Trenton Select to honor Barlow, Setzer at 45th annual dinner
It would be tough to find two individuals who represent their sport in a better manner than Alyson Setzer and Jim Barlow.
The Trenton Select Committee certainly feels that way, as it will recognize the two as the Main Honorees on Nov. 11 at its 45th Annual Testimonial Dinner at Mercer Oaks Golf Course. Cocktail hour is 3 p.m. (open bar) and dinner starts at 4. Tickets are $55 per person and can be purchased by calling Mary Ann Tarr at 609-588-0152 or Mary Komjathy at 609-771-4169. Both can also provide information on ads.
Setzer and Barlow are lifelong Mercer County residents who remained on their home turf to give back to the sports they played in high school. Setzer was Steinert’s longtime field hockey coach before retiring after last season, while Barlow is in his 22nd season as Princeton University’s men’s head soccer coach.
While she may no longer be an active high school coach, Setzer remains extremely active in trying to advance the sport of field hockey, particularly in her hometown of Hamilton. Her inclusion to the TSC’s group of Mercer’s elite is further confirmation of Setzer’s contributions.
“I am honored to be recognized and included in the same company as so many fine and talented people within the athletic community,” she said. “I hope to move forward and continue to work to introduce the sport of field hockey to elementary and middle school students through the Hamilton PAL program so our high school teams have some sort of a feeder program.”
Setzer has been president of the Central Jersey Field Hockey Coaches Association since 1999, and has been on the Board of Directors for Hamilton PAL field hockey for over 10 years. The latter group runs an introductory program that Setzer looks to expand to include off-season skill sessions for township players. It is something needed in Hamilton, as former Steinert Athletic Director Rich Giallella will attest.
“She was a coach, who took girls who didn’t even know how to hold a stick, and worked hard to make them decent players,” Giallella said. “I used to go to games and just watch her coach. She was so impressive. She was hard on her players, but she cared about them and did everything she could to make them better. She didn’t get frustrated, she just worked with what she had. She won two sectional championships and considering her situation, to me it’s like winning two state championships.”
The 1978 Steinert grad began playing in ninth grade at Nottingham, which was then a junior high. She played three years at Steinert as a forward, and then sweeper, with current Spartan softball coach Jean Ruppert and her sister, Carol Whitehouse. The trio moved on to Pfeiffer College (now University), where they were joined by former Nottingham coach/athletic director Dee Taylor. Pfeiffer won the NCAA Division II title in 1981, the first year of Division II field hockey.
Setzer began working in the Hamilton school district in 1993 and is currently a Learning Disability Teacher Consultant at Nottingham. She became Steinert JV coach under Ruppert in 1994 and replaced her as varsity coach in 1996. During her 21 seasons, the Spartans won an NJSIAA North 2 Group IV title in 2000 and a Central Jersey Group IV crown in 2007. They also won two CVC division championships.
Barlow has been a successful fixture on the Mercer County soccer scene since 1984, when he made an immediate impact as a Hightstown High sophomore midfielder. He helped the Rams to two consecutive CJ IV titles in 1985 and 86, and the state finals in 1986 while earning All-America status before moving up Route 571 to play for Princeton University. Barlow was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 1987 and Player of the Year in 1990.
After graduation, Barlow spent one year as a Hun assistant and four as an American University assistant before taking over for Bob Bradley at Princeton in 1996 at age
26. In his fourth year, he guided the Tigers to their first outright Ivy League title since 1960
In 2009, Barlow passed Bradley to become second on Princeton’s alltime victories list with
93. Later that season, he became the second Tigers coach, along with Jimmy Reed (1938-66), to win 100 games. In 2014 he surpassed Reed to become Princeton’s all-time winningest men’s soccer coach, and his record currently stands at 176156-59.
The Tigers have won four Ivy titles and made four NCAA appearances under Barlow. Princeton currently leads the league by one point over Columbia and Cornell with three games remaining.
A disciple of Bradley and the legendary Manfred Schellscheidt, Barlow’s impact goes beyond Old Nassau. He served as the U-15 U.S. National Team head coach for eight years and assistant for six. He has also been a New Jersey and Maryland ODP coach and is a USYS Region 1 staff member. He has been inducted into the Hightstown High, Mercer County Soccer and NJSIAA halls of fame, and takes special pride in this latest honor.
“I am very grateful to be honored by the Trenton Select Committee in a group that includes some of my mentors and role models, and people who have made such a positive and lasting impact on our local athletic community,” Barlow said. “The greater Trenton community and Mercer County have provided me so much more than I could ever give back — I am lucky not only to have grown up here, but also to have remained involved in athletics in this area for so many years. I am honored to be chosen to represent this special community.”
Also being honored at the dinner will be former Notre Dame/Neptune Athletic Director Vince Ardery (Jim Carlin Memorial Distinguished Service Award) and longtime Mercer County Community College employee Bob Pugh (Nicholas F. Gusz Memorial Special Recognition Award). The Gilbert P. Rossi Memorial Scholarship awards will go to Bordentown High graduate Devon Fitzpatrick, Steinert grad Giana Pittaro and Allentown product Ryan Weise.