Three Local Athletes Get NJ High School Sports Award Nominations

MANASQUAN/BELMAR, NJ – Three athletes from Manasquan and Belmar-area high schools were recent nominees at the New Jersey High School Awards Show, which aired Thursday night on YouTube.

Manasquan High School’s Ben Roy, who averaged 23.9 points per game during his junior year, was nominated for Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year, and senior Casey Mulligan, who had 61 goals this season, was nominated for Boys’ Lacrosse Player of the Year while Tilly O’Conner, a sophomore at St. Rose, was nominated for Girls’ Cross-Country Runner of the Year.

“Tilly’s a great kid to work with. She’s got natural talent and likes to have fun with her running,” Kaitlyn Lavender, O’Conner’s coach, said.

“She sets high goals for herself and has expectations for her performances, and was happy with her season overall. It’ll be great to see what she can do as she gains strength heading into junior and senior years.”

Manasquan’s athletic director Peter Cahil spoke about how both Roy and Mulligan were great examples of what a student-athlete should be.

“Both Ben and Casey are extremely talented athletes and are role models for what a student-athlete should strive to be,” Cahill said.

The New Jersey High School Sports Awards is a nine-month athlete recognition program, culminating with a star-studded awards show that headlines some of the biggest names in sports, including Aaron Rodgers and Kevin Garnett, and is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country.