YMCA of Bergen County Honors Six from Area

For 46 years the YMCA of Greater Bergen County has been honoring the county’s most outstanding high school, college, amateur and professional athletes, as well as coaches and other adults who have given exceptional service to young people. This year at the annual event in Mahwah, six members of the River Dell and Bergen Catholic communities were memorialized for their achievements.

Oradell resident was given the highest honor by being named the YMCA Person of the Year. Having graduated from , Madden was a sportwriter with UPI for nine years before he joined the Daily News in 1978, and covered the New York Yankees before becoming a columnist in 1989. Therecipient of the 2010 J. G. Taylor Spink Award for baseball sports writing on behalf of the Baseball Writers Association of America, he is the son of former Oradell Councilman Charlie Madden and father of Officer Tom Madden. Madden is the of NY Times best-seller Steinbrenner:  The Last Lion of Baseball.

Another living legend to be honored is long-time River Dell varsity boys' basketball coach Brian Long Sr., who was given the Special Achievement Award. The vice-principal at the has a 309-222 record over his 30-plus seasons coaching at Weehakwen from 1979-1989 and at since 1990. 

He has coached all three of his sons at River Dell: Keith went on to play at UNLV, Travis walked on and played at Memphis for John Calipari and youngest Brian Jr. was a walk-on for University of Kentucky.

Two Oradell-residents were both awarded the J. Barry Stanford Outstanding Achievement in High School Sports - of River Dell and Erin McGovern of IHA.

Barnes, a two-sport Golden Hawk competed on the basketball and golf teams. The former guard/forward would average 14 points per game during his senior year on the court, but truly excelled on the green in the spring. The engineering major took his clubs to Fairleigh Dickinson University to continue improving and competing in golf.

McGovern, who attends Miami University, led the Blue Eagles to four Bergen County soccer titles. The midfielder contributed to IHA's 97-6-2 record over her four years and was named first team all-state in 2009 and 2010 along with earning all-league honors each year in high school. She has been a member of the New Jersey Olympic Development Program since 2006 and competed with her club team Montclair Thunderbolts.

Closter resident and Bergen Catholic alumni along with River Dell alumni Jill McGovern were each named to the High School Student-Athlete for received some type of All-County Recognition (from first team to honorable mention) in two sports.

competed in red and gold on the basketball court and baseball diamond and now attends the University of Richmond. The former infielder had a batting average of .425 in his senior year making 87 appearances at the plate with 35 RBI's and four homeruns. He stole 16 bases.

As a guard, he shone from outside the arc and averaged 12 points per game. He left BC with 921 career points for three-years on the varsity squad.

McGovern also took the basketball court and was a force on the soccer pitch as a four-year starter in each sport. Having grown up playing basketball since 5th grade and soccer since 2nd grade, she easily earned being named captain her senior year for both squads. A pointguard on the court, she was named "The Brains" by basketball coach Lou Wejnert having earned 2nd team All County (2010 and 2011) and First Team All Division (2011) honors. She graduated with approximately 631 career points on the court. She currently attends Bucknell University.

Also honored at this year's event were: Vin Mazzaro (Professional Athlete of the Year), Jenn Brunet (Walter E. Goepel Amateur Athlete), Matt Dubrowski (College Athlete of the Year), Hank Hobatuck (Thomas L. Della Torre Special Achievement), Frank "Butch" Servideo (Nicholas G. Saingas Service to Youth) and Janet Schwartz Molino (William Corcoran Service to Youth).

Dominick Polifrone and Lee and Annie Tremble were awarded the Richard Poor Service to the Community award; Corey De Leon, Toni-Marie Hals and Annie Kennelly were given the YMCA Inspirational/Courageous Youth Awards; and Mike McGlynn, Tracy Trobiano, Ronnie VanSaders and Bob VanSaders earned the Special Achievement award.

The J. Barry Stanford award was also given to Aiyana Abukusumo-Whitney (Old Tappan), Gabriella Cuevas (IHA), John Marut and Stephen Mozia (both of Hackensack), Patrick Rono (Lyndhurst) and Kaleb Zuidema (Midland Park).

High School Student-Athlete honors went to: Mel Lewis (Midland Park), Kristina Meier (Paramus), Tara Anne Wilk (IHA), Taylor Woegens (Bogota), Kevin Condal (Hasbrouck Heights), InSoo Hwang (Ridgewood), William Lewis (Demarest) and Dane McDermott (St. Joseph Regional).