January 9, 2002

Mike Pellegrino - OC Sportsperson of the Year

By TOM WILLIAMS
Sports Columnist

For nearly 40 years, the selection of Ocean City’s Sportsperson of the Year has been published in late December or early January. And those chosen have been selected for a variety of reasons.

Many were Raider coaches who went beyond the job description to make their program successful. Some were administrators or recreation leaders. And a few were athletes.

Last year’s winner – soccer sensation Chad Severs – was one of those athletes. He joined Jack Neall, MaryJo Dougherty, Pat Lynch and Kevin Sinclair.

Each of them served as an example to the young athletes who followed, demonstrating what hard work and dedication can do. Sure, each had natural talent. But they used it in a way that brought tremendous pride to Ocean City High School sports.

This year’s winner was tied very closely to Severs. He is Mike Pellegrino, the OCHS boys soccer coach.

Soccer has always been a winning program at Ocean City High School. Bill Hamilton had the program competing from the very start back in 1980, winning one conference title. Leo Chase took over in 1987, won another conference championship and took the team to its first South Jersey final. Bob Martin had four successful years, including the first state championship.

But Pellegrino, a former soccer star at Penn State, has taken the program to the next level.

His teams have won three overall CAL championships in five years, have won three consecutive South Jersey titles and won a pair of state titles in 1999 and 2000.

For four years, many weren’t sure if it wasn’t the talented Severs that was the reason Ocean City was winning so often. And, to be sure, he played a gigantic role. But Pellegrino had as much influence on Severs as the talented player had on the program.

Last fall, while Severs was making a spectacular entry into college hockey at Penn State, Pellegrino had another great championship team. And, with the many talented players returning, it looks like his Raiders will be right at the top again.

Pellegrino has changed things in CAL soccer. While Ocean City has been winning for more than 20 years, he has made Raider soccer the premier program in the league. If you are going to win a boys soccer championship in the CAL now, you have to figure out a way to beat Ocean City.

For that, Mike Pellegrino is our 2001 Sportsperson of the Year.

Click here for a complete list of Ocean City's Sportspersons of the Year.

As the calendar year comes to an end, it is always a good time to look back on the top local sports stories of 2001. As is our custom, here are the ten sports stories that seemed to generate the most interest among Ocean City fans:

1. The approval of the referendum to construct a new high school in Ocean City. Though the building will provide all students and faculty with the facility they deserve, it will especially allow the basketball and wrestling programs to finally have an adequate gymnasium.

2. A fourth state field hockey championship in five years by the Ocean City field hockey team.

3. The complete re-organization of the OCHS football staff under Gary Degenhardt, including John Oberg, South Jersey’s all-time winningest coach.

4. The record-setting accomplishments on the track by John Richardson, a sophomore during the spring track season.

5. A South Jersey and overall CAL championship by Mike Pellegrino’s boys soccer team.

6. The retirement of veteran girls basketball coach Chris Lentz, who was succeeded by Paul Baruffi.

7. An All-American season by OCHS golfer Jeff Michner.

8. Another conference football championship by Ocean City’s defense-oriented football team, which provided wins by scores of 3-0, 7-0, 15-14 and 20-17.

9. The induction of Pat Lynch into the South Jersey Wrestling Hall of Fame.

10. Overall CAL championships in girls cross country and girls soccer.


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