ALJ High School Recognizes Nine Student Athletes at Signing Ceremony

CLARK, NJ — On Thursday, May 23, various staff members and administrators at Arthur L. Johnson (ALJ) High School participated in a signing day ceremony to honor multiple student athletes for their years of service to Crusader Athletics and commemorate their moving on to continue their athletic and academic careers as NCAA collegiate athletes.

The following student athletes were honored:

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Zoey Brown – Field Hockey – TCNJ – Lions – Ewing, New Jersey – D3

• 4.4018 G.P.A. (7 AP Classes, including our Capstone Program); Ranked #17 in her graduating class.
• Senior Captain and 4 Year Gold Letter winner.
• Career Statistics … 27 Goals, 22 Assists, 76 Total Points.
• 1st Team All-Union County, 1st Team All-Conference, 3rd Team All-State Group 1.
• 2024 Team MVP.

“All you have to know about Zoey is that she tore a tendon in her foot on senior night on October 11th … and finished the season. Zoey held down our center midfield spot with grace, passion, excellent technical skills, and the will to win. She is a natural leader who is not afraid to use her voice but just as easily leads by example. It is almost impossible not to get on board with Zoey’s passion and energy … which is exactly what a coach wants and needs from their leaders. Her stats could never accurately reflect her contributions on and off the field. You never have to ask yourself if Zoey is giving it her all.” – Head
Coach Gina DeLauro.

Patrick Cook – Lacrosse – Montclair State University – Red Hawks – Montclair, New Jersey – D3

• Senior Captain (was captain in his junior and senior years) and 4-year Gold Letter winner.
• Career Statistics … 9 Goals, 4 Assists, 256 Ground Balls.
• Was an NJ.com Boys’ Lacrosse Pre-Season Defenseman to watch in 2024.
• Multi-Year All-Kimber Division Selection; Multi-Year All-UCC Mountain Selection.

“Patrick brings a ton of lacrosse experience to the defensive side of the field. He is an aggressive defenseman that likes to throw powerful and punishing checks. In addition, he brings smooth stick handling ability that helps him push the ball on the offensive side of the field each game. We wish him the best of luck next year at Montclair State University.” – Coach Bryan Klimchak.

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Cassandra Gloster – Volleyball – Delaware Valley University – Rams – Doylestown, Pennsylvania – D3

• 3.88 G.P.A. (with numerous AP courses).
• Also involved in the Key Club, Active Minds, ASL Club, and ASL Honor Society.
• 2024 Union County Unsung Heroes Awards winner … given to a student that has made notable contributions to their schools and communities.
• Accepted into Delaware Valley’s Honors Program.
• Cassandra was Captain of the ALJ Volleyball team this past fall.
• Reached her 400th career hit this past fall season and ended up with an amazing 479 kills in her career.
• She also had 443 digs, 35 assists, 292 service points and 122 aces throughout her wonderful career as a Crusader.
• Was named a 1st Team All-Valley Division selection this past fall season and was our Volleyball MVP for this past fall.
• Member of ALJ swim team.

“If you need to look up dedication in the dictionary, Cassandra Gloster can be seen in the definition, because not only is she dedicated to her sport and teammates, but is one of the hardest working players I have ever coached.” – Coach Arvin Arjona.

Brooke Hilton – Softball – Rutgers-Newark – NJAC Conference – Newark, New Jersey – Scarlet Raiders – D3

• 3.7 G.P.A.
• This well-rounded student athlete is also involved in the Italian National Honor Society, Peer Leadership, and the Future Educators Club.
• I believe she wants to go into the field of education, where she will most certainly make a wonderful teacher.

“Brooke is a wonderful young lady who has been a pleasure to coach over the past four years. She is an incredible teammate who works extremely hard. Brooke is a positive role model for both our school and the community. Rutgers Newark is lucky to have Brooke, and we are excited to see her continue her softball career.” – Head Coach Christopher DiNucci.

Krista LaBianca – Softball – Montclair State University – Red Hawks – Montclair, New Jersey – D3

• 3.74 G.P.A.
• Krista is also involved in the Scrub Club and Spanish National Honor Society.
• Batting … 75 Hits, 59 RBIs, 27 Doubles, 3 Triples, 5 Home Runs … As she occupied the 4th spot in our line-up.
• Pitching … 331.1 Innings Pitched … 3.63 ERA, 269 Strikeouts.
• 1st Team All-Watchung Division for two consecutive years.

“Krista is a wonderful young lady who has had a fantastic career for the Crusaders. She is an extremely hard worker who has been a huge part of the Johnson softball program the past four years. She is a dual threat as a power hitter in the middle of the lineup as well as a wonderful pitcher for us. We are excited to see Krista continue her athletic career for the Red Hawks next year.” – Head Coach Christopher DiNucci.

Emilio Menicucci – Football – University of New Haven – Chargers – New Haven, Connecticut – D2
Career Statistics:

• Offense … 96 carries for 750 rushing yards, 8 touchdowns; 1 reception, 1 touchdown.
• Defense … 104 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, returning one for a touchdown.
• 1st Team All-Divisional selection this past fall season.
• Emilio is one of the main reasons that Crusader Football has experienced a resurgence the past two seasons, making the NJSIAA State Tournament.
• During his senior year, he went out for winter and spring track & field and was a HUGE contributor to the program, placing 1st in the 200-meter dash, 2nd in the shot put, and 3rd in the long jump in the Union County Conference.
• Emilio is also part of the school record-setting 4x100 meter team and was just named the spring track & field MVP.

"Emilio is a direct product of how hard work pays off. I loved coaching him, and we will have big shoes to fill with him graduating. He was the strongest player on our team, tough as nails, and opposing teams knew they had their hands full whenever they saw Emilio on the field. I will miss being able to coach him, and he knows if he ever needs anything, I am always here to help him. We know he will do great things at the University of New Haven!” – Head Coach Anthony DelConte

C.J. Pina – Football – Kean University – NJAC Conference – Union, New Jersey – Cougars – D3

• Career Statistics … 16 catches, 303 yards, 2 touchdowns. Was also a lock-down cornerback for us on defense.
• 2nd Team All Divisional selection.
• Was a starter for the Crusaders in Boys’ Basketball as well, finishing with 73 points, 48 rebounds, 13 assists, and 9 steals, as he was a veteran leader for our young squad.

“C.J. was an absolute pleasure to coach and I wish I could have coached him for a full 4 years in football. He has grown and developed so much within the past two years, and that is a credit to his hard work, dedication, and loyalty to the program. We wish him the best of luck competing for the Cougars in the NJAC next season!” – Head Coach Anthony DelConte

Valeria Sourimto – Fencing – Boston College – Eagles – Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts – D1

• 3.955 G.P.A.
• Valeria is also involved with the Spanish Honor Society and has a Seal of Biliteracy.
• Valeria began fencing at the age of 10, in Columbus, Ohio.
• From the age of 12, when she moved to New Jersey, she began training at the number one club in America, Manhattan Fencing Center, which has produced many World Medalists, Olympians, and National Champions.
• Having reached cadet-junior age (16-19 y.o.), Valeria was repeatedly among the Top 25 in competitions among cadets and juniors out of 300 participants in the championships.
• These results allowed her to complete the “B” rating and qualify for Boston College's fencing team, where she will compete as an NCAA Division I fencer.
• Fencing is a family affair in the Sourimto family, as her father, who also is Valeria’s personal coach, is a former Cadet World Champion and a two-time Olympian as the Head Coach of the National Team of Belarus.

"Valeria's story and the sacrifices that she has endured to pursue fencing make her an inspiration to others. She excels in the thrill of competition and relentlessly challenges herself to surpass her perceived limits. Valeria is both worthy and prepared for her upcoming new chapter at Boston College. We are all so proud of her accomplishments.” – Guidance Counselor Ellen
Zamboni.

Ava Wood – Field Hockey – Ursinus University – Grizzly Bears – Collegeville, Pennsylvania – D3

• 4.51 G.P.A. (With an amazing 9 AP classes); Ranked #10 in her graduating class.
• Ava is president of the Science National Honor Society and is also involved in the Math National Honor Society, English National Honor Society, and Spanish National Honor Society.
• Career Statistics … 15 goals, 18 assists, 48 total points.
• 1st Team All-Union County, 1st Team All-Conference.
• Field Hockey Best Teammate Award (BTA) recipient.
• Ava served as Team Captain this past fall season and was a 4-year Gold Letter winner.
• Ava is also a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Shotokan Karate. Ava has been an instructor at Cesar-Kai Karate since she was 11 years old and is about to be promoted to sensei. Most importantly, she has positively influenced many of the young children she has taught and has been particularly instrumental in helping the young girls in the program.

“Ava is everything that you want a player on your team to be. She goes 100% at all times. She is intense and serious about wanting to win, but also upbeat and positive each day. She consistently cheers on others and pushes those around her to be both better athletes and people. She consistently tells her teammates how proud she was of them. She is always willing to help explain or model a particular skill, offers valuable feedback, and encourages the entire team in order to get the best out of everyone. Anyone would be lucky to have Ava as a teammate.” – Head Coach Gina DeLauro

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As one can see, the student athletes made our school and community extremely proud and have all had wonderful athletic careers as Crusaders.

Gus Kalikas, Athletic Director at Arthur L. Johnson High School, had this to say about the event: “All of these student athletes have been an integral part of the success of our athletic programs while competing at Arthur L. Johnson High School the past four years. More importantly, they have been model student athletes that did things the right way both on the field, in the classroom, and throughout our community. Although it will be sad to see them leave, the Crusaders' loss is their respective college’s gain, and we look forward to following their successful collegiate athletic careers over the next four years.”

Crusader Athletics would like to wish the best of luck to all of our student athletes moving on to participate in NCAA collegiate athletics.

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