Changes in OCHS athletics department
By TOM WILLIAMS (6/16/17)
Ocean City High School has 20 varsity teams competing in the Cape-Atlantic League. During the 2016-17 school year 10 of those team won a CAL or NJSIAA championship. That led to winning the Ed Byrnes Memorial All Sports Award a sixth straight year. (details)
But when the next high school sports season begins in less than three months there will be some changes.
It will be difficult enough to replace Amanda Nunan, Andrew Donoghue, Rialee Allen, Luciano Lubrano, Alexis Paone, Steve Jernee, Grace Sacco and Mark Kolmer and the other senior athletes who accepted diplomas on Thursday. There will be a quartet of other changes with the athletics department.
Dr. Jack Pfizenmayer has fulfilled his two years as the school's interim athletics director. Craig Mensinger has resigned after 32 years as baseball coach. George McNally will not return for an 18th season as boys tennis coach. And Cory Terry has stepped down after seven highly successful years as field hockey coach.
Dr, Jack Pfizenmayer |
Pfizenmayer retired a few years ago as superintendent in Lower Township. Because of that, and the fact that he is accepting a pension from the position, he was limited to two years as interim AD at OCHS. He had some prior connections to Ocean City. After a successful basketball career at Washington Township High
School, Pfizenmayer played in the the Ocean City summer league on a team with OCHS grad Butch Gleason, Temple coach Fran Dunphy and Dr. Stedman Graham. He also was an assistant coach at Washington Township under the late Skip Given, who had a successful three-sport career at Ocean City High School.
Pfizenmayer filled his position perfectly the past two years, keeping the OCHS athletics program on a steady course forward. He did it with solid leadership and a quick smile that kept emphasized the fun in high school sports. He will be replaced at the end of the month by Vince Leavey, who comes to Ocean City from Coatesville (PA) High School.
George McNally |
McNally has been a dedicated coach, both at OCHS, where he has the second most wins in boys tennis, and at Egg Harbor Township, where he stepped down last season with the highest win total in school history. He always approached each season with optimism and the confidence he showed in his athletes played
an important role in their successes. No replacement has been selected. (McNally record)
Cory Terry |
Terry, who was chosen the OCHS Female Athlete of the 20th Century, was 145-17 in seven seasons as OCHS head coach, including seven straight conference championships, six South Jersey titles and three state championships. Her .895 winning percentage is the fourth highest in school history in any sport. But Terry's skills
go far beyond her ability to bring her team together, as shown by the science teaching award and grant she recently receiving from her alma mater, Princeton University. The new field hockey coach will be Kelsey Mitchell, a recent assistant coach at Cedar Creek, who set the New Jersey state record for goals during her four
years at Eastern High School. (Terry record)
Craig Mensinger |
Mensinger won 360 games in more than three decades as OCHS baseball coach. His career finished on an appropriate note - winning a championship against Absegami on a very wet field in a game shortened by rain. Mensinger ended his career with nine straight winning seasons, including the school's only two South Jersey championships.
His teams won 154 games in those last nine seasons, by far the most successful stretch in OCHS baseball history. But winning was really a bonus for those who played for Mensinger. He was the role model that high school athletes need, showing them by example that success comes with hard work and determination. Though no replacement
has been named, assistant coach Andrew Bristol, who brings the same qualities to the job as Mensinger, is a logical choice. (Mensinger record)
Sports at Ocean City High School has become a success because of people like Jack Pfizenmayer, George McNally, Cory Terry and Craig Mensinger. They deserve our thanks and congratulations.
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