Being named a member of Courier Post’s All-South Jersey Girls Team for four straight years and placing first in the South Jersey all around competition, Karen Barr (‘86) was nothing short of a stand-out gymnast at East. She also represented the United States in competitions in England, Canada, and Mexico. Barr was not just a competitor, but a leader on the mat, as a captain in her junior and senior years. 

In addition to gymnastics, she swam and competed in shot put and long jump for the track and field team. These were new sports for Barr, but she jumped right in and her athleticism and dedication brought her far. 

“[Sports] gave me determination and fortitude to not quit and keep pushing,” said Barr.

Unfortunately, a back injury prevented her from competing in gymnastics beyond the fall of her senior year. Nonetheless, the mark she made on athletics at East, especially in the formerly East gymnastics program, remains. 

Beyond high school, Barr studied economics at Duke University and currently works in the equipment finance industry. Sports are still part of her life, but play a different role: usually watching the Eagles on Sundays. 

During his time at Cherry Hill East, Chris Canosa (‘99) played three varsity sports: ice hockey, soccer, and baseball. However when senior year came around, Canosa decided to focus primarily on baseball. He was awarded a multitude of honors during his senior year, including East’s highest career batting average, 1st team All-State Baseball, Honorable Mention All-American Baseball, and more. However, Conasa said his favorite memory at East was winning the Group 4 South Jersey Championship in 1998.

“The guys that I played with, the seniors, I grew up playing baseball with since I was nine, ten years old so it was a special moment,” Canosa said. 

After he graduated from East, Canosa attended East Carolina University where he would play baseball. A shoulder injury during his freshman year, however, ended his baseball career. Sports continued to remain a constant in Canosa’s life. In college, he founded East Carolina University’s first roller hockey team. 

Canosa married Jen McAlary, his high school sweetheart, after college. They have two children together and live in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has passed on his love for sports to both of his children, spreading his passion.  

“[Sports] impacted my life in every way,” said Canosa.  

Debra Censits (’77) played a wide range of sports during her athletic career at Cherry Hill High School East. She played four years of field hockey, ran winter track, and ended up playing lacrosse when her path to playing softball was closed. She fell in love with lacrosse and continued to play it, along with field hockey, at the University of Pennsylvania. 

In college, Censits earned eight varsity letters and held a starting position for all four years in both lacrosse and field hockey. During her time there, the University of Pennsylvania was brought into the top 20 national ranking in those sports. 

In field hockey, she was captain of her team and earned two first-team All-Ivy awards. For lacrosse, Censits played attack for her freshman year, scoring five goals in one game. For the rest of her time in college, she would play defense, earning two second-team All-Ivy selections. The University of Pennsylvania lacrosse team finished third in the nation when she was a junior. In 2012, she was inducted into the University of Pennsylvania’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Censits was the first nursing student to compete in athletics at the University of Pennsylvania, paving the way for other athletes to follow in her footsteps. She went on to teach nursing at several other universities, coach sports at the high school and college levels, and open her own healing arts business, where she said she helps clients find optimal health through understanding themselves.

Some consider athletics to be a distraction from studies, but for Alaina Chodoff (‘07), cross country and track provided her with the tools necessary for future success. 

Named East’s NJSIAA Scholar-Athlete and a two-time All South Jersey athlete, Chodoff’s dedication to year-round sports paid off. Chodoff contributed to the girls cross country team during many of their most significant years, including Olympic Conference and South Jersey Group 4 victories. 

Post high school, Chodoff studied psychology and pre-med at Bucknell University, while balancing the student-athlete life as a Division I runner. Chodoff explained that she did not originally plan to study pre-med, but was inspired by her teammates and it ultimately changed the trajectory of her career.  She went on to become a physician with a successful career, specializing in primary care for women at Jefferson. 

“As a physician every single day it’s a grind to the finish; to finish medical school, residency, and so I’m constantly feeling like I might give up at any second. But at the end of a race, right, can’t really give up, [you] got to make it to the finish line,” said Chodoff.

Sports continue to guide Chodoff in her career, lifestyle choices, and family-life, with pillars of fixed intent and wellness. 

Marlee Ehrlich (‘12) was a varsity swimmer during her time at Cherry Hill East. As Team Captain her senior year, Ehrlich helped lead her team to many victories and conference appearances. She also assisted in bringing the team to its first Group IV Section championship. Throughout her time at East, Ehrlich received many accolades such as 3-time USA Swimming Scholastic All American, SJISA’s High School Swimmer of the Year, and more. 

“Getting to bring some of that success back to East was remarkable,” Ehrlich said. 

In addition to her swimming at East, she also was a member of Team USA for the World Maccabiah Games in Israel. She competed in 2009 and 2013, winning a couple gold medals in the 2013 meet. 

Erlich continued her swimming and academic career at Harvard. During her time there, the swimming team won two Ivy League Championships and Ehrlich made numerous appearances on the podium at the 2016 championship. During her final year at Harvard, she was named as the Team Captain. 

“It was the best time of my life,” Ehrlich said.

Following graduation, Ehrlich moved to Los Angeles and began working in the music industry. She attributes a lot of her success to her parent’s support and the guidance from Coach Ricci, her coach at East. 

Allen Hickman (’75) was a wrestler and football player for Cherry Hill High School East. During his varsity wrestling career, he won the Region 7 Team Championship for his weight class, 158 pounds. Although primarily a wrestler, Hickman was also a varsity football player, working hard through his four years on the team.

Hickman said that he enjoyed the whole high school experience, especially “the friends you made and the people you met; you remember bits and pieces.” Hickman graduated 50 years ago, but one lesson he remembers from playing high school sports is that “… if you work hard, you can accomplish anything.” He has all of his kids in sports to teach teamwork, using sports as a means of bonding.

After high school, Hickman took his athletic career to Catawba College in North Carolina, later enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in 1978. He would serve for three years before joining his family’s steel business. 

He would stay there until 2005, then leave to work for Holtec International, a global energy solutions company that focuses on nuclear technology and power plant services. Today, he works there as the Vice President of Manufacturing and Supply Chain.

As a tri-sport athlete, Dan Karbach (‘89), impacted East athletics within the soccer, basketball, and baseball programs. For basketball, Karbach was an all Olympic conference athlete and a captain his senior year. Baseball, his main sport, he was all South Jersey, all conference, and a Carpenter Cup athlete, with a 7-0 pitching record. During his time on the baseball team, Karbach helped East hold a first place ranking in New Jersey and was the winning pitcher of the game that won them South Jersey Group 4 his junior year. His senior year, he received the Al Dibart award for athletic success, outstanding academics, and commendable character.

Karbach’s achievements did not conclude at East, receiving a full ride to play baseball at La Salle University. He earned all-conference recognition two times, was on the “all-time” list, and was a non-roster invitee for the Cardinals. 

He went on to become a business owner and has run HVAC and Boilers for the past 25 years. Karbach explains that sports shaped him into a leader and a better father as he is able to teach his three sons from his own mistakes. 

“Just learning how to be competitive, because in the business world…or any kind of world you’re going to be in, you have to be able to compete, you have to want to be better, and you have to want to do the best you can do that day,” said Karbach.

Samra Lee (’93) was a member of the Varsity Cross Country team and Varsity Spring Track team. During her time at Cherry Hill East, Lee was named Team Captain and MVP. She assisted with leading the Cross Country team to the Olympic Conference American Division Championship. During her senior season, Lee was named to the All-South Jersey Team. 

One of Lee’s fondest memories at East was playing with the girls cross country team in a basketball game against the boys basketball team. 

“Unfortunately the basketball team won but we chalked it up to them being taller and having longer strides than us,” Lee said. 

Lee continued running at Villanova University after she graduated from East. During her time on the Women’s Cross Country team, she competed in the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. 

Since college, Lee has remained highly committed to fitness, running numerous marathons, Ironman triathlons, and more. She now inspires others to regain their mobility and confidence as a physical therapist.

“Every day I try to promote movement in my patients,” said Lee. 

Lee lives in Marlton and is married to Chris Carpino. Together, they have two children at Cherokee High School. Lee said that her family is her greatest joy. 

Steve Lobel (’89) was a pole vaulter and football player. In pole vaulting, he was able to clear 14 feet and won the state championship as a sophomore. For football, Lobel held impressive football statistics, including 63 catches and 12 touchdowns. These numbers would earn him first-team All-State for football. 

Lobel played football at Dartmouth College, where he played for two seasons. After staying concentrated on football, Lobel began to focus on his academic career, continuing his undergraduate studies at Lycoming College. This change would lead to him enrolling in medical school at St. George’s University and continuing training at the University of Virginia for internal medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School for physical medicine and rehabilitation, and Emory University for interventional spine fellowship. After completing his formal training, Lobel went on to become the assistant program director of the Emory fellowship.

Lobel now lives in Georgia with his wife, Audia, and his kids, Molly and Alex. Molly is a first-year doctor of veterinary medicine student at the University of Georgia, and Alex is a junior and starting attackman for the University of Michigan’s lacrosse team.

During her time at Cherry Hill East, Kathy Piotrowski (‘79) participated in three varsity sports: field hockey, swimming, and lacrosse. During the fall field hockey seasons, Piotrowski was awarded three varsity letters and named Team Captain during her senior year. She also was selected to the South Jersey Conference All Star Team. In the winter, Piotrowski earned two varsity letters for her swimming performance. During her junior and senior year lacrosse seasons, she was selected to the All-South Jersey Girls Lacrosse Team. Piotrowski was also awarded three varsity letters. 

“We beat Collingswood and back then they were the best team and we kicked their butts,” said Piotrowski in response to her favorite memory at East.

After graduating from East, Piotrowski attended the University of Rhode Island to play field hockey and lacrosse but transferred to Glassboro State College, where she continued her athletic career. In her senior year, Piotrowski was named the Team Captain of both the field hockey and lacrosse teams. She received many other accolades during her time at Glassboro State College.

“[Sports] taught me to be able to work hard and achieve my goals. It made me disciplined so I can multitask and it just taught me to love sports,” Piotrowski said. 

Piotrowski currently lives in Delanco, New Jersey. She has twin daughters and three grandchildren, all of whom she is extremely proud of. 

Alex Reber (’12) played three varsity sports for all four years at Cherry Hill High School East. In particular, he excelled in track and field, where he won sectionals his senior year. But even before his last year at East, Reber made a name for himself. In his sophomore year, he made it through the state championship rounds, winning the South Jersey Group IV 400-meter title, placing second in the Group IV meet and finishing seventh in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles at the Meet of Champions.

Later, Reber would earn himself All-American honors for placing fifth at the High School Indoor National Meet. He would continue to gain recognition during his senior year, winning the Group IV title and being a runner-up in the 400-meter dash. For his final season of spring track, Reber would end his high school career on a high note by winning three individual events to secure his team the South Jersey Group IV Team title and earning his second All-American honors by anchoring the Super Sprint 800-meter relay, finishing third in the national meet. 

“[Sports] shape you and make you understand the value of putting in the hard work,” Reber said.

He received a scholarship to continue his track career at Villanova University, but his season was cut short due to injuries: Reber was only able to compete his freshman and junior years in college. At Villanova University, Reber earned a degree in economics. Today, he works in the supply chain field.

As the youngest in the 2025 inductee class, Jake Silpe (‘15) is a name that will forever be remembered in East basketball. He was a two-year captain, East’s second all-time point scorer and all-time steal leader, N.J. Player of the Year for the Courier-Post and Philadelphia Inquirer, East boys basketball Hall of Fame inductee, and Olympic conference player of the year. For East’s basketball program overall, Silpe helped lead the boys to the sectional finals in his junior year and the state championships in his senior year. 

After high school, Silpe played basketball at the University of Pennsylvania where he was one of the top assist leaders in the Ivy Leagues. In his freshman year he led his team in assists and steals. 

As for his career, Silpe studied at the Wharton School of Business and went on to work at the Bank of America after his undergrad. Currently, he works for the NBA’s department for Strategic Finance and Transaction, returning to his basketball roots. 

“[Sports] shaped me as a person. In life you go through ups and downs, and you never know what’s coming but you can train yourself, through sports, because you face adversity, to overcome obstacles and it prepares you for life like nothing else,” said Silpe.

Silpe reflects that his years in athletics gave him the ability to form strong bonds and relationships with the people around him, and lean on them as a support system. 

In 1968, Coach Paulette Gebert began her teaching and coaching career at Cherry Hill High School East. Gebert taught health and physical education while serving as the head coach for Cherry Hill High School East’s girls basketball and softball teams. 

She coached an undefeated basketball season, along with a state championship basketball team. In softball, her team made it all the way to the state semifinals in the league championship. Gebert said that her favorite sport to coach was basketball, as it had always been her favorite sport to play growing up.

She graduated from East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania before coming to East, where she said she “coached almost everything.” On top of being the head coach for basketball and softball, Gebert was an assistant coach for East’s girls lacrosse and tennis teams, along with hockey. 

Once her career at East had ended, Gebert left to spend six years coaching basketball at the University of Nebraska and Northern Arizona University. In Arizona, she earned her master’s degree. Gebert finished her career as an athletic director for a middle school and high school in Pennsylvania.

Gebert is now retired, living in Florida, and playing lots of golf.

Track and field has always been a part of Tony Sipp’s life. In high school and college, he ran for the track team. Sipp developed a desire to be a high school track coach during his time at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina. 

Before his career at Cherry Hill East, Sipp was an English teacher at Sterling High School in Somerdale, New Jersey. He became the assistant coach for track and field and was the advisor to the school newspaper. Following his first teaching job, Sipp also taught at Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf in Trenton and Encinal High School in Alameda, California.  

Sipp officially became a member of the East faculty in 1966. He was the head Boys Cross Country coach, Girls Cross Country coach, and assistant coach for the Boy’s Track team. Under his coaching in 1992, the Girls Cross Country team was undefeated. 

In addition to his heavy involvement in the athletics program of East, Sipp was also the Chairman of the English Department, Independent Study Coordinator, and advisor to Eastside. 

Sipp retired in 2000 and currently lives with his wife, Nancy, in Berlin, New Jersey.