Finalists Named for New Jersey High School Game Changers Awards

NJ Advance Media set to honor athletes in six different categoris

Gary Adornato | May 30, 2025

Bergen Catholic three-sport athlete Benjie Shue is one of six finalists for the NJ Advance Media Overall Male Athlete of the Year. / Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

On Friday, NJ Advance Media announced the finalists for high school sports awards in six different categories - three for boys and three for girls for New Jersey athletes.

The three awards for each gender are Athlete of the Year, Team of the Year and Breakthrough Athlete of the Year.

According to the report, the winners will be announced at a live event on June 24th at Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway, New Jersey.

Here are the nominees from which the NJ Advance Media staff will select the winners:

Overall Male Athlete of the Year

Benjie Shue, Bergen Catholic Football, Wrestling, Track & Field

Nate Biehstock, Hillsborough Ice Hockey

Kenny Barnicle, Mendham Swimming

Lotzeir Brooks, Millville Football

Charlie Wingfield, Ramapo Football, Basketball & Baseball

Johnny Jackson, Ridgefield Basketball

Overall Female Athlete of the Year

Ella Poalillo, High Point Wrestling

Mia Pauldo, Morris Catholic Basketball

Emma McCarthy, Paul VI Soccer & Lacrosse

Addison Halpern, Rutgers Prep Soccer

Gabriella Shadek, Immaculate Heart Ice Hockey & Softball

Paige Sheppard, Union Catholic Cross Country & Track and Field

Boys Team of the Year

Bergen Catholic Football

Christian Brothers Cross Country

St. Benedict's Soccer

St. Joseph (Met) Bowling

St. Joseph (Mont.) Wrestling

Westfield Swimming

Girls Team of the Year

Morris Catholic Basketball

Pingry Tennis

Princeton Volleyball

Rutgers Prep Soccer

Union Catholic Track and Field

West Essex Field Hockey

Boys Breakthrough Athlete of the Year

Luke Tortorici, Barnegat Lacrosse

NaJai Hines, Plainfield Basketball

Blase Mele, Princeton Wrestling

Will LoSauro, Ice Hockey & Lacrosse

Aidan Donnelly, Southern Soccer

Rory Asselta, St. Joseph (Mont.) Golf

Girls Breakthrough Athlete of the Year

Gianna Gomez, Barnegat Softball

Natalie Dumas, Eastern Track and Field

Samantha Kranzler, Old Tappan Volleyball

Gabby Mellett, Point Pleasant Boro Soccer

Sofia Basto-Cabrera, Shawnee Tennis

Marielle Montenegro, Shore Field Hockey

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Published May 30, 2025

GARY ADORNATO

Gary Adornato is the Senior VP of Content for High School On SI and SBLive Sports. He began covering high school sports with the Baltimore Sun in 1982, while still a mass communications major at Towson University. In 2003 became one of the first journalists to cover high school sports online while operating MIAASports.com, the official website of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association. Later, Adornato pioneered market-wide coverage of high school sports with DigitalSports.com, introducing video highlights and player interviews while assembling an award-winning editorial staff. In 2010, he launched VarsitySportsNetwork.com which became the premier source of high school media coverage in the state of Maryland. In 2022, he sold VSN to The Baltimore Banner and joined SBLive Sports as the company's East Coast Managing Editor.