn into a glamorous catwalk and restaurant next week for "Lancers on Parade." The proceeds will help the Big L Club, a sports booster group that provides scholarships for students, championship apparel for sports teams who win significant titles, and supports school community projects.  The fundraiser, which starts 6 p.m. May 3, includes "The Taste of Livingston," in which more than 40 local restaurants will provide food samples from their businesses, Big L Club President John Wolkstein said.  The event also feature a tricky tray. The grand prizes include a one week Caribbean cruise for two and a large flat screen TV. There are also more than 100 smaller prizes, all donated, which include an iPad…

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LHS Girls Soccer Faces Familiar Foe in Sectional Final

Lancers are 0-2-1 against Montclair this season.

A familiar nemesis stands between Livingston and its quest to repeat as North 1, Group 4 girls soccer champion today at 2 p.m. on its home turf: The same Montclair team against which they are 0-2-1 this season, including a 1-0 loss in the Essex County Tournament on Oct. 22. “We wouldn't want it any other way,” head coach Pete Raiz said. “It's two teams that are familiar with each other,” Raiz continued. “Our attitude is we want to play one of the best and Montclair is one of the best.” Outside of matches against Montclair, the Lancers are 19-0 this fall. However, after playing to a scoreless tie Sept. 12 in Livingston, they dropped a 4-0 road decision Oct. 4 before losing the county championship match. Raiz praised the Mounties for having…

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For Parents, Student-Athletes, a Dose of Recruiting Reality

Wednesday's program drew nearly 150 intent listeners from Livingston, Millburn.

Although Jenny Smith sat in the back row of the Livingston High School Fitness and Wellness Center bleachers, Jack Renkens brought her front and center. The founder and president of Recruiting Realities was illustrating a point Wednesday night, saying the star Millburn girls basketball junior point guard looked like a great fit at Division III Simpson College. Question was: if Smith was offered an all-expenses-paid education in addition to playing collegiately at a lower-profile institution, would she take it? “Sure,” Smith said. As part of his “The Realities of College Recruiting” program presented Wednesday night at Livingston High School jointly by LHS athletic director Patrick Gennaro and Millburn High School AD Ted D'Alessio, Renkens …

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Talking Their Way Into a Dream Job

Fans turn out at Livingston Mall for shot as jock on WFAN Sports Radio.

Like many sports fans, Nicholas Casale has spent many hours arguing sports with his friends. Now, the 23-year-old Caldwell resident hopes those years of arguing over statistics and player transactions will translate into a part-time gig on WFAN Sports Radio 660 AM. Casale became one of 50 sem-finalists in WFAN’s second annual “Fantasy Phenom Challenge.” The winner will work the 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday overnight shift that is currently manned by last year’s winner, Gregg Sussman. “It’s weird,” Casale said. “I heard about it last year, but it was too late,” said Casale, who works as a marketing manager for a security company in Parsippany. “I just heard about the contest this year that they were doing the contest again this year from my …

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Essex County News

Despite Disability, Little League Ballplayer Shines on the Diamond

Missing Part of an Arm, Alex Luna Pitches, Fields and Bats

Alex Luna, who was born with a shortened right arm that stops at the elbow, stands out among the other players on the Belleville Knights of Columbus Little League team. But to describe the 12-year-old honor student as handicapped would be misleading. The kid can play.   “He’s getting better every year,” said Bob Abramson, Alex’s coach for the last three years. “It is amazing. Simply amazing.” Indeed, after meeting Alex Luna, you almost have no choice but to expand your idea of what’s possible. Alex, who this year is an outfielder and relief pitcher for the Knights of Columbus team, also takes to the plate too, swinging the bat one-handed. (Check out the video to watch Alex in action at practice.) He was a reliever in the season opener …

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Sports Fans Crowd Mall With Hope of Gaining Radio Contract

Sports fans from all over came out to the Livingston Mall on Saturday for the WFAN Fantasy Phenom contest.

For the past few weeks, the WFAN Fantasy Phenom contest has held auditions at various Simon malls in both New York and New Jersey and at select Buffalo Wild Wings locations with hopes of adding a talented unknown sportscasting star to their well-known rotation of anchors, which includes Mike Francesca and Craig Carton. On Saturday, sports fans from all over the Tri-State area packed inside the Livingston Mall for the chance to earn a one year guaranteed contract to host their own weekend radio show on the WFAN sports radio network. A large crowd began to form well before 10 a.m., which was when the contest began. By the time the event got underway, a line of hopeful sports fans stretched from the center of the mall all the way back to the …

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Columbia Tops Livingston

Lancers are out hit by Columbia's Cougars.

MAPLEWOOD — The Lancers hit the road on Wednesday afternoon to battle with Columbia's Cougars on their home turf at Underhill Field.  The game ended up a close contest, with Columbia getting the edge to win 8-6. Senior right-hander, Jordan Haberman, started the game for Livingston (16-7-0). His opposition was sophmore hurler, Nigel Hunter, who took the mound for Columbia (15-9-0). Lancers second baseman, Nick Kozlowsky, batted leadoff against Hunter and worked the count to draw a walk. Later in the inning, Livingston's backstop, Frankie Schwindel, came to the plate and socked a two-run home run to give Livingston a 2-0 lead over the Cougars. In the bottom of the inning, Haberman shut down Columbia rather quickly, despite pitching around …

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