FLYING HIGH: Hun School baseball player TJ Francis leaps for joy after scoring a run this season. Star outfielder Francis enjoyed a big season for Hun this spring, batting .351 with a team-high four homers and tied for a team best in RBIs with 20. He also scored 20 runs and posted a slugging percentage of .541 to help Hun go 20-4 and win both the Prep A state tournament and the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) title. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)
By Bill Alden
TJ Francis was primed to slug his way through this spring in his senior season for the Hun School baseball team.
“My role last year was more of a get-on-base type and this year, I am hitting for more power,” said Hun star outfielder Francis. “I was told midway through winter, I should be hitting for more power so I decided to work on it. I have been lifting a lot and I have been working on my swing to be more of a power hitter
this year.”
Francis went on a power trip this spring as he ended the season by batting .351 with a team-high four homers and tied for a team best in RBIs with 20. He also scored 20 runs and posted a slugging percentage of .541.
Francis displayed his power from the start of the spring, going 2 for 4 with a homer in a season-opening 9-7 win over the Perkiomen School (Pa.). In early April, he hit homers in consecutive games to help Hun top the Shipley School (Pa.) 3-2 and the Hill School (Pa.) 15-5.
Hun head coach Tom Monfiletto credited Francis with providing punch to the Raider batting order.
“TJ has been stinging the ball,” said Monfiletto. “He has been very consistent all year.
Featuring consistent pitching and hitting, Hun brought a 17-4 record into the Prep A state tournament.
“It is all about pitching and our hitters are stepping up,” said Francis, a Sacred Heart University commit. “When one guy doesn’t do the job, the next guy always picks him up and does it for him.”
Francis stepped up in the Prep A state tournament, going 7 for 10 with five runs and two RBIs to help spark the Raiders as they defeated Blair Academy 10-0 and topped Peddie 14-4 and 13-3 to roll to the title.
By helping Hun win the Prep A tourney and the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) title as it posted a final record of 20-4, Francis achieved his goals for his final high school season.
“I am just trying to make the most of it and have as much fun as I can with my boys,” said Francis. “We are hungry for the Prep A and the MAPL (Mid-Atlantic Prep League).”
Going on a power trip that helped Hun produce a championship double, Francis is the choice as the Town Topics top boy performer of the spring season.
BORN TO RUN: Princeton High girls’ lacrosse player Leah Bornstein heads upfield in a game this spring. Bornstein produced a superb senior campaign for PHS, piling up 110 points on 80 goals and 30 assists, leading the Tigers in points and goals. She also posted team highs in ground balls (65), draw controls (114) and forced turnovers (53) as the Tigers went 14-7 and advanced to the Colonial Valley Conference Tournament semis and the quarterfinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey Group 3 Tournament. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)
Top Girl Performer
Leah Bornstein may stand around five feet tall, but she made a huge impact over her career for the Princeton High girls’ lacrosse team.
After tallying seven goals and two assists as a freshman in the spring of 2023, Bornstein totaled 56 goals and 22 assists as a sophomore and then had 63 goals and 35 assists in her junior campaign.
Building on that progress, Bornstein saved her best for last in her senior campaign, piling up 110 points on 80 goals and 30 assists, leading the Tigers in points and goals. Displaying her athleticism and tenacity, Bornstein, who also plays soccer and basketball for PHS, posted team highs in ground balls (65), draw controls (114) and forced turnovers (53).
Along the way, Bornstein produced some huge performances this spring. She opened the season with six goals and one assist in a 10-9 win over eventual Colonial Valley Conference Tournament champion Notre Dame. Bornstein hit double figures in points with four goals and six assists in an 18-8 win over Lawrence in late April. She produced another 10-point effort with five goals and five assists in a 19-5 over WW/P-North in early May.
In the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey Group 3 Tournament, Bornstein tallied six goals and two assists to help PHS pull out a 15-13 win over Whippany Park/Hanover Park.
“I was just giving it my all like I always try to do,” said Bornstein after that performance which was her final home game for PHS.
As a bonus, Bornstein reached the 200-goal milestone in that win.
“Freshman year, I would have never imagined that,” said Bornstein. “I was not even starting and here I am getting a milestone like this. It is really exciting.”
PHS head coach Kait Birnbohm-Kaminski saw Bornstein’s efforts that day as a microcosm of what she gave the Tigers all spring as they posted a 14-7 record.
“Leah was all over the place,” said Birnbohm-Kaminski. “Her hustle and her effort is just a truly huge presence on the team. You can always count on her consistency at all of the spots of the field.”
For Bornstein, developing that consistency came down to self-assurance.
“It is probably just believing in myself,” said Bornstein, who is headed to Catholic University where she will be playing for its women’s lacrosse team. “Whenever I step on the field I tell myself that I belong here as much as the other team does. It is just confidence in myself.”
The tenacity and production that Bornstein brought to the Tigers as she made an outsized impact earns her the nod as the top girl performer.
STANDING TALL: Princeton Day School baseball player Owen Ehrenkranz waits for a pitch in a game this spring. Sophomore transfer Ehrenkranz starred on the mound and with the bat as PDS went 13-14, advancing to the Prep B state final and the quarterfinal round of both the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) and New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Group B tournaments. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)
Top Newcomers
When Owen Ehrenkranz joined the Princeton Day School baseball team as a transfer this school year, it didn’t take him long to feel at home.
“It has worked out great,” said sophomore Ehrenkranz. “PDS is a great academic institution. I love the guys. I love the environment that coach [Eric] Schnepf creates.”
As this spring unfolded, the versatile Ehrenkranz gage the PDS a big lift. On the mound, the lanky right-hander had 72 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings with a 3.23 ERA. At the plate, Ehrenkranz was productive as well, batting .259 with 21 hits and 19 runs.
In reflecting on his stellar pitching, Ehrenkranz cited the encouragement he got from the Panther coaching staff.
“I think it is just the mentality that coach (Eric Schnepf) has instilled in me, just telling me to attack,” said Ehrenkranz. “I think he has brought out the best in me and all of our coaching staff has brought out the best in me. They do it for all of our guys. I am really proud of what we have done this year.”
PDS head coach Schnepf credited Ehrenkranz with making an impact on and off the field in his first season with the program as he helped the Panthers go 13-14 and advance to the Prep B state final and the quarterfinal round of both the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) and New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Group B tournaments.
“He has been huge addition, not just from what you see on the mound but just how he carries himself in the dugout and how he jells with the guys,” said Schnepf. “He has been awesome, he is a great teammate. He is young leader and an important voice in the locker room.”
Looking ahead, Ehrenkranz believes the Panthers can do some awesome things.
“I am very confident in this team and this group of guys,” said Ehrenkranz. “We are gritty and we are going to always put it all out there on the field. I think the team is going to be in good shape for years to come.”
For the all-around play and character he displayed in his debut season for PDS, Ehrenkranz is the choice as the leading boy newcomer.
Coming into this spring, Hun School softball head coach Kathy Quirk saw freshman Grace Kennedy as a promising infielder.
But as the season unfolded, Quirk decided to move Kennedy behind the plate to take over the catcher spot.
Kennedy excelled in her new position, fielding well and developing a bond with Hun pitcher Payton Poandl.
“Grace is doing a nice job, I put her behind the plate and I think she is going to stay there,” said Quirk.
Hun senior star and co-captain Sam Jolly credited Kennedy with emerging as a star catcher. “Grace behind the plate has been fantastic,” said Jolly
Kennedy also did well
at the plate, batting .344 with 21 hits, 13 runs, and 10 RBIs.
Her progress exemplified the impact made by Hun’s underclassmen as the Raiders persevered through an up-and-down 9-9 campaign.
“They are young, they are still learning,” said Quirk. “I think they have a bright future. We just say we needed to go out there and have fun and just play our game.”
By raising her game as she switched positions and starred with the bat, Kennedy is the choice as the top girl newcomer.
Top Coaches
On paper, it appeared that the Princeton Day School boys’ tennis team was headed for a rebuilding season this spring.
With its top singles player from last year, Bryan Kim Short, transferring, PDS was going with two freshmen, Aryn Jain and Max Wang, at first and second singles, respectively.
But Panther head coach Michael Augsberger sensed that the infusion of young players was going to give the squad a jolt.
“It really makes for a great team atmosphere,” said Augsberger. “This is the most vociferous, the most communicative group during the match amongst themselves that I have ever had. They have an edge to them, nobody scares them.”
PDS showed that fearless mentality as it defeated WW/P-North 4-1 in its season opener.
“North was a great statement of how good this team could be,” said Augsberger. “In the conference, it is always North, WW/P-South and Princeton so to be able to test ourselves against somebody that good and come out successful was brilliant.”
In mid-May, PDS produced a brilliant effort as it placed first in the Prep B state tournament. Displaying its depth, PDS prevailed in three finals to win the team title as it ended with 12 points to edge runner-up Rutgers Prep who came in at 10. Jain won at first singles, Wang took the title at second singles and the doubles pair of senior Avi Saran and sophomore Faizan Mohammad won to clinch the team crown. It marked the program’s first Prep B championship since 2023.
After battling to the title, the doubles pair showed how much the title meant to the program.
“The embrace that Avi and Faizan had at first doubles after they won, having endured the 100 degree heat and the tiebreak and the fighting spirit of Rutgers Prep who really pushed them captured the feeling of the team,” said Augsberger. “They embraced, they dropped their rackets. There’s that sense of accomplishment and pride for bringing it back home.”
Building on that triumph, the Panthers showed their fighting spirit as they advanced to the final of New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public tournament. Along the way, second-seeded PDS topped seventh-seeded Ranney 5-0 in the sectional quarterfinals and then edged third-seeded St. Joseph (Metuchen) 3-2 in the semifinal round.
Reflecting on the win over St. Joseph, Augsberger pointed to his team’s competitive fire and depth.
“We love the drama, doubles played exceptionally well,” said Augsberger, who got straight set wins in the match from his first doubles pair of Saran and Mohammad and the second doubles duo of Archie Douglas and Jacobo Garcia-Carillo. “Second doubles led the charge on that.”
The tournament charge for the Panthers ended as they fell 5-0 to top-seeded Christian Brothers Academy in the sectional final to finish the spring with a 13-5 record.
“We wanted them to just play for each other and to honor the seniors who had been with us for so long and given us so much,” said Augsberger. “We knew our route to winning had to go through the doubles.”
While the defeat was disappointing, Augsberger is confident that the squad will build on the progress it made this spring.
“I think having the guys anchoring the lineup at the top in the future bodes well,” said Augsberger. “It also comes down to how rapidly and well our opponents recruit. If they are able to restock, then we are going to be in for fights like this year. It is encouraging, it really is exciting.”
For guiding his revamped squad to a Prep state title and an impressive Non-Public tourney run, Augsberger is the choice as the top coach of a boys’ team.
Kait Birnbohm-Kaminski gained a lot of knowledge during her college lacrosse career, playing for two years at Division I Bryant University and then transferring to The College of New Jersey where she excelled at the Division III level.
But as she starred on the field, Birnbohm-Kaminski dabbled in coaching.
“I actually always coached something,” said Birnbohm-Kaminski. “In my freshman year of college I was coaching juniors in high school, helping out with club lacrosse with my home team. I had such a great experience. I did that almost every summer. That was what helped me decide that I liked working with this age group. I love being outside and coaching and I knew I could be interested in education too.”
This spring, Birnbohm-Kaminski took the helm of the Princeton High girls’ lacrosse program and made an immediate impression on her players.
“We love our new coach, she is wonderful,” said PHS senior star Nicki Lee. “She played D-I lacrosse so she really knows that she is doing. She has really helped us with our defense and locking everyone up. I think defense really wins the game.”
The Tigers got on a winning track right away this spring as they produced a 6-0 start.
Bringing a 10-3 record into the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament, third-seeded PHS topped 14th-seeded Nottingham 17-3 in the first round and sixth-seeded WW/P-North 19-5 in the quarters before getting edged 12-10 in the semifinal round by second-seeded and eventual champion Notre Dame.
“It just shows their heart,” said Birnbohm-Kaminski, reflecting on her squad’s effort in the defeat to Notre Dame. “You never have to doubt that these girls aren’t going to play until the last whistle.”
Hosting a state tournament game for the first time in years, eighth-seeded PHS topped ninth-seeded Whippany Park/Hanover Park 15-13 in the first round of the NJSIAA North Jersey Group 3 Tournament.
Birnbohm-Kaminski credited the squad’s senior stars with making the difference in the win.
“Our senior group has always just wanted to extend things this season,” said Birnbohm-Kaminski. “I spoke to them about it in our huddles, this is something that you have accomplished. You have created an environment where we can play at home. It is the first state home game in their career and they have done it as seniors. They got to win at home which is really special.”
Although the season ended for PHS with a 17-6 loss to top-seeded Chatham in the sectional quarters, the Tigers accomplished a lot this spring as they went 14-7.
“I have acronyms for everything and one of them is GFG — it is good for growth,” said Birnbohm-Kaminski. “You have to win, you have to lose and you can learn a lot from either.”
Birnbohm-Kaminski’s role in helping the Tigers grow into something special this spring makes her the choice as the top coach of a girls’ team.