Inaugural Annual Flag Football Scholar-Athlete Dinner for the Greater Morris County Chapter of the National Football Foundation
FLORHAM PARK, NEW JERSEY - On Wednesday, June 4, 2026, the Greater Morris County Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame gathered for its 1st Annual Flag Football Scholar-Athlete Dinner at The Park Avenue Club in Florham Park, NJ. After 32 years of proudly celebrating the young men of Morris, Sussex, and Warren County who excelled on the football field, in the classroom, and in their communities, the Chapter was proud to extend that same tradition of honor to the young women who participate in flag football — athletes who have been competing and excelling with equal passion and deserving of this moment every bit as much. More than a milestone event, it was a historic celebration of character; an evening that brought together families, coaches, educators, and community leaders to recognize nine outstanding high school flag football scholar-athletes and affirm that excellence knows no gender.
Chapter President Bill Haemmerle opened the evening by paying tribute to chapter founder Matt Sellitto, whose 30 years of leadership built the organization into what it is today. “We honor that foundation tonight by expanding it,” he said, “because that’s what strong foundations are for.” To the nine young women in the room, his message was direct: “You are the first class of this tradition, and the first class always sets the standard.”
The evening also focused a well-deserved spotlight on two distinguished honorees whose careers exemplify the values the National Football Foundation holds dear.
Michele Ansbacher was honored with the Distinguished American Award. A 1980 Montclair State University alumna, Michele built a remarkable 34-year career at Prudential Financial, rising to Eastern Territory Vice President of Prudential Advisors and retiring as a Corporate Vice President — the company’s highest professional designation. She earned her MBA in Finance from New York University entirely at night while working full time and raising two daughters. Since retiring in 2014, she has devoted herself wholeheartedly to Montclair State, serving as Adjunct Professor and Executive-in-Residence at the Feliciano School of Business, co-founding the MSU + Pru Connect career pipeline program, and chairing the Feliciano Advisory Board. A recipient of the 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award and a 2019 Top 25 Entrepreneurs/Intrapreneurs in New Jersey honoree, Michele Ansbacher’s story is a reminder that the discipline, teamwork, and resilience that define great athletes are the very same qualities that build an extraordinary life.
Eli Hodges, Director of Community Relations and Youth Football for the New York Jets, was recognized as the evening’s Contribution to the Game honoree. A Rutgers University alumnus with a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Eli built his Jets career from the ground up before becoming the driving force behind the launch of the first High School Girls Flag Football League in New Jersey in 2021. Under his leadership, the program grew to fund seven leagues with 225 high school teams and more than 5,000 annual participants, culminating in flag football being sanctioned as an official state championship sport in New York in 2024, and New Jersey in 2026. The effort even crossed the Atlantic, with Eli representing the Jets at the inaugural Girls Flag Championship in London. Named one of North Jersey Media Group’s 40 Under 40 honorees, Eli Hodges changed the game not by playing it, but by opening it up, giving every young woman a field to call her own.
The nine scholar-athletes honored at the inaugural dinner were selected using a formula mandated by the National Football Foundation’s national headquarters: 40% academic achievement, 40% athleticism, and 20% citizenship. These young women were chosen not for any single accomplishment, but for the full measure of who they are, on the field, in the classroom, and in the communities they serve. They competed, studied, led, and showed up. In doing so, they became exactly what the Foundation has always sought to celebrate.
At its heart, the Annual Flag Football Scholar-Athlete Dinner is an expression of the National Football Foundation’s mission: to use the power of amateur football to promote leadership, academic achievement, and sportsmanship in young people. The Greater Morris County Chapter has embraced that mission for over three decades, and this historic first flag football dinner served as a powerful reminder of how much is possible when a community invests in all of its young athletes.
The evening was made possible through the generosity of its sponsors: Atlantic Health, the New York Jets, Wiss & Company, Athletic Fields of America, and Cole Schotz PC, organizations that share the Foundation's belief that investing in young people is always worthwhile. The New York Jets Flag Football program has been a driving partner in expanding flag football across the region, and their commitment was evident throughout the evening.
The 1st Annual Flag Football Scholar-Athlete Dinner was more than a night of recognition; it was a gathering of people who believe in the power of hard work, character, and community, and who understand that the game of football belongs to everyone. The athletes honored represent the very best of what high school flag football has to offer: young women who compete with passion, study with purpose, and carry themselves with the kind of integrity that makes their families, schools, and communities proud. The Greater Morris County Chapter of the National Football Foundation looks forward to continuing this tradition and honoring future generations who rise to meet its standard of excellence.
The Scholar-Athletes honored include:
Mariana Montoya, Dover High School
Anna Willis, Hackettstown High School
Gabrielle Rocks, Jefferson Township High School
Nora Istvan, Montville Township High School
Adrianna Petrucci, Morristown High School
Molly Smyth, Mount Olive High School
Cailey Fitzmorris, Pope John XXIII Regional High School
Alyssa Ciaburri, Sparta High School
Adrianna Romeo, Wallkill Valley High School
For more information about the Foundation or its mission, please visit www.nffmorris.com.