Resident Makes Madison Proud at US Lacrosse Festival

Madison resident Will Renz represented the North Jersey Junior Lacrosse League (NJJLL) this summer at the 2010 US Lacrosse U13 Lax Fest at the Lebanon Sports Complex in Lebanon, Ohio.

The Madison Junior School student was part of a group of New Jersey lacrosse players selected by their town's lacrosse league program director to attend an elimination tryout. Renz was one of only 23 players selected from a group of about 100 players who came from 74 towns from around the state for the two-day tryout.

The players traveled as a team and stayed together at the Great Wolf Lodge in Mason, Ohio, along with other teams competing in the tournament. The players got to meet and interact with each other on and off the field, as a welcome ceremony, team barbeque, and team social were held along with the games. Each team played a minimum of five games.

The 13-year-old Renz and his teammates were selected from a group of players that had to be 12 or younger by Jan. 1 of this year. The NJJLL is the officially recognized youth lacrosse league affiliated with US Lacrosse, and its local chapter, the NJ Lacrosse Foundation. US Lacrosse was founded on Jan. 1, 1998, as the national governing body of men's and women's lacrosse.

Teams participating in the tournament came from such states as California, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia. Players on those teams were also from Colorado, Florida and Washington, D.C.

Though Renz and his teammates did not win awards–there were no champions crowned or MVPs given out–the festival gave the players a chance to play high-level lacrosse while practicing sportsmanship.

Renz was the lone Madison representative, and was joined by Morris County players Danny Barkhorn, Trevor Delaney (Chatham), T.J. Comizio (New Vernon), Alec Orazietti, Brad Smith, Ryan Decker, Kevin Beimfohd (Mountain Lakes), Andrew Ford (Mendham), John Maderas (Long Valey), and Nolan Sappio (Randolph).

Other players selected from around the state were: Matt Larkin (Glen Ridge), Ted Hatfield, Peter Mckinley (Summit), Patrick Aslanian (Westfield), Daniel Zahka (Millburn), Conor Kirst, Colin Kirst (Somerset Hills), Brendan Mackie (Glen Rock), Joe Lee (Essex Fells), Erik Dluhy (Branchburg), Christian Pung (Tewksbury) and Chris Bradbury (Upper Saddle River).