South Brunswick’s bench and student body explodes with jubilation as the last shot of the game goes in, whereas Marlboro’s Alex Rather (2) can’t believe the run is over. During the Marlboro vs South Brunswick NJSIAA Central Group IV Sectional Final at Marlboro HS Gym in Marlboro, NJ. 3/10/20 Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com
Have you ever driven down the Turnpike at seventy-five miles an hour and came upon a sea of red? Red lights that is and had to stop quickly………..Well that is what has happened to the world. Believe me, I am not saying that sports should be the center of attention when the world is in crisis, but if it is a major part of your business model, then you’re always thinking of what could’ve been throughout your now idle day. I already miss the game, whichever one you pick, whether it’s watching it on TV, sitting in the stands or photographing it. My last game was an exciting one, down to the last shot to decide who moves on and who goes home, but the winner never moved on as things came to a stop. We’ll come back when this ends, to the game, as sports and competition is a part of our social being. I’ll grab my gear and get in position to push the button to record the moment when we get back to our new normal. So be safe, take care of yourself and the others in your life and I’ll see you at the game.
Giovanni Crepaldi carrying the prize after the CBA vs Don Bosco NJSIAA State Tournament Hockey Final at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. 3/9/20 Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com
The winter championships, the ones I covered, that were completed before the year did includes the track and field Group Championships, the Meet of Champions and the State Ice Hockey Championships. Congratulations are in order for the hockey teams of Morris Knolls, Randolph, Summit, Christian Brothers Academy and the inaugural girls champs Morristown-Beard. There was a slate of five games over two separate nights at the Prudential Center, each carrying the weight of a trophy for the winners of each game. It was a full day of ice time, plus extra time (two OT games), as the top 2 teams in each group, Girls, Public A, Public B, Public C and Non Public fought it out to decide who takes the trophies home.
RFH’s Lilly Orr finished with the best time in the 400m, this is her third time winning the 400m Group Championship, and captures the NJSIAA Group 2 Championship at John Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex in Toms River, NJ 2/29/2020 Tom Smith for NJMilesplit
Track and Field Group Championships showed up early and the Shore Conference went out and grabbed 20 individual wins, eight boys and twelve girls, as CBA captured the Boys Non Public A for a tenth consecutive time and their twenty-fifth overall. The winners from all the events plus others with qualifying times go on to compete in the Meet of Champions. The Shore had two runners win multiple events, Shaw Powell from CBA won the 1600m and the 3200m and Lilly Shapiro from Colts Neck won the 800m and the 1600m. Lilly Orr from Rumson-Fair Haven had a great day winning the 400m for the third consecutive year.
Kingsway’s Stone Caraccio, who anchored the 4X800 Relay team to a US #1 finish, crosses the finish line during the NJSIAA Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze Park and Athletic Complex in Staten Island, NY 3/8/2020 Tom Smith for NJMileSplit
The Meet of Champions had its ups and downs, its a great place to photograph the jumping events, along with its controversies. The boys 1600m seeded race had two finishes, a finish that was short a lap and one that included all 1600m. The NJSIAA handed out awards for both finishes and Allentown’s Liam Murphy will probably never lose the 1400m record as there should never be a reason for that distance to be ran as a race again. The best of the day as far as records was the Kingsway HS 4X800 team which came away with the US#1 time this year as Stone Caraccio anchored the teams come from behind win over Ridge HS, who has the US#3 time from the race.
So what to do now that all of sports as we know it has been completely cancelled or postponed, some seasons finished before they started. Well for one thing the honey doo list gets done. I’ll be helping my niece with baby sitting. I’ll also be doing more ride by photography. Things that are in motion will catch my eye, such as surfing, skateboard parks, maintaining a socially acceptable distance of course. I’ll work on my craft and my art with landscapes and lighting experiments. I’ll also keep coming back to write and show off some of the things that I capture in during this time of isolation.
Tom
Recent Photos
The Champs after the Morristown-Beard vs Summit Girls Ice Hockey State Championship at The Prudential Center, Newark, NJ. 3/5/20 Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.comThe Champs after the CBA vs Don Bosco NJSIAA State Tournament Hockey Final at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. 3/9/20 Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.comThe three time Champs after the Summit vs Ramsey NJSIAA State Tournament Hockey Final at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. 3/9/20 Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.comSummit’s goalie Lilly Spinner kept her team in it with 25 saves, here she kicks out her pad to make a toe save during the Morristown-Beard vs Summit Girls Ice Hockey State Championship at The Prudential Center, Newark, NJ. 3/5/20 Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.comCBA goalie John Donohue was stellar between the pipes with 20 saves during the CBA vs Don Bosco NJSIAA State Tournament Hockey Final at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. 3/9/20 Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.comSummit’s Tom Pryymak skates around the net for the wrap around attempt, he had three points ( 2g, 1a) during the Summit vs Ramsey NJSIAA State Tournament Hockey Final at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. 3/9/20 Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.comMorristown-Beard’s Kaitlin Skorzewski moving the puck around the net to start a rush up ice during the Morristown-Beard vs Summit Girls Ice Hockey State Championship at The Prudential Center, Newark, NJ. 3/5/20 Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.comColts Neck’s Natalie Shapiro crosses the finish line, brandishing double Shaka Hands, while winning the NJSIAA Group 2 Girls 3200m State Championship at the John Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex in Toms River, NJ 2/29/2020 Tom Smith for NJMileSplitChatham’s 4X400 Relay teammates use an unorthodox form of a baton pass during the NJSIAA Group 3 Championships at John Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex in Toms River, NJ 2/29/2020 Tom Smith for NJMileSplit Audobon’s Aden Tomeo clears the high jump bar at 6 feet 6 inches and claims second in the NJSIAA Group 1 High Jump Championships at John Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex in Toms River, NJ 2/29/2020 Tom Smith for NJMileSplitImacculata’s James Ptack crosses the finish line again, here for the NJSIAA Non Public B 3200m Championship, as he won the Championships for the 800m, 1600m and the 3200m races at the John Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex in Toms River, NJ 2/28/2020 Tom Smith for NJMileSplitPingry’s Caroline Dunnenbaum gets lift from the pole to help her clear the bar at twelve feet seven inches for a new meet record at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze Park and Athletic Complex in Staten Island, NY 3/8/2020 Tom Smith for NJMileSplitJ F Kennedy HS – Paterson’s Jamier Wright-Collins jumps over the bar at six feet ten inches to claim the NJSIAA MOC High Jump Championship at the Ocean Breeze Park and Athletic Complex in Staten Island, NY 3/8/2020 Tom Smith for NJMileSplit
I am a professional photographer based in Central New Jersey specializing in sports action and event photography. I am available for single game assignments as well as team/player portraits.
I have experience shooting various sports at the high school and college levels. Please feel free to contact me at (732)-687-2791 for any questions regarding helping you with your team/player photographs.
I am currently a contributing photographer to MaxPreps, Double G Sports, Jersey Sporting News, NJ MileSplit, HockeyClan, Brookdale Athletics and I am a staff photographer for Enchanted Celebrations.
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