TOM WILLIAMS COLUMN: Sportsperson of the Year – Andrew Bristol

Over the last six decades a number of Ocean City High School coaches have been recognized as Ocean City’s Sportsperson of the Year.

Last year it was football coach Kevin Smith. Before that, the list includes Dixie Howell, Craig Mensinger, Pat Dougherty, Mike Naples, Mike Pellegrino, Paul Baruffi, Matt Purdue, Trish LeFever, Trish Henry, Cory Terry and John Bruno.

But never has one been selected who just completed his first year as a head coach.

That changes this year.

Andrew Bristol took over as the OCHS baseball coach in the spring and guided the Raiders to a 16-win season that included an 11-game win streak and a conference championship. The season was also filled with college and major league scouts checking out the Raiders’ impressive mound trio – Dan Nunan, Brandon Lashley and A.J. Campbell.

But Bristol’s involvement with OCHS student-athletes goes way beyond his first year as a head coach.

He spent more than 40 combined seasons as an assistant coach to Craig Mensinger in baseball and John Bruno in boys basketball.

He has been part of the 153 baseball wins in the last nine years, the most successful stretch in Ocean City baseball history, that includes the school’s only two South Jersey baseball championships.

He was also an important part of the emotional support group for Matt Fumo when the former OCHS star suffered a serious injury. Bristol considers the moment when Fumo recovered sufficiently to throw out the first pitch at an Ocean City game his greatest memory.  

And he has been an important part of the last nine boys basketball teams, including six seasons with 16 or more wins and the only Cape-Atlantic League championship by the OCHS boys in more than 35 years.

He still coaches the junior varsity team in boys basketball and is Bruno’s No. 1 assistant. He asked Mensinger to stay on as part of his coaching staff in baseball after he retired as head coach.

Though he might look like he is just a few years out of college, Bristol has been an important part of Ocean City High School sports for decades and finally got to write his name into the record books with his first season as a head coach.

For all of the time he has devoted successfully to the OCHS student-athletes, Andrew Bristol has earned the selection as Ocean City’s 2018 Sportsperson of the Year.   

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As we get used to our new calendars, it is always a good time to look back on the top local sports stories of the previous year. As is our custom, here are the 10 sports stories that seemed to generate the most interest throughout Ocean City in 2018:

1. The record-setting passing combination of quarterback Ian Aungst and wide receiver Brandon Lashley in football.

2. The strong season by baseball pitchers Dan Nunan, Lashley and A.J. Campbell that culminated in a conference championship, Nunan getting drafted by the Los Angeles Angels. Lashley committing to Stony Brook and Campbell to Frostburg (MD) State.  

3. The four girls basketball games between Ocean City and Mainland – the first three won by the Mustangs in overtime and the fourth by Ocean City for its third straight South Jersey title.

4. Maggie Wallace being named New Jersey Girls Swimmer of the Year.

5. South Jersey team championships by both the girls and boys cross country teams, a first at OCHS in the same season.

6. The field hockey team winning another South Jersey championship and dominating the Cape-Atlantic League.

7. The South Jersey championship by Alexa Palmieri in cross country, only the second OCHS sophomore to accomplish that.

8. The boys soccer team winning the inaugural CAL Tournament, beating St. Augustine Prep in the final.

9. The boys basketball team winning 20 games for the first time in 36 years.

10. The dominant performances in lacrosse by Bill Kroeger and Danielle Donoghue – both among the very best in the state at controlling face-offs.

Let’s hope 2019 provides as many great memories.

OCEAN CITY SPORTSPERSONS OF THE YEAR

2018    ANDREW BRISTOL

2017    KEVIN SMITH

2016    SEAN MOONEY

2015    KRISTIE MILLER FENTON/WENDY BURMAN MOYLE/
            LISA RUMER

2014    DEVON GRISBAUM

2013    AARON BOGUSHEFSKY

2012    CORY PICKETTS TERRY

2011    MILES SCHOEDLER

2010    MATT PURDUE

2009    CRAIG MENSINGER

2008    BRETT JOHNSON

2007    DICK GRIMES

2006    PAUL BARUFFI

2005    BRITTANY SEDBERRY

2004    WALT TUCKER

2003    TRISH HOPSON HENRY

2002    LARRY BLOHM

2001    MIKE PELLEGRINO

2000    CHAD SEVERS

1999    JOHN BRUNO

1998    LEO CHASE

1997    GARY DEGENHARDT

1996    KEVIN SINCLAIR

1995    BOB MARTIN

1994    DREW BRECKENRIDGE

1993    LLOYD HAYES

1992    JOE FAGAN

1991    PAUL LeFEVER

1990    PAT LYNCH

1989    TRISH COWHEY LeFEVER

1988    RICH TOLSON

1987    MARYJO DOUGHERTY

1986    ROLAND WATSON

1985    WAYNE COLMAN

1984    MIKE NAPLES

1983    GREG DONAHUE

1982    BILL MORELAND

1981    BILL NICKLES

1980    BUD RINCK

1979    ED WOOLLEY

1978    MIKE ALLEGRETTO

1977    NAZ COSTANZA

1976    FRED HAACK

1975    PHIL BIRNBAUM

1974    PAT DOUGHERTY

1973    JEAN CAMPBELL/EDDIE RUMER

1972    JACK BOYD/MIKE SLAVESKI

1971    JACK NEALL, JR.

1970    HARRY VANDERSLICE, SR.

1969    BILL GANS

1968    JOHN CERVINO

1967    FENTON CAREY, SR.

1966    CHET WIMBERG

1965    DON PILEGGI

1964    DIXIE HOWELL

1963    BOB FRENCH

SPORTSPERSONS OF THE DECADE

2000s   PAUL BARUFFI

1990s   PAUL LeFEVER

1980s   MIKE ALLEGRETTO

1970s   HARRY VANDERSLICE, SR.

1960s   RICHARD B. FOX, JR.

SPORTSPERSONS OF THE 20th CENTURY

FENTON CAREY SR./DIXIE HOWELL