Milestones can be reached on any given day. For three Raiders, their individual successes have been accentuated through recent accomplishments. Let’s take a closer look at those feats and what they mean to the junior athletes who achieved them.
Despite the 5-2 loss to Governor Livingston on Wednesday, April 1, the softball team still had something to celebrate. Their ace Maddie Bogart recorded her 100th career strikeout, closing her outing with nine total.
“Reaching 100 strikeouts means that I’ve been able to play a part for my team and that I’ve done a good job while I’m pitching,” Bogart told The Fanscotian. “I think it also emphasizes the trust that my teammates have in me to not only get a job done but to also do it well.”
Bogart’s starts this season have been nothing short of exceptional. Of her last five starts, three were shutouts with a combined 70 strikeouts in 31 ⅓ innings. She hopes that she can inspire the next generation of softball players with her dedication and talent.
“If my performance can help motivate other girls who want to play and strive to be an impact player in the future then that would be beyond amazing, and I’d feel great knowing that I was able to help contribute to that,” Bogart said.
The Georgetown commit is looking to continue riding along this stretch of dominance, leveraging off this personal success to ignite something greater for the program.
“This milestone would be used as motivation to perform at an even higher level not only for myself but for my team,” Bogart said. “We can take this minor success and attribute it to an even bigger success like winning counties again.”
In a division matchup against Caldwell on Thursday, April 9, Nick Homer racked up seven points, including his 100th goal. The Hobart commit led the Raiders to a commanding 13-5 win, improving their unbeaten record to 6-0 and has considerably contributed to the team’s top ten ranking in the state.
“[100 goals] means a lot to me; I’ve been putting in the work my entire lacrosse career,” Homer said. “It shows that my hard work is paying off, which is cool to see.”
The attacker has been a standout name amongst such a competitive environment playing in the NJILL Waterman Division and against perennial powerhouses in Summit, Westfield and Chatham. Homer acknowledged that he faces pressure in his role, striving to stay composed and committed to making his presence visible.
“Pressure is a great thing to have, and I try to put myself in a position to live up to the pressure the best I can,” Homer said.
With a total of 118 goals to his name and 31 from this spring alone in 10 games, Homer’s hungry for more.
“This accomplishment for me is just the beginning for both my team and I,” Homer said. “I think I can speak for the whole team, our main goal is to end this season with a ring.”
On Friday, April 10, Brody Balestrino earned his 1000th assist in a 2-0 win over Roselle Catholic, becoming the second player in school history to achieve this feat.
“Reaching 1,000 assists was a goal that I had wanted to achieve ever since I was a freshman,” Balestrino said. “Being one of only two players to have reached the milestone means a lot to me as I know that my name will be in the gym forever.”
The setter is in his second year as a starter on the varsity team, filling in for Quinn Donahue. Last season, he led the state in assists with 892, was Union County Conference player of the week several times and was named to the UCC first team. Playing for Warren SixPack outside of high school volleyball, Balestrino’s impact is felt across an even wider range of competition.
Balestrino has the remainder of this spring and another full season in store to leave his mark on the club and Raider programs.
“Now that I have reached 1,000 assists, my new goal is to reach 2,000 and hold the school record,” Balestrino.
