Sports Shorts

Freshman Erin Dougherty, of East Brunswick, finished as the top performer for the New Jersey City University women's cross country team for the third consecutive event to begin her career, as the Gothic Knights placed third overall at the 2006 NJAIAW Championship, hosted by Richard Stockton College on Sept. 30. Dougherty was 19th overall with a mark of 30:52.42 on the 6K course. Prior to her performance at the championship meet, Dougherty was selected as the New Jersey Athletic Conference Women's Cross Country Rookie of the Week for week four of the 2006 season. Dougherty becomes the first men's or women's cross country athlete in school history to receive a weekly honor from the NJAC. The league began offering weekly awards for cross country beginning this season. In both of NJCU's most recent dual meets, Dougherty was the top finisher for the Knights. At the Stevens Institute of Technology Invitational at Liberty State Park on Sept. 22, she was ninth overall in the field, timing 20:50 on the 4K course. She placed 1:33 ahead of any other NJCU harrier, as the Knights placed fourth overall. At NJCU Meet No. 1 on Sept. 20, her time of 10:49.62 on the 2,250-meter course at Liberty State Park was just 34 seconds out of first place, and gave her third overall. She was the top NJCU performer by more than seven seconds.

East Brunswick Youth Wrestling Club (EBWC) is currently accepting registrations for the upcoming winter season. The program is open to kids of all levels of experience in grades K-8 who live in East Brunswick, Milltown, Helmetta and Spotswood. Walk-in registration will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 24 and 25, in the cafeteria at Churchill Junior High on Norton Road, East Brunswick from 6:30-8 p.m. Practice for returning/experienced wrestlers will begin on Monday, Oct. 30, and new wrestlers will begin on Monday, Nov. 6. A registration form, as well as additional information related to EBWC, may be found by visiting the Web site at www.ebwrestling.com. For any questions, call Rick Perrine at (732) 214-0702 or Mike Duhigg at (732) 967-8898.'

On Sunday, the Blue Lightning struck the Westfield Phoenix in a 4-1 game. Their first time on artificial turf, the Sayreville-South River U14 girls took some time to adjust to the surface. Hard work by defenders Emily Jocus and Shannon Miller kept the home team's score down. When the offense came alive in the second half, they dominated the action. The now 3-0 Blue Lightning will play the Red Rockets at Somerset Hills on Sunday.