Two Middletown Graduating Seniors Honored By NJSIAA

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Two Middletown graduating seniors, one from both Middletown North and South, have been honored as NJSIAA scholar-athletes for the 2019-2020 school year.

The honorees are Hayley Stratton, who played girls' basketball for Middletown North, and Matthew Cardano, a highly ranked tennis player for Middletown South. See his stats here: https://www.tennisrecruiting.net/player/activity.asp?id=913327

The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association program has been honoring student-athletes for 27 years. The group chooses high school seniors from across the state who excel at both sports and academics.

Here's Stratton on the court:

"Given the very challenging year we've all faced, it's particularly important to recognize the academic achievements of New Jersey's student-athletes," said Colleen Maguire, the NJSIAA's chief operating officer. "I'm certain each certificate recipient worked hard not only in the classroom and in competition, but also in overcoming the hurdles presented by the closing of all school buildings. Despite the difficulties, they all continued to pursue their goals and dreams."

More than 7,700 students have been honored since the inception of the program in 1993.

The NJSIAA, which was established in 1918, is a voluntary, nonprofit organization comprised of 436 accredited public, private, and parochial high schools that oversees high school athletics in New Jersey. The NJSIAA conducts tournaments and crowns champions in 32 sports