Here’s our CVC All-Decade Team
Nottingham’s Kristin Hallam is our Player of the Decade
With no live games to report on in the foreseeable future, what better way to get a high school softball fix than to publish The Trentonian’s Colonial Valley Conference Team of the Decade.
And what a decade it was for the CVC as it established itself as the best league in the state by winning seven state championships during that span.
The greatest public school dynasty over one decade in the history of New Jersey softball, Robbinsville leads the way with four Group II state titles and seven trips to the finals in eight years.
Steinert is next with two state titles in a span in which it reached the Group III championship game three straight years. Two years ago, the Spartans really struck it rich by also winning the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions.
Finally, Hightstown won the Group IV state last year and is a favored to do so again this year if the season ever gets started.
The following is a quick comment or two about the players on the CVC’s All-Decade team, which is for players who graduated in the years from 2010 through 2019. (The plan is to also publish an All-Area Team of the Decade in the near future). KRISTIN HALLAM, NOTTINGHAM
» Our Player of the Decade, it’s the argument here Hallam was also the greatest Mercer County position player ever. In her senior year, she set what was then the CVC hit record with 168. People forget as a freshman she showed great power as a right-handed hitter and pitched Nottingham to a Central Jersey final. From there, she converted to a lefthanded slapper and shortstop. One of the few four-time Trentonian All-Area players, she also stole bases at will before heading off to a successful college career at Hofstra. LAUREN FISCHER, ROBBINSVILLE » The player who most initially put Robbinsville on the softball map, Fischer is one of the all-time greats. A devastating power hitter and power pitcher, Fischer won two state championships and was All-Area three times. Her state final home run was the game-winner in her senior season.
KAYLEE WHITTAKER, STEINERT » A pitcher on all three of the Steinert teams that recently reached state finals, Whittaker was an all-CVC Player of the Year. Whittaker led the Spartans to the 2018 TOC title in a year in which she was basically unhittable. She was also a three-time AllArea selection.
HANNAH OLSHEVSKI, ROBBINSVILLE » The hard-throwing Robbinsville righty led her team to two state finals prior to a very successful career at CW Post. In addition to her pitching, Olshevski was a very productive power hitter.
KATE HUNTER, ROBBINSVILLE » A 2018 graduate at Robbinsville, Hunter joined Notre Dame’s Ali Tomlinson as the only CVC pitcher to win two straight state championships. Another CVC Player of the Year, Hunter also had an uncanny ability to hit home runs in the biggest games.
REBECCA FREEMAN, ROBBINSVILLE » Her defensive skills as a catcher were second to none. Also one of Robbinsville’s top hitters in the early stages of its dynasty, Freeman made it impossible to run against the Ravens and was great at picking off runners. She had a great career at Marist University where she set an NCAA Division
I record for most RBIs (11) in a single game.
SHEA WALSH, ROBBINSVILLE » A four-year starter for Robbinsville with two state titles to her credit, Walsh was also an excellent defensive catcher. A lefty slapper with great speed, she has the second most hits in CVC history with 177. She was a freshman starter at Marist this year before the season was halted. DANA SENSI, ALLENTOWN » The Allentown product held the CVC all-time hit record for several years after finishing with 158. She had power at the plate and was a fouryear starter at shortstop. Sensi was also a CVC Player of the Year and went on to a strong career at Rider. NICOLE RINALDI, EWING » The Ewing player stands fifth on the CVC’s all-time hit list with 157. An excellent shortstop, she was a fouryear starter and a key member of the 2014 Ewing team that came up just short in the Group III state title game. CHELSEA MANTO, ROBBINSVILLE » Quite possibly the fastest player in the history of the CVC with a mind-numbing total of stolen
Lauren Fischer was the first great star of the Robbinsville softball dynasty. The Ravens have seven players on the AllDecade team.
bases, Manto stands atop the CVC career hit list with 204. A member of two state champion Robbinsville squads, she was named AllArea four times along with Hallam. Manto started at shortstop this year at Hofstra. She is the only player in the history of the entire area to reach the 200-hit plateau. VAL SUTO, NOTTINGHAM » The Nottingham player was really more of an outfielder by trade, but to help her team out she played and excelled at shortstop. A left-slapper, Suto set school hit records before a solid career at Seton Hall.
LEANNA GEARHART, ROBBINSVILLE » A mainstay on the Robbinsville teams that included Olshevski, Gearhart was an outstanding defensive player at both third base and the outfield. Blessed with tremendous speed, she was a lethal hitter and later set all kinds of school records at the University of Delaware. SARAH BYSTRYCKI, EWING » Another key player on the Ewing 2014 state finalist team, Bystrycki hit for a very high average and with power. A strong defensive player in
left field, Bystrycki finished with 147 career hits and well over 100 RBIs.
GABY BENNETT, STEINERT » A CVC Player of the Year in the middle of the decade, Bennett was an outstanding power hitter and stands sixth on the CVC all-time hit list with 150. Bennett was also a superior outfielder with great range and a gun for an arm as she helped set the stage for Steinert’s ensuing state title run.
MADDIE BRUNCK, ALLENTOWN » The Allentown player was in many ways like Bennett as she played just a tremendous center field and hit with power. Her senior year, Brunck hit a school record 12 home runs. She later had a very productive college career at St. Joseph’s University. KIM RAGAZZO, LAWRENCE » Lawrence has traditionally not had much success in softball, but this Cardinal provided the one huge exception. It came in 2011 when from seemingly out of nowhere she led Lawrence to the Group III state semifinal. She holds just about every pitching and hitting record at Lawrence.