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Mainland Regional High School is a regional public high school and school district serving students in grades nine through twelve from the communities of Linwood, Northfield and Somers Point in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving a total population of over 25,000 in the three communities. The high school is located in Linwood. Mainland Regional High School has been recognized by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, the highest honor that an American school can achieve. The school is the only facility of the Mainland Regional High School District.

As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,171 students and 106.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.0:1. There were 177 students (15.1% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 36 (3.1% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.

The school is fully accredited by the New Jersey Department of Education.

The district had been classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "DE", the fifth-highest of eight groupings. District Factor Groups organize districts statewide to allow comparison by common socioeconomic characteristics of the local districts. From lowest socioeconomic status to highest, the categories are A, B, CD, DE, FG, GH, I and J.

History

In December 1958, a plan for a $2.1 million (equivalent to $22.2 million in 2023) school building was cut to $1.5 million after a review of the proposal by a pair of state agencies.

In September 1959, the three constituent districts were notified by the Ocean City School District that overcrowding would mean that it would no longer be able to continue accepting students from the communities at Ocean City High School starting in the 1959-60 school year.

The school opened for the 1961-62 school year, with rising seniors from Linwood and Somers Point given the option to complete their schooling at Ocean City High School and those from Northfield to finish up at Pleasantville High School.

Awards, recognition and rankings

For the 1997-98 school year, Mainland Regional High School was formally designated by the United States Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School.

In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 26th in New Jersey and 910th nationwide. In Newsweek's May 22, 2007 issue, ranking the country's top high schools, Mainland Regional High School was listed in 719th place, the 14th-highest ranked school in New Jersey. The school ranked as number 310 in Newsweek magazine's 2005 listing of "America's Best High Schools". The Washington Post writer Jay Mathews ranked Mainland sixth in New Jersey and 111th in the nation in his book, Class Struggles: What's Wrong (and Right) with America's Best Public High Schools, based on the school's efforts at exposing students to challenging course work. In New Jersey Monthly's September 2002 issue, Mainland was ranked fifth among high schools in South Jersey.

The school was the 95th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology. The school had been ranked 81st in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 139th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 116th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 104th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state. Schooldigger.com ranked the school 111th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (an increase of 47 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (86.1%) and language arts literacy (96.0%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).

Athletics

The Mainland Regional High School Mustangs compete in the American Division of the Cape-Atlantic League, an athletic conference comprised of public and private high schools in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Gloucester counties, operating under the aegis of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). With 936 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group III for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 761 to 1,058 students in that grade range. The football team competes in the United Division of the 94-team West Jersey Football League superconference and was classified by the NJSIAA as Group III South for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 695 to 882 students.

The field hockey team won the South II sectional championship in 1973 and won both the South Jersey Group III sectional title and the overall Group III state championship in 1975. The 1973 team won the Group III title against West Essex High School on a tiebreaker following a 0-0 tie after regulation in the championship game.

The football team won the South Jersey Group III state sectional title in 1980, 1996, 1997 and 2002, and won the South Jersey Group IV title in 2008. The 1980 team scored two touchdowns in the span of 76 seconds to stage a comeback and win the South Jersey Group III state sectional championship by a score of 12-7 against an Overbrook High School team that had come into the finals undefeated. In 1996, the team won the South Jersey Group III title with a 14-7 win in the championship game against Pennsauken High School at The College of New Jersey. The team won the 2002 South Jersey Group III state championship, defeating Delsea Regional High School 21-7 in the final. In 2008, the football team won their first South Jersey Group IV sectional championship with a 21-14 win against Southern Regional High School, going 12-0 for the first time. The football team had won the 1995 South Jersey Group III title with a 42-14 victory over top-seeded Woodrow Wilson High School, but the title was later vacated by the NJSIAA due to the use of an ineligible player who had played despite being suspended.

The boys' basketball team won the 1981 Group III state championship, defeating Randolph High School by a score of 61-47 in the title game.

The boys track team won the indoor track state championship in Group III in 1996.

The boys track team won the Group III state indoor relay championship in 1996.

The boys tennis team won the Group III state championship in 1997, winning the tournament's final against Princeton High School.

The boys cross country running team won the Group III state championship in 2001 and 2002, and won the Group IV title in 2003. The team won the Meet of Champions in 2002 and 2003. The two MoC titles are tied for fifth-most of any school in the state. In 2003, the team made history when fifth man Alex Palmentieri crossed the finish line to clinch the team's second consecutive Meet of Champions title. The team's average time of 16:19, was a second off of the record set by Christian Brothers Academy in 1982 for the state championship course in Holmdel Township, New Jersey.

In 2002, the golf team won the state championship, giving them the #1 ranking in the state for the 2003 season. In 2010, Mainland's Kylie Strijek won the girls' state Tournament of Champions.

The boys' swimming team has won the Public B state championship in 2003 and 2016-2019. In 2003, the boys' swim team won Mainland's first ever swimming state championship by beating Princeton High School 91-79 in the Public B state final. The boys' swimming team finished the season with a 15-0 record and won its second Public B title in 2016, with a 99-71 win against Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School in the tournament final The team won its second consecutive title in 2017 with a 103-67 victory over Soctch Plains-Fanwood.

In 2007, the girls' soccer team won the Cape-Atlantic League American Conference for the first time in Mainland's history. A 1-0 win over Oakcrest High School guaranteed that Mainland would take the Cape-Atlantic League American Conference title in 2009.

In 2018, the boys' lacrosse team won their first Cape-Atlantic League Championship in Mainland's history, beating Ocean City 7-6.

In 2007, the boys' rowing team won the state championship with the Varsity and Second Varsity Eight.

In 2008, the JV girls rowing team, won the National Championships.

The girls tennis team won the Group III state championship in 1990, defeating Ramapo High School by 4-1 in the tournament final. In 2015, the team won the South Jersey Group II title with a 4-1 win in the tournament final against Seneca High School.

The baseball team were 2014 South Jersey Group III champions and won the Group III state championship with a 5-3 win in the tournament final against Mount Olive High School.

The girls' basketball team won the Group III state championship in 2019 (vs. Chatham High School) and 2024 (vs. Chatham). The team won the 2019 Group III title with a 42-35 win against runner-up Chatham High School in the finals of the tournament at the RWJBarnabas Health Arena. The team advanced to the Tournament of Champions as the sixth seed, falling to Manchester Township High School by a score of 74-44 in the quarterfinal round, to finish the season with a 28-4 record.

Marching band

The Mainland Marching Mustangs, a founding TOB member, were named Tournament of Bands Chapter One Champions in 1979 (Group 2), 1980 and 1984 (Group 3) and 1989 (Group 1). The marching band also won the USSBA New Jersey state championship in 2005 and 2006, and were named Northern All-State Group 1A Champions in 2008. The Mainland Regional Marching Band's color guard won Best Color Guard, Best Visual and had a score of 95.738 at USBands National Championships for group 2A in 2012 and captured the Region 1 and State Championships in both 2014 and 2015.

The band currently competes in USBands Group 2 Open. The Mustangs achieved an undefeated season in 2019 and won Atlantic Coast Championships for the first time in circuit history and received the highest score in Mainland Regional history with a score of 95.54 while winning captions for Best Music and Best Visual. The Mustangs achieved a second undefeated season in 2023 and won the USBands National Championships in 2023 for the first time in school history with a score of 94.40 and winning all major captions in Best Music, Best Visual, and Best Effect.

In both Tournament of Bands and USBands, the Mustangs have captured numerous championships under Ratcliffe. The band has been named: Tournament of Bands State Champions in 2019, USBands State Champions in 2023, Tournament of Bands Region 1 Champions in 2019 and 2022, and USBands Ludwig Musser Classic Champions in 2021 and 2023. In additional captions at championships: The band's color guard won Best Color Guard at the 2023 Ludwig Musser Classic. The band's percussion section has won Best Percussion at Region 1 Championships in 2019, 2021, and 2022, Atlantic Coast Championships in 2021, the 2023 Ludwig Musser Classic, and National Championships in 2023.

Mock trial and drama

Mainland's mock trial team won the Vincent J. Apruzzese Mock Trial Competition covering the whole state of New Jersey in 2003 and went on to compete in the National High School Mock Trial Championship in New Orleans. On March 31, 2009, the Mainland "mockers" won the state championship in New Brunswick, New Jersey. They went undefeated (11-0) to get there, after winning county and regional tournaments and went on to participate in the American Mock Trial Invitational.

In 2019, the school won the Looby Cup for the eighth consecutive time, the state title of the New Jersey Drama and Forensic League, which includes competitions in various aspects of theater and speech. Not only did Mainland come home again with the Looby Cup and first place, several members of the team garnered state champion status in their categories.

Controversy and incidents

2006 graduation controversy

In Mainland Regional High School's graduation of 2006, valedictorian Kareem Elnahal gave an unauthorized speech instead of the approved one. In his speech he criticized Mainland saying "the education we have received here is not only incomplete, it is entirely hollow." After delivering his speech, Elnahal received an ovation from some of the students in the audience. Kareem then left the graduation ceremonies before receiving his diploma.

2008 graduation controversy

During the 2008 graduation ceremony, Salutatorian Jennifer Chau's speech was cut off, after she strayed from her approved text and issued a criticism of the school's administration. Students and parents in the audience protested the cut off, requesting that she be allowed to finish her remarks. Chau's issue revolved around a decision by the school board to not let her receive credit for a freshman honors class, which allowed another student (Rebecca Ojserkis), the child of one of the Board of Education members (Janice Colton Ojserkis), to be chosen as valedictorian.

October 2006 bomb threats

Mainland experienced several bomb threats during the beginning of the 2006–2007 school year. A series of four written threats in a five-school day time span were left by students throughout the school. After several school lockdowns, evacuations, and the installation of cameras with government funding throughout the school, it seems the problem has been resolved. Two girls held responsible were placed on probation and face fines of up to $11,000 to cover costs incurred by police departments from Linwood, Somers Point, Northfield, The State Police, Prosecutors Office, Atlantic City Bomb Squad, Egg Harbor Township K-9 units and Cape May County, who responded to the incidents. This includes the Atlantic County Emergency Response Units' vehicle. The two girls also must provide hours of community service and various other forms of restitution. School officials have implied that the students arrested will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Five Mainland students were arrested for making bomb threats and also two Mainland students are arrested for causing a fire in the girls' bathroom.

Death of four football players in 2011

In August 2011, four players from the school's football team were killed in a crash on the Garden State Parkway on their way to an annual team breakfast lost control, when the SUV they were driving in overturned and crashed.

2013 chemical spill

In May 2013, incorrectly mixed pool chemicals caused chlorine vapors to spread through the school's hallways. The school was promptly evacuated and 30 students and staff were treated at area hospitals for symptoms related to exposure to the fumes. School sessions resumed after the weekend once the chemical fumes had been vented successfully.

Administration

Core members of the district's / school's administration are:

• Mark Marrone, superintendent and principal
• Kim Robinson, business administrator and board secretary
• Kevin Burns, principal

Board of education

The district's board of education, comprised of nine members, sets policy and oversees the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. As a Type II school district, the board's trustees are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year held (since 2012) as part of the November general election. The board appoints a superintendent to oversee the district's day-to-day operations and a business administrator to supervise the business functions of the district. Seats on the board of education are allocated based on population, with four seats assigned to Somers Point, three to Northfield and two to Linwood.

Notable alumni

• James F. Allen (born 1960), chairman of Hard Rock International and chief executive officer of Seminole Gaming
• Matt Broomall (born 1994), soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for the Richmond Kickers in USL League One
• Greg Buttle (born 1954), former NFL linebacker for the New York Jets who was a four-sport letterman in football, basketball, baseball and track and field at Mainland
• Joshua Cohen (born 1980), novelist and story writer, best known for his works Witz (2010) and Book of Numbers (2015)
• Shereef Elnahal (born 1985, class of 2003), physician who has served as 21st Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health
• Rachel Alana Handler (born 1988), actress, singer and motivational speaker who is best known for playing Chunks in the 2016 horror movie Smothered
• Kenneth Lacovara (born 1961, class of 1979), paleontologist best known for his discovery of Dreadnoughtus
• David Laid (born 1998), fitness influencer, YouTuber and fitness model
• George Landis, American football coach who was the head football coach at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania from 1982 to 1985 and Bucknell University from 1986 to 1988
• Mk.gee (born 1997 as Michael Todd Gordon), singer-songwriter, music producer and multi-instrumentalist
• Samuel Ojserkis (born 1990), rower who competed in the men's eight event at the 2016 Summer Olympics
• Osun Osunniyi (born 1998), college basketball player for the Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team
• Jennifer Pershing (born 1980 as Jennifer Ackley, class of 1998), Miss March 2009 in Playboy magazine
• Chase Petty (born 2003), baseball pitcher who was selected in the first round of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft by the Minnesota Twins
• Stephen H. Segal (born 1975), Hugo Award-winning editorial chief of Weird Tales magazine
• John Stone (born 1979), former NFL wide receiver
• Tim Watson (born 1974), former NFL defensive tackle

References

1. ^ School data for Mainland Regional High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.
2. Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
3. ^ Mainland Regional High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
4. Hoofprints/Newspaper Club, Mainland Regional High School. Accessed April 24, 2022.
5. Montage (Yearbook), Mainland Regional High School. Accessed April 24, 2022.
6. Mainland Regional High School 2016-17 School Report Card, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed May 29, 2016. "Mainland Regional High School is a comprehensive, four-year public high school with an enrollment of approximately 1,300 students serving the communities of Somers Point, Northfield and Linwood, New Jersey. Mainland is recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the United States Department of Education."
7. ^ Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Mainland Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2023. Accessed April 17, 2024. "Mainland Regional High School is comprised of the following three cities: Linwood, Somers Point and Northfield. The school is located in the City of Linwood.... The District is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an educational institution. The Mainland Regional High School District is a Type II District located in the County of Atlantic, State of New Jersey. The Board consists of nine members elected to three-year terms. The purpose of the District is to educate students in grades 9-12. The District receives its students from Linwood, Somers Point and Northfield. A superintendent is appointed by the Board and is responsible for the administrative control of the District." See "Roster of Officials" on page 16.
8. "CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department", Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
9. "Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test; The Washington Post. September 29, 2005 "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."
10. Public School Directory 2023–2024, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed March 1, 2024.
11. School Performance Reports for the Mainalnd Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.
12. New Jersey School Directory for the Mainland Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
13. District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 21, 2024.
14. "State Chops Shore School Bond Issue", Courier-Post, December 3, 1958. Accessed April 25, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The Mainland Regional High School District must cut the cost of a proposed new school from $2,100,000 to $1,500,000. The school district has been advised that the state Department of Local Government and the state Municipal Finance Commission have vetoed a bond issue in the larger amount, but will approve a $1,500,000 issue: The board immediately canceled a special election scheduled for Jan. 6 on the $2,100,000 bond issue, to pay for a school planned to serve the communities of Somers Point, Linwood and Northfield."
15. "Ramblin' Round", Millville Daily Republican, September 21, 1957. Accessed April 25, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The board had already notified Somers Point, Linwood and Northfield to establish a regional high school as Ocean City will cease admitting students from those communities to Ocean City High School in 1959. Residents or these places have accepted plans for such a school and the next move is to hold a special election on the question."
16. Castaldi, Skip. "Mainland Memories", Tom William Sports, July 21, 2021. Accessed April 25, 2022. "It is late August of 1961 and Mainland Regional High School is about to open as a new school. As a result, Somers Point and Linwood students will no longer attend Ocean City High School. Northfield students will no longer attend Pleasantville High School.... Incoming seniors were giving a choice, they could stay at Ocean City High, Pleasantville High or attend Mainland Regional. The vast majority choose Mainland."
17. National Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982 Through 2019 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed September 1, 2024.
18. Mathews, Jay. "The High School Challenge 2011: Mainland Regional High School", The Washington Post. Accessed August 4, 2011.
19. "The Top of the Class: The complete list of the 1,200 top U.S. schools" Archived May 23, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Newsweek, May 22, 2007. Accessed May 24, 2007.
20. The Complete List of the 1,000 Top U.S. Schools, Newsweek, August 5, 2005.
21. Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
22. Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 12, 2012.
23. Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed February 1, 2011.
24. "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
25. New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011, Schooldigger.com. Accessed March 4, 2012.
26. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
27. NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
28. Mainland Mustangs, West Jersey Football League. Accessed May 1, 2023.
29. Home Page, West Jersey Football League. Accessed May 1, 2023. "The WJFL is a 94-school super conference that stretches from Princeton to Wildwood encompassing schools from the Colonial Valley Conference, the Burlington County Scholastic League, the Olympic Conference, the Tri-County Conference, the Colonial Conference, and the Cape Atlantic League. The WJFL is made up of sixteen divisions with divisional alignments based on school size, geography and a strength-of-program component."
30. NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
31. History of NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
32. "Mainland girls win state Group 3 honors", Courier-Post, November 24, 1975. Accessed January 17, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "West Essex kept the Mainland scoring machine under control, but the Mustangs won the state Group 3 hockey title on time 19 seconds worth after a scoreless tie.... The Mustangs were losing by over two minutes in time after the first half, but kept chipping away at a very fine West Essex defense."
33. NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.
34. Burrows, Walt. "Strang leads rally as Mainland wins", Courier-Post, December 7, 1980. Accessed January 26, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Quarterback Doug Strang scored a touchdown and passed for another in the space of 1:16 here yesterday to lead Mainland High-School to a 15-12 come-from-behind victory over previously unbeaten Overbrook and the South Jersey Group 3 championship."
35. Haley, John. "Franklin 'special' in win", Asbury Park Press, December 9, 1996. Accessed December 1, 2020. "Mainland 14, Pennsauken 7: Quarterback Jeff Boyd scored on a 7-yard keeper with 2:12 remaining in regulation to give the Mustangs the NJSIAA South Jersey Group III crown at the College of New Jersey."
36. 2002 Football - South, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 20, 2007.
37. McGarry, Michael. "Mainland's perfect in winning S.J. title story / Mustangs' unbeaten football season highlights sports year", The Press of Atlantic City, June 21, 2009. Accessed July 10, 2011. "Where do quarterback Brent Caprio and his Mainland Regional High School football teammates rank in history? Caprio was the Press Football Player of the Year last fall. Mainland finished 12-0 and beat Southern Regional 21-14 to win the South Jersey Group IV title Dec. 6. The Mustangs were No. 1 in the Press Elite 11 final ranking."
38. Schenck, Craig D. "Mustangs give Coffey dramatic win in final game; Coach retiring after 30 years, 4 South Jersey titles with Mainland football program", Ocean County Sentinel, December 2, 2015. Accessed March 25, 2017. "According to The Press of Atlantic City, the Mustangs also won the 1995 South Jersey Group III championship 42-14 over Woodrow Wilson but the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association later vacated that title because it ruled Mainland used an ineligible player."
39. via Associated Press. "Mainland stripped of title", Asbury Park Press, March 14, 1996. Accessed February 6, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Mainland Regional, which won the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association South Jersey Group III football state championship 42-14 over Woodrow Wilson on Dec. 9, has been stripped of its title for using an ineligible player.... Under state rules, a player ejected from a game must serve a one-game suspension.... On Feb. 22, state Education Commissioner Leo Klagholz upheld the suspension rule."
40. NJSIAA Boys Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
41. Mills, Ed. "Big Victory Carries Randolph To Top", Daily Record, March 29, 1981. Accessed December 26, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "The Rams bowed to Mainland 61- 47 in the Group III championship game, thus losing their opportunity to become only the second Morris County team ever to win a state group title in basketball."
42. Boys Winter Track and Field Championship History: 1922-2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed February 1, 2024.
43. History of the NJSIAA Indoor Relay Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
44. History of Boys' Team Tennis Championship Tournament, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
45. NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.
46. NJSIAA Boys Cross-Country Meet of Champions Winners (1972-2018), New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
47. NJSIAA Boys Cross Country Meet of Champions Winners (1972-2018), New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
48. Egerman, Josh. "Mainland secured place in history The Mustangs sought to be among the best teams ever. Their season has earned them that distinction.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 13, 2003. Accessed July 10, 2011. "The Mustangs became the first public-school team since Bernards in 1981-82 to win back-to-back Meet of Champions crowns. And they did it in impressive fashion. Their average time at Holmdel Park was 16 minutes, 19.6 seconds, matching the second-fastest average in the history of Holmdel and just 1.2 seconds off the record set by Christian Brothers Academy in 1982."
49. McGarry, Michael. "Mainland Regional's Kylie Strijek wins state girls golf title", The Press of Atlantic City, May 27, 2010. Accessed July 10, 2011. "Kylie Strijek once talked about giving up competitive golf. Now, she's the best girls high school golfer in the state. The Mainland Regional High School senior shot a 2-over-par 76 to win the girls Tournament of Champions at Bamm Hollow Country Club on Wednesday."
50. NJSIAA Boys and Girls Team Swimming History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
51. Alden, Bill. "PHS Boys' Swim Team Has Lost Stars, Looking to Scrap its Way to Wins", Town Topics, December 10, 2003. Accessed May 12, 2015. "This past March, the Princeton High boys' swimming team culminated a dominant campaign by taking second in the NJSIAA Public B state tournament. The narrow 91-79 loss to Mainland culminated the careers of a special crew of seniors who helped the program win two straight Mercer County titles and make it to two straight state finals."
52. McGarry, Michael. "Mainland wins first state swimming title since 2003", The Press of Atlantic City, February 22, 2016. Accessed November 21, 2017. "Kneisel overcame those troubles to lead Mainland to a one-two-three, 100-butterfly sweep that propelled the Mustangs to the program's first state title in 13 years. Mainland beat Scotch Plains-Fanwood 99-71 to win the state Public B championship at The College of New Jersey."
53. Slavit, Evan. "Boys Swimming: No. 1 Mainland repeats as Public B champions", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, February 25, 2017. Accessed November 21, 2017. "After a surprising win last year for Mainland, if only by how easily it swam past a loaded Scotch Plains-Fanwood team, the top seed and No. 1 team in the NJ.com Top 20 repeated the feat for its second straight NJSIAA/Parisi Speed School Public B championship with a 103-67 win over second-seeded and No. 7 Scotch Plains-Fanwood at The College of New Jersey on Saturday morning."
54. Staff. "Girls High School Soccer Roundup", The Press of Atlantic City, October 16, 2007. Accessed July 10, 2011. "Tess McLaughlin's 2 goals help Mainland clinch CAL American Tess McLaughlin scored a goal in each half as Mainland Regional beat Oakcrest 2-0 to clinch the Mustangs' first Cape-Atlantic League American Conference girls soccer title Monday."
55. Staff. "High school girls soccer / Mainland captures American Conference title", The Press of Atlantic City, October 22, 2009. Accessed July 10, 2011.
56. "Mainland boys lacrosse wins first CAL title in program history". May 11, 2018.
57. Girls Tennis Championship History: 1971–2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed September 1, 2024.
58. "Ramapo finishes 2nd in Group III tournament", The Record, October 25, 1990. Accessed January 18, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Bergen County schools had a rough day at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association State semifinals Wednesday at Mercer County Park. Only Group 3 sectional champion Ramapo managed to reach the State group finals, where the Green Raiders fell to Mainland, 4-1."
59. Capoferri, Carmen. "Mainland girls tennis team wins South Jersey Group III title", The Press of Atlantic City, October 13, 2015. Accessed November 8, 2015. "The young Mustang team, made up entirely of underclassmen, retained its composure in a few close sets to sweep singles and add a win in second doubles as they defeated top-seeded Seneca 4-1 in the South Jersey Group III final for their first South Jersey title since 2010.... That start is now a distant memory to the Mustangs, who have earned their first group championship since 2010 when they were part of Group IV."
60. Baseball Championship History: 1959–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
61. O'Kane, John. "Mainland Regional baseball team wins state Group III title; Joins Buena Regional as local state champions", The Press of Atlantic City, June 7, 2014. Accessed May 12, 2015. "Four school buses full of fans turned the return trip down the Garden State Parkway into a victory parade for the Mainland Regional High School baseball team on Saturday. The 'Corral Crazies' had plenty of reasons to cheer as the Mustangs had just won the biggest game in school history, beating Mount Olive 5-3 to win the state Group III championship."
62. Girls Basketball Championship History: 1919–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated March 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
63. Deakyne, Brian. "Complete team effort sends Mainland to 1st girls basketball state title", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, March 10, 2019, updated August 22, 2019. Accessed January 17, 2021. "That 3-pointer from Hafetz gave Mainland the lead for good en route to a 42-35 win over Chatham in the Group 3 final Sunday afternoon at RWJ Barnabas Health Arena in Toms River. It was the end-goal for a historic team that captured the program's first-ever state championship and will play in the Tournament of Champions for the first time next week."
64. NJSIAA Girls Basketball Tournament of Champions History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 1, 2020.
65. McGarry, Mike. "Mainland's girls basketball season ends in Tournament of Champions", The Press of Atlantic City, March 13, 2019. Accessed January 17, 2021. "Manchester sank five 3-pointers in the first quarter and beat Mainland 74-44 in a Tournament of Champions quarterfinal at RWJBarnabas Health Arena.... To stay competitive, sixth-seeded Mainland (28-4) needed to control the tempo and hope Manchester shot poorly from the perimeter."
66. Tournament of Bands - Chapter One History, Tournament of Bands. Accessed July 5, 2007.
67. Atlantic Coast Champions by Year, Tournament of Bands. Accessed October 12, 2020.
68. USBANDS A Class National Championships (I A, II A, V A), USBands, November 4, 2023. Accessed November 5, 2023.
69. Staff. Mainland Regional High School Wins State Mock Trial Title Archived October 1, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey State Bar Foundation press release dated March 31, 2009. Accessed July 10, 2011. "Mainland Regional High School of Atlantic County has captured the coveted state title in the New Jersey State Bar Foundation's 2008-2009 Vincent J. Apruzzese High School Mock Trial Competition.In an exciting finish to the months-long series of spirited contests that ended with the student courtroom version of March Madness, the winning team edged out West Morris Mendham High School of Morris County at the New Jersey Law Center on March 31.... Mr. Fernandez has led Mainland's mock trial teams for the past 13 years, during which they made it to the southern regionals in 1998 and again in 2007. In between, they scored top honors in 2003.... As first-place state champions, the Mainland Regional team, along with West Morris Mendham's second-place team and North Brunswick's third-place team, will represent New Jersey in the Fourth Annual American Mock Trial Invitational, known as AMTI."
70. Marino, Suzanne "Mainland's NJDFL is the best in the state at acting out". February 26, 2019.
71. 2006 Valedictorian Speech Archived October 5, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, The Press of Atlantic City, June 22, 2006.
72. Applause (and some boos) for graduation speaker Archived August 26, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, The Press of Atlantic City, June 25, 2006.
73. "NJ Salutatorian has critical speech cut off" Archived June 29, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, The Press of Atlantic City, June 20, 2008. Accessed June 20, 2008.
74. "Mainland to hold meeting on bomb scares at school", The Press of Atlantic City, October 30, 2006. Accessed February 13, 2018
75. Dineen, Caitlin; and Mckelvey, Wallace. "Four Mainland Regional High School football players killed in Parkway crash after last summer practice", The Press of Atlantic City, August 20, 2011. Accessed August 21, 2011. "Football camaraderie and tradition. That was what the Mainland Regional High School team was looking forward to on Saturday. Instead, it became a tragic morning when the driver of an SUV carrying eight members of the team lost control of the vehicle, which overturned several times near exit 38A southbound on the Garden State Parkway, said Sgt. Julian Castellanos, spokesman for the State Police. The accident happened about 11:45 a.m.... Three of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene. The fourth victim died at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus, in Atlantic City. Bozzi and Khoury were thrown from the vehicle, Castellanos said."
76. Hurdle, Jon; and Buettner, Russ "South Jersey Stunned by Deaths of 4 Teammates", The New York Times, August 21, 2011. Accessed December 1, 2016. "Two of the boys were thrown from the Explorer, with one striking another vehicle. Three of the teenagers where pronounced dead at the scene. A fourth died later at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center's Atlantic City Campus."
77. Sweeney, Sam. "Chemical vapors send Mainland Regional students to hospital" Archived September 29, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, WCAU, May 3, 2013. Accessed September 22, 2013. "Mainland Regional High School was evacuated Friday morning after chlorine chemical vapors leaked into parts of the school from the pool area according to school officials."
78. Administration, Mainland Regional High School. Accessed April 24, 2022.
79. New Jersey School Directory for Atlantic County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
80. D'Amico, Diane. "Mainland Regional principal promoted to superintendent", The Press of Atlantic City, January 28, 2016. Accessed October 9, 2016. "Mainland Regional High School Principal Mark Marrone repeatedly used the word 'we' as he told the school board Thursday night why he wants to be the district's new superintendent. That vision of the school as a community was just one reason the board unanimously gave him the job."
81. Marino, Suzanne. "Kevin Burns is the new Mainland Regional High School principal" Archived October 10, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, The Current of Linwood, Northfield & Somers Point, June 29, 2016. Accessed October 9, 2016. "Following a lengthy search and interview process conducted by the Mainland Board of Education Principal Review Committee, Vice Principal Kevin Burns was promoted to the principal position at a special 8 a.m. meeting, Wednesday, June 29. Retiring Superintendent Robert Previti said the search to replace former Principal Mark Marrone was exhaustive with strong candidates, both internally and externally, seeking the position."
82. New Jersey Boards of Education by District Election Types - 2018 School Election, New Jersey Department of Education, updated February 16, 2018. Accessed January 26, 2020.
83. Board of Education, Mainland Regional High School. Accessed February 12, 2020.
84. Marino, Suzanne. "Mainland Regional school board candidates running unopposed", The Current of Linwood, Northfield & Somers Point, October 25, 2017. Accessed February 12, 2020. "There are no challenges in this year's election for the Mainland Regional Board of Education in any of the three sending communities. Somers Point has four seats on the nine-member Board of Education, with one up for election. Northfield controls three seats, two of which are up for election. Linwood has two seats on the board, none of which are up for election this year."
85. Kravitz, Pinky. "Pinky's Corner: Hard Rock's CEO climbed ladder in Atlantic City", The Press of Atlantic City, March 10, 2011. Accessed September 27, 2017. "Allen has a home in Linwood, attended Mainland Regional High School and learned the casino and restaurant business in Atlantic City."
86. Matt Brommall, Rutgers Newark men's soccer. Accessed July 26, 2020. "Hometown: Somers Point, NJ; High School: Mainland H.S."
87. Hilt, Ed. "NFL Football / Ex-Jet Buttle Credits Parcells For Molding Team Into Champ", The Press of Atlantic City, January 17, 1999. Accessed July 28, 2011. "'People around here are so excited about the Jets this season, they forgot they were 1-15 two years ago, and that takes some doing,' said Buttle, a Jet linebacker from 1976-84 who also starred at Penn State and Mainland Regional High School."
88. New York Jets Archived February 18, 2009, at the Wayback Machine profile.
89. DeAngelis, Martin. "Former Cape May resident receives glowing reviews for 800+ page book, Witz", The Press of Atlantic City, July 30, 2010. Accessed January 23, 2018. "Not bad bookish company for a kid who grew up in Linwood and Cape May, went to the old Trocki Hebrew Academy in Margate and then to Mainland Regional High School, and who worked some summers at his uncle's docks across the bay from Cape May - when he wasn't being a slot cashier at a few Atlantic City casinos or a semi-professional guitar player at gigs around Ocean City, Ventnor and more local spots."
90. Leonard, Nicole. "Mainland grad likely to become new New Jersey health commissioner", The Press of Atlantic City, March 12, 2018. Accessed May 21, 2019. "Elnahal attended St. Augustine Prep in Buena Vista Township and later Mainland Regional, where he graduated second in his class in 2003."
91. Brunetti Post, Michelle. "Acting dream untouched by amputation", The Press of Atlantic City, September 15, 2012. Accessed April 4, 2016. "Rachel Handler, of Linwood, is so determined to be an actress, she is back to performing just months after her left leg was amputated below the knee in an accident on the New Jersey Turnpike. The 24-year-old Mainland Regional High School graduate, a lifelong dancer, was living in Queens and had just finished playing Snow White in a production at Nicu's Spoon Theater in midtown Manhattan."
92. Marino, Suzanne. "MRHS students dig the mighty tale of Dreadnoughtus discovery by alum"Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, The Current, February 24, 2015. Accessed June 10, 2015. "Mainland Regional High School can boast many successful alumnae. There are doctors, lawyers, politicians, NFL players, and Peace Corps volunteers, but Friday, Feb. 20, Ken Lacovara Ph.D., a paleontologist and possibly one of the most adventurous of the famous alums, stopped in to talk about what he has been up to since he left Mainland in 1978."
93. Chapin, Angelina. "!7 and Swole", MEL. Accessed November 30, 2024. "The two started to hang out two years ago after they met at Mainland Regional High School, when Laid was still a sophomore and Vitale, now 19, was a jacked senior football player."
94. Steele, Jack. "Lions 'Ready' Avers Landis", The Press of Atlantic City, January 1, 1970. Accessed November 30, 2024. "Landis, one of the finest football players that ever cavorted for Coach Andy Prohaska at Linwood's Mainland High, feels that the Nittany Lions, rated No. 2 in the country, will play their best tonight."
95. Brunetti, Michelle. "Everyone has a story: Linwood teen delves deeper into jazz", The Press of Atlantic City, April 2, 2014. Accessed November 3, 2024. "At 5 years old Michael Gordon, of Linwood, was studying piano and already composing music. After about a year, he picked up his piano teacher's guitar and started to play..... 'It felt a lot more natural than piano,' said Gordon, 17, a junior at Mainland Regional High School."
96. Sam Ojserkis, United States Olympic Committee. Accessed August 11, 2016. "Birthplace: Pomona, N.J.; Hometown: Linwood, N.J.; High School: Mainland Regional High School (Linwood, N.J.) '08"
97. LeConey, Bill. "Osunniyi’s triple-double powers Mainland past Absegami", The Press of Atlantic City, December 21, 2016. Accessed March 17, 2021. "The Absegami High School boys basketball team found out just how tough it is to play against Mainland Regional’s 6-foot-8 center Osun Osunniyi on Wednesday night."
98. Lemongello, Steven. "Playmate's journey began in Somers Point", The Press of Atlantic City, April 19, 2009. Accessed July 28, 2011. "'From Gregory's to Caroline's to the Anchorage,' Jennifer Pershing, 28, listed her hometown drinking establishments, 'pretty much any time I walk into one, I see somebody I know.' The former Jennifer Ackley, a 1998 graduate of Mainland Regional High School, returned to the area this weekend for an appearance at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort - or, as this week's At The Shore puts it, locals and visitors had the chance to 'Party with a Playmate.'"
99. "South Jersey's Chase Petty drafted by Minnesota Twins in 1st round of MLB Draft", WPVI-TV, July 12, 2021. Accessed July 14, 2021. "With the 26th overall pick in the MLB Draft, the Minnesota Twins selected Linwood, New Jersey's Chase Petty. Petty, a right-hand pitcher from Mainland Regional High School, can fire the ball off the mound with extreme velocity -- 102 mph to be exact."
100. Staff. "Winners of National Merit Scholarships", The New York Times, August 8, 1993. Accessed July 10, 2011. "Stephen H. Segal... Mainland Regional H.S."
101. Huffman, Beth. "Mainland's Stone Excels On Special Teams At Wake Forest", The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 27, 2000. Accessed July 28, 2011. "The Wake Forest football team has struggled to an 0-3 start, but Mainland Regional graduate John Stone has done plenty to help the Demon Deacons."
102. John Stone, databaseFootball.com. Accessed March 12, 2008.
103. Tim Watson, NFL.com. Accessed September 6, 2009.
104. Weinberg, David. "South Jersey's football stars reflect on how the NFL draft has changed", The Press of Atlantic City, April 28, 2016. Accessed February 27, 2018. "Tim Watson wasn’t sure if the NFL would be able to find him. After playing three seasons for the University of Maryland, the Mainland Regional High School graduate transferred to NCAA Division III Rowan University in Glassboro for his senior year."

External links

• Mainland Regional High School website
• School Performance Report for Mainland Regional High School, New Jersey Department of Education
• School Data for the Mainland Regional High School, National Center for Education Statistics
• South Jersey Sports: Mainland HS

v t e Education in Atlantic County, New Jersey
School districts	K-8 Absecon Brigantine Egg Harbor City Estell Manor Folsom Galloway Township Hamilton Township Linwood Margate City Mullica Township Northfield Port Republic Somers Point Ventnor City Weymouth Township K-12 Atlantic City Atlantic County Special Services Buena Regional Egg Harbor Township Hammonton Pleasantville 9-12 Atlantic County Vocational Greater Egg Harbor Regional Mainland Regional None Corbin City (to Upper Township for K-8 / Ocean City for 9-12) Longport (to Margate City)
Public high schools	Absegami HS Atlantic City HS Atlantic County Institute of Technology Buena Regional HS Cedar Creek HS Charter-Tech High School for the Performing Arts Egg Harbor Township HS Hammonton HS Mainland Regional HS Oakcrest HS Pleasantville HS
Private	Atlantic Christian Holy Spirit Pilgrim Academy St. Augustine St. Joseph
Tertiary	Atlantic Cape Community College Stockton University
School districts by county: Atlantic Bergen Burlington Camden Cape May Cumberland Essex Gloucester Hudson Hunterdon Mercer Middlesex Monmouth Morris Ocean Passaic Salem Somerset Sussex Union Warren High schools by county Atlantic Bergen Burlington Camden Cape May Cumberland Essex Gloucester Hudson Hunterdon Mercer Middlesex Monmouth Morris Ocean Passaic Salem Somerset Sussex Union Warren

• 1961 establishments in New Jersey
• Educational institutions established in 1961
• Linwood, New Jersey
• Northfield, New Jersey
• Somers Point, New Jersey
• New Jersey District Factor Group DE
• Public high schools in Atlantic County, New Jersey
• School districts in Atlantic County, New Jersey