Newly hired A.D. excited to get to work BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer “It wasn’t an easy choice, but we are very pleased to have Mr. Westrol coming to Holmdel.” — Barbara Duncan Superintendent of Schools HOLMDEL — Following an exhaustive search, the township Board of Education recently found its new athletic director. Randy Westrol, who currently serves as an assistant principal at J.P. Stevens High School in Edison, will take over the position of supervisor of physical education, health and athletics on Jan. 22. Before taking on his current role five years ago, Westrol, a resident of Brielle, was a health, physical education and driver education teacher from 1989 to 1999. In 1999 he was appointed director of athletics and supervisor of health, physical education and driver education. Although Westrol is currently in an academically oriented position, he wanted a chance to get back into athletics and saw the opportunity in Holmdel as a good one. “When I was still the athletic director a few years ago, the opportunity came up for me to move up to an assistant principal’s position,” Westrol said. “But Holmdel is a great district. It really is an honor for me to go over there. The people at Stevens High School were great and it’ll be very tough to leave, but a chance like this, to become an athletic director again, it may not come around.” At last week’s Board of Education meeting, Superintendent of Schools Barbara Duncan noted that Westrol was chosen over approximately 35 other candidates. “It was definitely a comprehensive search to find the right person,” Duncan said. “It wasn’t an easy choice, but we are very pleased to have Mr. Westrol coming to Holmdel.” Westrol will take over for Jay DeMarest, who has held the position on an interim basis since Laurie Cancalosi was terminated in August. Cancalosi and former Holmdel High School Principal Cheryl Swider were both accused by the teachers’ union, football coaches and members of the public of making personnel decision based on personal preference. Many believed a set of four teacher transfers had been made in retribution for criticism of the way the administration handled the resignation of the Holmdel High School football coaching staff after the administration reinstated a player previously removed from the team for disciplinary reasons. When Duncan joined the district this summer, she overturned the transfers and terminated both Cancalosi and Swider. Westrol said he was very impressed with the district as a whole and likes the vision that the district has under Duncan. “I have a lot of faith in Barbara Duncan,” Westrol said. “She shows very good leadership and I like that a lot. My goal is to make Holmdel the best school in the Shore Conference.”