Mount Rushmore results: Your picks & ours for all-time best in New Providence sports

New Providence is a small school in Union County, but it has a rich history that includes state champions, MLB draft picks and NFL players since its opening in 1958.

This year, New Providence was chosen as one of the schools for our Mount Rushmore project. That means we’ll need your help to select the four-best athletes/coaches in the history of the school.

Here are the results after more than 90,000 votes cast.

NJ ADVANCE MEDIA PICKS

NJ Advance Media pick No. 1: Teddy Blackwell, Football/Baseball, 1977

Blackwell is one the best football players the program has ever seen. The star running back set the single-season scoring record (which has since been broken) in state history with 254 points during his senior year. That mark broke the record of 246 points set by John Gianantonio of Netcong in 1950 and Blackwell set it as he led New Providence to a win over Butler in the 1976 North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2 title game. New Providence went unbeaten for the first time ever that season behind the play of Blackwell, who finished that season with 37 touchdowns and 16 conversions. He returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown in the state final to win the game. Blackwell was twice selected to the All-State teams in football and baseball. He was a star player for the 1976 team that won a state championship on the diamond. Blackwell went on to play football in college at Rutgers and was a team captain. He ran for nearly 2,000 yards as a Scarlet Knight and returned two punts for touchdowns during his time there. Blackwell spent some time in camp with the New York Giants.

NJ Advance Media pick No. 2: Frank Allocco, Football/Basketball/Baseball, 1971

Allocco was an All-State standout in football, basketball and baseball at New Providence and went on to play football and basketball at Notre Dame. He was a three-year letterman in football for the Irish and was on the 1973 team that won a national championship. He played two years of basketball at Notre Dame under Digger Phelps. Allocco later had a great career as a basketball coach himself; most notably on the high school level at De La Salle in California. He also coached at the University of San Francisco.

NJ Advance Media pick No. 3: Syd Kitson, Football, 1976

Kitson was part of an incredible group of athletes to suit up on the gridiron for New Providence in the 1970s. His efforts at the Union County school earned him a scholarship at Wake Forest. In college, he started his career at tight end, before being moved to offensive tackle and eventually to offensive guard. Kitson, who is 6-foot-5, excelled on the offensive line and drew the attention of scouts. He was drafted in the third round of the 1980 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. Kitson played four seasons, splitting time between the Packers and Dallas Cowboys.

NJ Advance Media pick No. 4: Frank Bottone, Coach, Football, 1963-2010

The legendary football coach put together a 334-125-7 record during 48 seasons at New Providence. That time with the Pioneers also included six sectional playoff championships and eighth titles overall. When he reached 300 wins, Bottone was just the fourth coach in state history to hit that milestone. Bottone started with New Providence football during its inception in 1963, when it was a sub-varsity program. The Pioneers played their first varsity season under him two years later in 1965. In his final season in 2010, Bottone led New Providence to the North 2, Group I title. He also guided New Providence to championships in 1974, 1976, 1987, 1988 and 1989.

THE WINNERS

Winner No. 1: Frank Allocco, Football/Basketball/Baseball, 1971

Allocco was an All-State standout in football, basketball and baseball at New Providence and went on to play football and basketball at Notre Dame. He was a three-year letterman in football for the Irish and was on the 1973 team that won a national championship. He played two years of basketball at Notre Dame under Digger Phelps. Allocco later had a great career as a basketball coach himself; most notably on the high school level at De La Salle in California. He also coached at the University of San Francisco.

Winner No. 2: Richard Allocco, Football/Basketball/Baseball, 1973

Allocco was an All‐American high school football player, 1,000‐point scorer in basketball and a hard‐hitting, left‐handed pitcher in baseball. His brother, Frank, was also a standout at New Providence and their brother, Mike, who went to Union Catholic and ended up being drafted in the NBA and ABA. Richard continued the family’s athletic success before joining Frank at Notre Dame. As a 6‐foot-2, 197‐pound running back at New Providence, the younger brother rushed for more than 4,500 yards and scored 43 touchdowns. He accumulated more than 6,100 yards in total offense, helping him earn over a 100 college offers for football.

Winner No. 3: Frank Bottone, Coach, Football, 1963-2010

The legendary football coach put together a 334-125-7 record during 48 seasons at New Providence. That time with the Pioneers also included six sectional playoff championships and eighth titles overall. When he reached 300 wins, Bottone was just the fourth coach in state history to hit that milestone. Bottone started with New Providence football during its inception in 1963, when it was a sub-varsity program. The Pioneers played their first varsity season under him two years later in 1965. In his final season in 2010, Bottone led New Providence to the North 2, Group I title. He also guided New Providence to championships in 1974, 1976, 1987, 1988 and 1989.

Winner No. 4: Paul Miller, Coach, Baseball/Boys Basketball/Golf, 1958-2011

Miller coached for 53 years and led New Providence to a pair of state championships in baseball during his 32-year tenure on the diamond. Miller’s teams found success in Union County as well, winning the county championship in 1977 and 1983. The legendary coach also oversaw a handful of players who were drafted in the MLB Draft, including a few right out of high school. The school’s baseball field is now named after Miller. The veteran coach also led the school’s golf team to a Group 1 state championship in 2010.

Here’s the full list of nominees:

John Ferrara, Wrestling, 1969

Ferrara is one of three wrestlers in the history of the school to win an individual state title. During his senior year, Ferrara was the state's top wrestler in the 106-pound weight class and became the first wrestler in program history to be crowned a state champion. Ferrara won a district title prior, but in 1969 he took it to the next level, winning his district and region on the way to taking home a state title.

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Frank Allocco, Football/Basketball/Baseball, 1971

Allocco was an All-State standout in football, basketball and baseball at New Providence and went on to play football and basketball at Notre Dame. He was a three-year letterman in football for the Irish and was on the 1973 team that won a national championship. He played two years of basketball at Notre Dame under Digger Phelps. Allocco later had a great career as a basketball coach himself; most notably on the high school level at De La Salle in California. He also coached at the University of San Francisco.

Richard Allocco, Football/Basketball/Baseball, 1973

Allocco was an All‐American high school football player, 1,000‐point scorer in basketball and a hard‐hitting, left‐handed pitcher in baseball. His brother, Frank, was also a standout at New Providence and their brother, Mike, who went to Union Catholic and ended up being drafted in the NBA and ABA. Richard continued the family's athletic success before joining Frank at Notre Dame. As a 6‐foot-2, 197‐pound running back at New Providence, the younger brother rushed for more than 4,500 yards and scored 43 touchdowns. He accumulated more than 6,100 yards in total offense, helping him earn over a 100 college offers for football.

Art Cattano, Football/Basketball/Baseball/Coach, 1973

Cattano was a member of the 1972 state championship football team and also excelled in baseball and basketball at New Providence. Cattano later became a legendary basketball coach at his alma mater. He has coached for 36 years at New Providence, winning more than 500 games and two state championships. Cattano also spent 34 years as an assistant football coach and one year as the head coach at New Providence. He is in the NJSIAA Football Coaches Hall of Fame.

Mike Barba, Baseball, 1975

Barba was an all-conference player as a senior and finished that year with a 6-2 record. The 6-foot, 195-pound pitcher went on to play in college at Coastal Carolina before being selected in the 7th round of the 1979 draft by the San Diego Padres. He played seven years of minor league baseball for the Padres, California Angels, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. Barba played AA ball for three years in the early 1980s and had his best year in 1984 with the Beaumont Golden Gators of the Texas League, going 4-1 with the Padres' minor league affiliate.

Syd Kitson, Football, 1976

Kitson was part of an incredible group of athletes to suit up on the gridiron for New Providence in the 1970s. His efforts at the Union County school earned him a scholarship at Wake Forest. In college, he started his career at tight end, before being moved to offensive tackle and eventually to offensive guard. Kitson, who is 6-foot-5, excelled on the offensive line and drew the attention of scouts. He was drafted in the third round of the 1980 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. Kitson played four seasons, splitting time between the Packers and Dallas Cowboys.

Rich Billitz, Wrestling, 1976

Billitz won it all in the 122-pound weight class as a senior in 1976. He went head to head with Madison's Mike Jacoutot and pinned him in 1:27 to become the second wrestler in program history to stand on the top of the podium at the state finals. Billitz was also a four-time district champion and two-time regional placer. He wrestled in college at Fairleigh Dickinson-Teaneck.

Teddy Blackwell, Football/Baseball, 1977

Blackwell is one the best football players the program has ever seen. The star running back set the single-season scoring record (which has since been broken) in state history with 254 points during his senior year. That mark broke the record of 246 points set by John Gianantonio of Netcong in 1950 and Blackwell set it as he led New Providence to a win over Butler in the 1976 North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2 title game. New Providence went unbeaten for the first time ever that season behind the play of Blackwell, who finished that season with 37 touchdowns and 16 conversions. He returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown in the state final to win the game. Blackwell was twice selected to the All-State teams in football and baseball. He was a star player for the 1976 team that won a state championship on the diamond. Blackwell went on to play football in college at Rutgers and was a team captain. He ran for nearly 2,000 yards as a Scarlet Knight and returned two punts for touchdowns during his time there. Blackwell spent some time in camp with the New York Giants.

Your picks and ours for all-time sports greats

Check out the great nominees and vote to enshrine four

Steve Gelmine, Baseball, 1981

Gelmine put together a sensational career at New Providence and was so good in high school that the Cleveland Indians drafted him in the 13th round. The 6-foot, 175-pound pitcher elected to go to Florida State instead, however, and finished with a 12-4 record for the Seminoles. After graduating from Florida State, Gelmine was drafted by the Houston Astros. The left-hander played one year of minor league baseball and finished with a 5-2 record in A- ball for the Auburn Astros of the New York-Pennsylvania League.

Barry Blackwell, Baseball, 1984

Blackwell was the next in line in the list of great athletes to come through New Providence. He was an all-state standout in baseball and went to Florida State, where he was a catcher for the Seminoles and a member of the 1986 team that made it to the National Championship game. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder put up a .328 average over the course of four years and belted 31 homers. He was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 17th round of the 1988 Amateur Entry Draft. Blackwell played four years in the minor leagues, making it as high as AA ball with the Canton/Akron Indians.

Alan Niemela, Football/Baseball/Basketball, 1985

Niemela was a three-sport athlete at New Providence, but really made a name for himself in football. He went on to play at West Chester in college and broke several school records while completing 462 of 846 passes for 5,921 yards and 52 touchdowns. The 6-2, 206-pound signal caller was most valuable player in the PSAC-East, ECAC Division II Player of the Year, Eagles’ Alumni Delaware Valley College Player of the Year and a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy (the Division II Heisman) while at West Chester. He then had a brief tryout with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Lori Carpenter, Cross Country/Indoor Track/Outdoor Track, 1986

Carpenter was a sectional champion in cross country in three seasons and finished as an All-State selection as a senior. She was the first female in program history to win a Union County title in cross country. New Providence didn’t see another county champion until 2015, when Jillian Turner won the crown. Carpenter was also a Group 1 champion during indoor track, winning the title in the 3200. Carpenter excelled in outdoor track as well, with titles in the 800, 1600 and 3200 across her junior and seniors seasons. She set school records in the indoor and outdoor 800 meters.

Dennis Lonergan, Football/Wrestling/Baseball, 1989

Lonergan helped lead New Providence to state championships in 1987 and 1988. As a senior, he was an All-State quarterback for a New Providence team that secured the second of three straight state titles. Lonergan was also a standout linebacker for the Pioneers. In wrestling, Lonergan was the first freshman to start at the upper weights. He excelled in his four years, winning district and regional titles. A three-sport athlete, Lonergan was also a star on the diamond and an all-state selection.

Rita Arora, Golf, 1993

Arora petitioned to be on the golf team - which was all-male at the time - and quickly made her mark for New Providence. She was so god that she earned a spot on golf team at Rutgers, where she continued to shine and was a two-team team MVP. Arora also went on to play in Amateur and Pro tours, including time on the Futures Tour.

Chris Gates, Track and Field, 1998

Gates is one of the most accomplished track and field athletes to come through New Providence. He won an outdoor state title in the pole vault, taking home the crown with a mark of 15-0 in 1998. That height stood alone as a school record until 2013, when Michael Closs tied it and finished second in the state that year.

Donnie DeFilippis, Wrestling, 1999

DeFillippis was a storied high school wrestler, making it to the state finals in 1996 and 1998 before winning it all in 1999 at the 140-pound weight class. DeFillippis only wrestled two years at New Providence, but overall he was a four-time district champion and four-time regional champion. He transferred from Seton Hall Prep to New Providence as a junior and made it to back-to-back state finals. He finished the dream of winning a state title in 1999 with a win over St. Joe's Eric Norgaard to finish 31-0 as a senior. DeFilippis continued wrestling in college at Rutgers in the early 2000s.

Todd Simo, Baseball/Basketball, 1999

Simo was a standout pitcher at New Providence and was known for his ability to overwhelm batters and strike them out. He helped lead New Providence to a Group 1 championship in 1998 - the program's last state title in first since 1976. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder was drafted out of high school by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 36th round of the 1999 Amateur Entry Draft. He did not sign, however, and played college baseball at George Mason and Kean University. At New Providence, Simo was also a basketball star at New Providence. He helped lead the Pioneers to a Group 1 state title in 1999 along with his twin brother, Tim. That team set a then-program record with 21 wins.

Ryan Stanek, Baseball/Football, 1999

Stanek was another player on the 1999 New Providence baseball team that was drafted out of high school. He also helped lead New Providence to a Group 1 championship in 1998. That was only the second group title in the history of the program. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound catcher was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 38th Round of the 1999 Amateur Entry Draft. He did not sign and played college baseball at William Paterson University. Stanek was also an impact player on the gridiron and started at quarterback for New Providence.

Priscilla Barletta, Swimming/Tennis/Track and Field, 2008

Barletta was an all-group performer in three sports, but she was especially talented in the pool. She went on to swim at Lehigh and earned Freshman Swimmer of the Year honors in 2009. Barletta held the school record in the 200 free. After her college career was over, Barletta coached at her alma mater and won a sectional title with the boys swim team. Barletta moved up to the college ranks to coach swimming, spending time at UConn and Army before landing her current job as lead assistant at Penn State.

Dylan Glendinning, Boys Tennis, 2010

Glendinning helped lead New Providence to a state championship in 2010 and that marked the first time in 20 years that the program claimed the top spot. Glendinning was first singles for that team and won an individual title at the Union County championships that spring. That title run in 2010 started a run of excellence for New Providence that also won state championships in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Those teams were led by first singles Alex Hochen.

Laura Gregory, Girls Basketball, 2011

Gregory and Kaitlyn Cresencia were stars for a New Providence team that won it all in Group 1 back in 2011. That team finished 24-6 and made it all the way to the Tournament of Champions. Gregory led the team in scoring that winter, averaging 13 points per game. She also made an impact on the boards and pulled down 14 rebounds in a 50-40 win over Haddon Township in the state final. With Gregory and Cresencia leading the way, New Providence went on a two-year stretch where it did not once lose back-to-back games in a season. Gregory went on to play at Muhlenberg.

Alex Schlobohm, Girls Soccer, 2013

Schlobohm is one of the top players to come through the girls soccer program and was a key piece in championship runs in 2010 and 2011. She had her best year for the Pioneers in 2011, with 17 goals and 11 assists. That included a score in a 4-0 win over Haddon Township in the 2011 state final. Schlobohm was impactful the year before as well with 12 goals and 11 assists for New Providence, which beat Pennsville, 1-0, in the 2010 final thanks to a Casey Trezza goal in the second half. Gina Caprara was the leading scorer on that 2010 team and helped the Union County squad win its first outright state title. New Providence was co-champs in 2000 and 2003 prior to taking home a solo crown in 2010. Schlobohm played college soccer at Boston University. Her sister played for the team at Cornell.

Jack Harvey, Lacrosse/Football, 2015

Harvey finished his time with the New Providence lacrosse team in style, with the fifth most goals all-time (257), at the time, in state history and and fifth most all-time points (417). As a senior, he scored 87 goals, sent out 67 assists and picked up 83 ground balls. Harvey played lacrosse in college at Gettysburg and was named a Preseason Division III Player of the Year candidate at one point by Inside Lacrosse. In high school, he was also a standout in football, starting three years as a quarterback.

Maggie Roughley, Girls Soccer, 2016

Roughley is one of the best soccer players that Scott Murphy has seen during his years as the New Providence girls soccer coach. Roughley was a standout for the Pioneers and also a top player for PDA - an elite club team based out of Somerset County. Roughley was a team captain for two years at New Providence and earned a scholarship to play D1 soccer at Fordham. The midfielder finished her high school career with 21 goals and 14 assists.

Katie Kinum, Girls Basketball, 2017

Kinum finished her high school career with 1,861 career points and that mark makes her the leading scorer in school history. She was part of a team that went 22-10 and won the Group 1 state championship in 2015. As a senior, Kinum was an All-State selection after putting up 22.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. She went on to play college basketball at UPenn and will be a senior next winter.

Sydney Morang was a member of that 2015 championship team as well and had a double-double in a 32-30 win over Haddon Township in the title game. Morang played three years at New Providence before transferring and graduating from IMG Academy in Florida. She played college basketball at the University of Florida.

Katherine Ge, Girls Tennis, 2018

Ge played first singles as a freshman for a team that won it all and took home the Group 1 state championship in the fall of 2014. After losing hold of the state title in 2015, New Providence stormed back with Ge at first singles and won the crown again in 2016. Stephanie Maluso was another Class of 2019 player, along with Ge, who helped spark New Providence at the second singles position.

Tyler Lawton, Boys Lacrosse, 2018

Lawton is one of the top lacrosse players to come out of the New Providence program. The talented scorer came through with 145 goals and 75 assists. Lawton followed in the footsteps from Jack Harvery after the two played together in 2015. Lawton finished with 62 goals in his senior year. He went to play at Syracuse out of high school. He transferred and now plays for Wagner College, however.

Sophia Kudryashova, Girls Swimming, 2019

Kudryashova was one of the best swimmers New Providence has ever seen. She finished second in the state in the 100-yard freestyle (51.28) and third in the 200-yard freestyle (1:49.82) at the 2017 NJSIAA swimming and diving Championships. Kudryashova broke two meet records at the Union County finals with a 1:50.61 in the 200 and a 51.14 in the 100. She was also a three-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American in high school. Kudryashova is currently a swimmer at the University of Michigan. Her sister, Julia, swam in college for Maryland and Rutgers. Julia broke the Union County record in the 50 and 100 freestyle events as a junior and a senior. That 100 freestyle record stood until Sophia bested it in 2019.

Kaitlyn Cumiskey, Lacrosse/Cross Country/Basketball, 2020

Cumiskey scored 301 goals in just three years playing lacosse at New Providence. She was on pace to hit 400 if the spring season had been played and would have been the sixth player in state history to reach that mark. Cumiskey led the state with 112 goals a year ago. She will play college lacrosse at UPenn. Cumiskey also ran cross country at New Providence and was a key veteran presence on the basketball team. She helped lead the Pioneers to a North 2, Group 1 championship this winter.

Frank Bottone, Coach, Football, 1963-2010

The legendary football coach put together a 334-125-7 record during 48 seasons at New Providence. That time with the Pioneers also included six sectional playoff championships and eighth titles overall. When he reached 300 wins, Bottone was just the fourth coach in state history to hit that milestone. Bottone started with New Providence football during its inception in 1963, when it was a sub-varsity program. The Pioneers played their first varsity season under him two years later in 1965. In his final season in 2010, Bottone led New Providence to the North 2, Group I title. He also guided New Providence to championships in 1974, 1976, 1987, 1988 and 1989.

Paul Miller, Coach, Baseball/Boys Basketball/Golf, 1958-2011

Miller coached for 53 years and led New Providence to a pair of state championships in baseball during his 32-year tenure on the diamond. Miller’s teams found success in Union County as well, winning the county championship in 1977 and 1983. The legendary coach also oversaw a handful of players who were drafted in the MLB Draft, including a few right out of high school. The school’s baseball field is now named after Miller. The veteran coach also led the school’s golf team to a Group 1 state championship in 2010.

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Brandon Gould may be reached at bgould@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BrandonGouldHS.