Patch Girls Athlete of the Year: Nikki Caruso

For the second consecutive year, the success of the Lady Dodgers basketball team hinged on the scoring ability of senior guard Nikki Caruso, who helped the Dodgers to their first 10-win season in two years.

Caruso’s excellent play has earned her Madison Patch’s Girls Winter Athlete of the Year honors.

Caruso, a tri-captain this season, again led the Dodgers' offensive attack as she averaged a team-best 14 points per game, while also leading Madison in rebounds and blocks.

While the Madison offensive attack averaged just 41 ppg this season, Caruso was the main focus of opposing teams each and every game. With the opposition's best defender normally glued to the Dodger scorer in most cases, Caruso still found a way to get open and ring up buckets.

Her most notable performance came late in the regular season against Dover High, when Caruso netted a season-best 24 points, helping Madison to a 60-34 win, their 10th of the season.

Voted by member school coaches as second-team All-Northern Conference in 2011, Caruso’s outstanding play also earned her an invitation to play in the Morris County Senior All-Star Game.

The senior earned the respect of her Madison teammates as well, who voted Caruso Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season.  

Caruso finished her career with 924 points, among the school's all-time leaders.