PROUD of our Girls 9th NORTH sectional champions (at Stanton Ridge Golf and Country Club on May15): individual Kelly Sim & Team Pingry Winning their respective titles at the GIRLS TOURNAMENT of CHAMPIONS yesterday at Royce Brook West course! Congratulations to Holy Angels Coach Patrick Dunne and Pingry Coach Robert Mauer.

READ BERGEN RECORD Story here

GOT HELMETS? Wear your helmets, please but not when golfing

Dr. B. telling me the story

Who is the GEORGIA fan standing next to me? 

We never met yet on December 2,2017 when this photo was taken, it is almost our two-year anniversary, what???!!!! 

Johnny & I never knew his name. 

He never knew ours. 

None of us knew what happened to each other after we met on December 27,2015. 

Still confused? 

"Dr. B." recognized Johnny today (on DECEMBER, 2017) & minutes later Dr. B. & I were reintroduced! 

He related his memory of driving with his son as an SUV went  speeding by them. His son Craig was driving and they both thought that the car was driving way too fast in the neighborhood.

They continued driving until they came upon my sister-in-law standing in the middle of the road with a cell phone in her hand. 

Dr. B. had his son pull over, got out and then saw me lying on the ground, trying to get up.

He came running over whipped his shirt off to use it to stop my head from gushing.

 (Rogue SUV literally ran me, yep, my head and torso over I'd find out weeks later when I woke-up) 

Dr. B. tried holding me down by putting his knees on my chest.

He apologized but I have NO MEMORY of any of it.

Thank you Dr. B.

 As he was trying to keep me still, stop my head from gushing, and once they arrived, encourage the EMTs to get me ASAP to the Trauma I Center at Memorial Hospital. 

The rogue SUV driver returned to the scene he had fled 15 minutes earlier and thankfully avoided injuring anyone else as he jumped the curb at a very high speed again and hit a tree breaking his sternum.

T-H-A-N-K-Y-O-U, Dr. B! 

I really have no words, my knees were weak and I cried. 

Eight operations later.

(6) performed on my FACE by ANOTHER wonderful human with an incredible heart and so much skill, Dr. Carl Pearl, Plastic Surgeon who was on-call that night!

Dr. Carl Pearl & Lydia 2.0. THANK YOU, Dr. Pearl!

We REMAIN UNDAUNTED.

Sticking with the mantra:Refuse to allow circumstances beyond my control to define me or my abilities. 

Hard to smile as we are both emotional 

NOW:Let's get baking a treat for Dr. B & his family!! 

WEAR YOUR BIKE HELMETS, HUMANS! 

Wearing mine gave me the chance to survive. Just saying!!!


Your MIRA-girl,

Lydia 2.0

Three Good Men

or 

the Nephew, the Husband & the Brother-in-Law 

at  5:31-ish a.m. pre-tournament breakfast 

(From left Michael Leasure, Johnny Siipola and Jay Bellwoar) 

It's ALL GOOD! 
Both took a day off from work (Accenture & Colonial Electric) to assist Johnny & I at the NJSIAA 9th Girls North Sectional.
A record 16 teams, 80 player-field!
My Family Supporting Girls TEAM golf in New Jersey, right here, right now! 
(even though we ALL live in PA, huh?)

Imagine 80 girls and 29 adults surrounding
Johnny on the putting green to sing him (the 
world's most NOT-about-me-human-alive)
surprise HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  
P-R-I-C-E-L-E-S-S!

Smiling HCRHS Red Devils HCRHS are 2017  TOC Champions  

NJSIAA Girls Golf North Sectional Co-Director Lydia Siipola started your program in 2004 wow, this is the 15th season!!! 

So happy to see the Red  Devils!!!

There are FIVE high schools in Hunterdon County and HC remains the ONLY county Girls Golf TEAM.
C'mon North Hunterdon, Voorhees, South and DVRHS!

(from Left Emily Phu, Dana Mejer, Cassidy Conklin, Hartley Zook and GGG 4-year participant KAITLIN FLYNN)

IHA Coach Lauren Rhein listening in the background .

Getting ready to sing Happy Birthday during RULES meeting.

Bergen Tech Coach Sue Polonsky is all smiles with her player

Northern Highlands coach Rich Smith
gives some last words of encouragement.

Pingry coach Rob Mauer is all smiles as he
takes his group to their starting hole.

HAPPY REUNION as Girls GO Golfing Director Lydia Siipola and Joe Turci (Former GGG parent of twin GGGers Lauren & Stephanie from 2008!) answers the VOLUNTEER calland traveling from Morris County to help! SO GREAT to SEE YOU!!! 

Thank you.

Virginia Mannon & Ridgewood Coach Brian Quirk 

are all smiles after talking strategy

Kelly Sim, Holy Angels shoots record 65 as low individual

RIDGEWOOD

Northern Highlands with Coach Rich Smith
4th Place TOC Qualifier

Holy Angels with Coach Pat Dunne 3rd Place TOC Qualifier

Ridge With Coach Siobahn Devlin 2nd place TOC qualifier

9th North Sectional Champions Pingry with Coach Rob Mauer

Lydia Siipola and runner-up Yoona Kim
realize that they are both
GERRI SCARPA fans

NORTH sectional program details
NJ Girls TEAM Golf History 

HAPPY REUNION 
Des McNulty drops by to see her niece Ridgewood 'sVirginia Mannon compete. Des is mother of (Siipola's) HC team (2007 -2010) & Gettysburg star player Kara McNulty.

Kelly Sim, the two-time Tournament of Champions winner, put together an amazing round in the North Jersey Girls’ Golf Sectional, to claim individual honors with a 6-under par 65 at the Stanton Ridge Golf and Country Club on Tuesday.

Sim’s round included eight birdies to help her team advance to the May 29 TOC at the Royce Brook Golf Club.

Pingry (320) came through with an expected to claim the team title, followed by Ridge (348), Holy Angels (358) and Northern Highlands (367) to move onto the TOC.

Sim, who won the TOC in 2015 and 2016, started her round at the difficult par-4 10th hole with a bogey, failing to get up and down from the sand. But it was all good news from there. Sim followed with birdies on the 11th (5 feet), 13th (9 feet) and 14th (4 feet), then 3-putted the 16th to post a one-under 34.

“The key to my round was hitting fairways and having a good number of short birdie opportunities,” said Sim, who will attend Northwestern on a golf scholarship in the fall. “My iron play was spot on and it was reflected in my score.”

The front nine was even better as the Edgewater resident posted five birdies for a 31 total. The included the 2nd (12 feet), third (21feet), sixth (3 feet), 8th (2 putt par 5) and 9th (6 feet).

Defending TOC champion Ami Gianchandani of Pingry finished at 2-over par 73, placing third behind sophomore Yoona Kim (72) of Immaculate Heart.

TEAM RESULTS: 1. Pingry 320 (Amy Gianchandani 73, Christine Shao 76, Ashley Lu 82, Zara Jacob 89), Ridge 348, Holy Angels (358), North Highlands (367), Immaculate Heart (380), Hunterdon Central (395), Westfield (395), Bergen Tech (399), Ridgewood (406), Oak Knoll (429), Montville (433), Old Tappan (441), Ramsey (444), Madison (481), Villa Walsh (505), Pope John (516).

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS: 1.Kelly Sim (HA) 31-34-65, Yoona Kim (IH) 36-36-72, Ami Gianchandani (P) 38-35-73, Anina Ku (R) 37-38-75, Christine Shao (P) 38-38-76, Regina Garvey (IH) 38-41-79, Hartley Zook (HC) 41-41-82, Anna Bowman (W) 40-42-82, Ashley Lu (P) 41-41-82, Gio Kim (NH) 37-48-85.

GOT GOLF RESULTS???? NJSIAA GIRLS North Sectional results PINGRY PREVAILS as SIMS SIZZLES 6-Under at Stanton Ridge

TIME FLIES When Girls Are GOLFING!

(from left) NJSIAA North GIRLS sectional Co-Directors John & Lydia Siipola are 

ALL SMILES as they reunite with Des McNulty. Her daughter Kara McNulty played on

Coach Lydia Siipola's Hunterdon Central Regional Varity Girls Golf team 2008-2010.

Kelly Sim, the two-time Tournament of Champions winner, put together an amazing round in the North Jersey Girls’ Golf Sectional, to claim individual honors with a 6-under par 65 at the Stanton Ridge Golf and Country Club on Tuesday.

Sim’s round included eight birdies to help her team advance to the May 29 TOC at the Royce Brook Golf Club.

Pingry (320) came through with an expected to claim the team title, followed by Ridge (348), Holy Angels (358) and Northern Highlands (367) to move onto the TOC.

Sim, who won the TOC in 2015 and 2016, started her round at the difficult par-4 10th hole with a bogey, failing to get up and down from the sand. But it was all good news from there. Sim followed with birdies on the 11th (5 feet), 13th (9 feet) and 14th (4 feet), then 3-putted the 16th to post a one-under 34.

“The key to my round was hitting fairways and having a good number of short birdie opportunities,” said Sim, who will attend Northwestern on a golf scholarship in the fall. “My iron play was spot on and it was reflected in my score.”

The front nine was even better as the Edgewater resident posted five birdies for a 31 total. The included the 2nd (12 feet), third (21feet), sixth (3 feet), 8th (2 putt par 5) and 9th (6 feet).

Defending TOC champion Ami Gianchandani of Pingry finished at 2-over par 73, placing third behind sophomore Yoona Kim (72) of Immaculate Heart.

TEAM RESULTS: 1. Pingry 320 (Amy Gianchandani 73, Christine Shao 76, Ashley Lu 82, Zara Jacob 89), Ridge 348, Holy Angels (358), North Highlands (367), Immaculate Heart (380), Hunterdon Central (395), Westfield (395), Bergen Tech (399), Ridgewood (406), Oak Knoll (429), Montville (433), Old Tappan (441), Ramsey (444), Madison (481), Villa Walsh (505), Pope John (516).

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS: 1.Kelly Sim (HA) 31-34-65, Yoona Kim (IH) 36-36-72, Ami Gianchandani (P) 38-35-73, Anina Ku (R) 37-38-75, Christine Shao (P) 38-38-76, Regina Garvey (IH) 38-41-79, Hartley Zook (HC) 41-41-82, Anna Bowman (W) 40-42-82, Ashley Lu (P) 41-41-82, Gio Kim (NH) 37-48-85.

Kelly Sim takes a moment to Smile 

MORE PHOTOS TO COME TOMORROW

NJSIAA Girls North Sectional PAIRINGS & PREVIEW 16 teams, 77-player field New Jersey Girls Golf TEAMS GET GOLFING at Stanton Ridge on Tuesday, May 15 8 a.m. GO TIME!

Tuesday’s girls’ golf North Sectional at the Stanton Ridge Golf and Country Club promises to be a shootout among New Jersey’s best.

Stanton Ridge will host the NJSIAA’s tournament for the ninth straight time with defending state champion Ami Gianchandani of Pingry leading the way along with teammate Christine Shao. Gianchandani fired a 4-under 68 last spring at Watching Valley to edge Hunterdon Central’s Katie Lee (70) for the individual title.

Pingry (14-0) figures to be the team to beat this week in the sectional, with the top four schools advancing to the Tournament of Champions on May 29th at the Royce Brook Golf Club in Hillsborough. Gianchandani, a senior, tied for second in the TOC as a freshman (71) and finished third as a sophomore (75). Shao was 9th as a soph (77) and 10th as a junior (80).

Other teams with a chance to win include five-time TOC champion Ridge (12-2), Holy Angels (15-1) and defending north section winner Immaculate Heart (8-0). Ridge features standout Anina Ku, a senior, who is a three-time TOC place winner. The senior tied for second as a freshman (71), placed second as a sop (72) and third last year (74).

Two-time TOC winner Kelly Sim heads the Holy Angels team. She won as a freshman at Cherry Valley (70) and as a soph at Forsgate (70) before tying for third last year (74).

The 2017 season was a seesaw battle for team honors as Immaculate Heart (334) took the north section title at Stanton Ridge over Hunterdon Central (338), Ridge (342) and Pingry (342). Central followed the next week in the most competitive TOC ever, winning for the third time, edging Pingry 336-337. Montgomery was third (340) with Ridge fourth (345). Immaculate Heart settled for sixth (358). Central’s team was comprised of Lee (70), Hartley Zook (83), Sarah Gass (86) and Kaitlyn Flynn (97). Zook and Flynn return this week for the Red Devils (9-6).

Yoona Kim, only a sophomore, leads Immaculate Heart. She was second in last year’s sectional (72) and tied for third in the TOC (74).

In all, 80 girls from 16 teams will compete at Stanton Ridge on Tuesday. Five girls play for each school with the top four scores counting. The south sectional will be played at the Bey Lea Golf Club this week. 

This LINK will be LIVE during the tournament round beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, May 15.

A complete history of the NJSIAA Girls Tournament of Champions as well as North and South sectional results are available at: www.njsiaa.org/sports/golf-women  . 

2018 North Girls’ Golf Sectional Pairings

10A

Ku, Anina Ridge

Gianchandani, Ami Pingry

Sim, Kelly Holy Angels

Kim, Yoona IHA

10B

Shao, Christine Pingry

Kim, Gio No. Highlands

Zook, Hartley HCRHS

Zheng, Stephanie Ridge

9A

Soma, Alyssa Ridgewood

Schaffer, Brooke No. Highlands

Jacob, Zara Pingry

Bowman, Anna Westfield

9B

Garvey, Regina IHA

Flynn, Kaitlin HCRHS

Taylor, Laura Ridge

Lu, Ashley Pingry

8A

Shendell, Remi Westfield

McCormick, Rachel Ridge

Lee, Ellen No. Highlands

Barsola, Kirstyn Holy Angels

8B

Srivastava, Akanksha Bergen Tech

Pitre, Nina Westfield

Conklin, Cassidy HCRHS

Balisi, Alana Pope John

7A

Voigt, Kaylie Ramsey

Dobson, Sydney Westfield

Chun, Yoojin Old Tappan

Kievit, Jennifer Holy Angels

7B

Han, Samantha Holy Angels

Yi, Kayla Old Tappan

Lukang, Faith Bergen Tech

6A

Pruskauski, Megan Ridge

Benson, Kiera Old Tappan

Tan, Vivian Bergen Tech

Oliveira, Natalie Pope John

6B

Choe, Esther Old Tappan

Hur, Rachel Bergen Tech

McGlone, Mary Cate Villa Walsh

Yun, Olivia Holy Angels

5A

Florillo, Jessica No. Highlands

Durante, Paige IHA

Pak, Juliana Bergen Tech

Shetty, Pooja Montville

5B

Landau, Caylie Ramsey

Brodeur, Anabelle Oak Knoll

Encinas, Katie Westfield

Mannion, Virginia Ridgewood

4A

Kim, Julia Ridgewood

Artigliere, Alex Madison

Gallucci, Samantha Montville

Hampton, Kylie Oak Knoll

4B

Brusey, Shaena Ridgewood

Kean, Grace Madison

Doherty, Caroline Ramsey

Costello, Olivia IHA

3A

Corriston, Claire Ramsey

Sanders, Thea Ridgewood

Phu, Emily HCRHS

3B

Shannon, Maddy Madison

Hwang, Sophia Montville

Gage, Amanda Oak Knoll

Graves, Katie Ramsey

2A

Cross, Isabella IHA

Burns, Gigi Madison

Byron, Ashley Oak Knoll

Ackerman, Elle Villa Walsh

2B

Park, Hannah Montville

Majer, Dana HCRHS

Ippolito, Sophia Pope John

Howell, Mary Villa Walsh

1A

Mackie, Brooke Pope John

Bizub, Caroline Oak Knoll

Zychowski, Michelle Villa Walsh

1B

Dowicz, Olivia No. Highlands

Wabake, Shannon Pope John

Chung, Grace Old Tappan

Reilly, Tessa Villa Walsh