FREEHOLD – The members of the Borough Council in Freehold Borough have honored the 2022 inductees of the Freehold High School Hall of Fame – Scott Graber, Jim Schlentz and the Colonials’ 2006 girls soccer team.
In a resolution, municipal officials said Graber was an active duty and reserve U.S. Air Force pilot who attained the rank of major. He graduated from Freehold High School in 2002 and attended Rutgers University on a full Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps scholarship.
Graber flew and commanded 160 combat missions over Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.
His military achievements include six Air Medals, the Air Force Commendation Medal, Combat Readiness Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with a Bronze Star Device, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal.
Graber provided training and combat readiness for more than 100 future Air Force pilots who now fly stealth, fighter, cargo, aerial refueling and special operations aircraft.
He currently serves in an advisory role for Air Combat Command and is a captain for Delta Airlines, according to municipal officials.
Schlentz is a cross country coach who graduated from Freehold High School in 1972.
While in high school, Schlentz was on the team that won the Shore Conference cross country title in 1970, was named team captain and held the school’s cross country record. He went on to compete in cross country and track at Springfield College in Massachusetts.
Schlentz began his coaching career as an assistant girls coach at St. John Vianney High School in Holmdel before moving to La Salle University in Philadephia, Pa., and Wagner College on Staten Island, N.Y.
He was the head coach of the Reebok Mid Atlantic distance team from 1985 to 1986 and two of his athletes qualified for the Olympic Marathon trials.
In 1998, Schlentz became the first cross country head coach at Colts Neck High School.
His accomplishments while guiding the Cougars include 78 All-Americans, eight national individual/relay titles, and one team and 19 individual Meet of Champions winners. His athletes achieved 13 team, 14 relay and 40 individual group state championships.
Schlentz was named Eastbay Coach of the Week in 2007 and has won the New Jersey Coach of the Year award from three organizations. He was inducted into the New York City Armory Coaches Hall of Fame, the home of the High School Indoor Track Nationals, in 2018.
The players on Freehold High School’s 2006 girls soccer team were Caitlin Kane, Kelly Knox, Samantha Kologe, Alyssa Mayrose, Jennifer Paulucci, Laura Porth, Kim Bauerfeind, Jaclyn Scalgione, Amy Flanagan, Genna Opatut, Alexandra Eagle, Ashley Lewis, Shannon Mayrose, Angeles Pantoja, Alexa Rozzi, Jamie Battaglia, Sara Hartigan, Nicole Paulucci, Elyse Unansky, Alanna Ekdahl, Simone Dixon and Alyssa Rudic.
The team was led by head coach Heshy Moses and assistant coaches Deana Farinick and Elyse Ingui.
During their historic campaign, the Colonials posted a record of 21 wins, 1 tie and 1 loss, with 20 shutouts. The number of shutouts in a season remains the Freehold High School record. The Colonials scored 68 goals and conceded five goals in 23 matches.
The squad won a Shore Conference division title, the Shore Conference Tournament championship, a state sectional tournament championship and a state group championship.
The 2006 Colonials were the first team to win an overall state championship at Freehold High School and the first team in the Freehold Regional High School District to win all four championships (division, conference tournament, state sectional tournament, state group title) in one season.
Freehold was ranked No. 1 in the Shore Conference and among the top 10 teams in New Jersey. Following the season, five players were named first team All-Shore performers, according to a resolution.
