Story via Carly Baldwin-Middletown Patch
MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Congratulations are in order for three high school girls at Middletown North:
Riley Luma, Maggie Bober and Gianna Criscione volunteered their time in blustery March weather to give the baseball team dugout a much-needed makeover, especially in light of North winning its first-ever state championship title last year.
The Middletown High School North baseball team made it to the Central Jersey Group 3 championship the past two years in a row. They were state champs in 2022.
But the barren North baseball dugout really did not match their success.
It was a blustery Monday afternoon when the girls started working on the mural after school, paint brushes in hand. The three teenage girls worked every day after school until their mural was complete, last Friday, March 29.
Most of their work was done in the shade of the dugout, with some afternoons having high winds and temperatures below 30 degrees.
“These young women have created a masterpiece that embodies our core values: Pride, competition, character and our Lions’ family spirit,” said Middletown mom Michelle Miller, who is president of the Rich Veth Diamond Club, a parent-run organization that supports the Middletown High School baseball program.
“Their dedication to completing the task was remarkable,” said JoAnne Briggs, mother of Dylan Briggs, a senior baseball player at North.
Middletown High School North principal Kevin Cullen also thanked the girls for their work. The North coaches, players and parents said they are thankful.