Legendary Lancers: St. John Vianney Caps Perfect Season With Non-Public A State Championship
NEWARK — It was the perfect ending to the perfect season for St. John Vianney. The seniors went out with a bang, and the underclassmen showed they are ready to take over after a dominant 10-0 victory over Mount St. Dominic in the Non-Public A State Championship.
The Lancers needed just six innings to complete a 30-0 season and win the program’s 10th state title. They tallied 16 hits, with seniors Gabby Gonzalez and Madison McDougall both hitting home runs as they ended their careers with a third state title.
With the win, the 2026 Lancers became just the second undefeated team in program history, joining the legendary 2004 squad that went 33-0 under former head coach Aado Kommendant and ace pitcher Tricia Reingle.
“She [Head Coach Kim Lombardi-McDougall] engraved into our heads all season that if we come out and play our game, we are not losing,” Gonzalez said. “She restated that on the bus ride. She said, ‘Let’s do it, let’s do it for the team, let’s do it for the seniors, and let’s do it for me. This is for everybody.”
St. John Vianney wasted no time jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Sophomore Olivia Lombardi just missed a 3-run home run that hit off the left-center field fence to score sophomore Maddie Dumawal. Dumawal ran for McDougall, who started the rally off with a single.
Freshman Olivia Haslacher’s single to left scored junior Mia Favato, who earlier hit a single to left. Favato went 4-for-4 and made several key catches in center field.
Mia Favato went 4-for-4 against Mount St Dominic in the Group A Championship. 6/10/26 Photo by Samantha Mayer
“We had one of the best offenses in the entire state,” Lombardi said. “One through nine, everyone puts the ball in play. Everyone wants to get on base. Everyone is determined, and everyone wants to make something happen.”
McDougall, the New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year, made it 3-0 in the third with her 17th home run on a 3-1 pitch to deep center. She finished the season with a .626 batting average, 17 home runs, and 72 RBI’s, leading the Shore Conference.
Madison McDougall struck out 10 batters and hit a solo home run in the Group A Championship at Ivy Hill Park. 6/10/26 Photo by Samantha Mayer
“I have been saying all year this has been like a dream team and dream season,” Lombardi-McDougall said. “I cannot say enough great things about all my athletes and them getting the job done all the time. However, in Madison’s case, she had a season that I had never even seen before.”
As the game progressed, the Lancers continued to pour it on at the bottom of the 4th inning. After intentionally walking McDougall to fill the bases, Gonzalez belted a grand slam to center field to make it 8-0. Gonzalez finished the season with 12 home runs, giving her double-digit home run total in three out of her four seasons.
Gabby Gonzalez hit a grand slam in the Group A Championship against Mount St. Dominic. 6/10/26 Photo by Samantha Mayer
“The two of them came in together hot and ended their careers hot,” Lombardi-McDougall said. “There are a lot of good duos out there, but those two have a special spot in my heart.”
Mount St. Dominic’s best chance to score came in the first. After a lead-off walk, a sacrifice bunt, and a passed ball, the runner reached third, but Favato’s catch on a line drive ended the inning. McDougall then retired nine straight, allowing only two hits all game.
Mia Favato chasing down a fly ball to the gap against Mount St. Dominic in the Group A Championship at Ivy Park. 6/10/26 Photo by Samantha Mayer
McDougall added 10 more strikeouts to her total in the championship game, giving her a career-high of 312 for the season and ending her career with 1,047.
The Lancers nearly added to their 8-0 lead in the 4th but left the bases loaded with one out. Junior Ava Kelshaw avoided trouble in the 5th, but the Lancers sealed the outcome in the 6th.
Olivia Lombardi celebrating after a strikeout in the Group A Championship game at Ivy Hill Park 6/10/26 Photo by Samantha Mayer
After freshman Payton McDougall reached on an error to score sophomore Lexie Csontos, junior Brynn Utter ended the game with a single to center, scoring freshman Maddie Richter. Utter went 2-for-5 with two RBI’s and a run. Utter has raised her batting average every year at St. John Vianney, hitting .406 last season and .464 as leadoff this season, with eight home runs.
Brynn Utter drove in the game winning run in the 6th inning in the Group A Championship at Ivy Hill Park 6/10/26 Photo by Samantha Mayer
St. John Vianney faced one of the toughest schedules in the state, making their 30-0 record even more impressive. Only two regular-season games were close, with the Lancers trailing in just one in the seventh inning.
Reflecting on their close calls, the Lancers trailed Immaculate Heart 6-5 entering the 7th, when Gonzalez hit a 2-run homer to give them the lead. Later, against Marlboro, they fell behind 5-4 in the 3rd but rallied in the 4th to win 7-5.
“Our goal was never to go undefeated,” Lombardi-McDougall said. “Our goal is to go undefeated in the postseason. We thought the game we could have lost was the IHA game, and that game redirected our entire season. We played Steinert in the morning and drove up to play IHA later in the day. I felt our underclassmen actually led us in that game, and then Gabby stepped up with two outs and hit the home run.”
Few athletes win one state title; Gonzalez and McDougall won three, including back-to-back titles their freshman and sophomore years. They came up short as juniors, losing to Donovan Catholic in the South Jersey Group A final before finishing their career back on top.
“We were very determined,” McDougall said. “Losing last year did not feel good, and Gabby and I really wanted to leave this organization with a bang. I look forward to watching them [underclassmen] and watching them succeed like I know they will.”
