Point Beach head boys basketball coach Nick Catania, who led the Garnet Gulls to their first NJSIAA Group I title last winter, has been upgraded from critical to fair condition at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank on Wednesday morning, according to Riverview spokesperson Robert Cavanaugh.

Catania had been in critical condition through Tuesday after collapsing early in the day on Monday and requiring CPR until the paramedics arrived. His condition was upgraded to "fair'' by doctors on Wednesday morning.

"On behalf of the Shore Conference Basketball Coaches Association we send our thoughts and prayers to Coach Nick Catania, his family and the Point Pleasant Beach community,'' Shore Basketball Coaches Association President Mike Puorro, the head coach at Wall, said in a statement. "Nick is a well-respected coach in our area and has done tremendous things for the Point Pleasant Beach Boys Basketball Program.  We wish Nick a quick recovery."

Thoughts and prayers go out from everyone here at Shore Sports Network to Catania and his family, and hopefully he makes a speedy recovery.

Catania, 36, who is a physical education teacher at Middletown South, suffered the medical emergency during an in-service day at the school while he was at nearby Tindall Park in Middletown during a tennis activity with the physical education staffs of both Middletown high schools. Nurses from both schools performed CPR on him and a Middletown police officer used a defibrillator on him after arriving on the scene.

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Catania is entering his 10th season at his alma mater on the heels of the most successful season in program history. The Garnet Gulls won the Class B Central title, reached the Shore Conference Tournament final, and made the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions for the first time last season while racking up a school-record 27 wins. Point Beach is loaded up for another run this season, returning Division I recruits Matt Farrell and Dom Uhl, three-sport standout Noah Yates, and junior forward Chris Schifano, who missed most of last season with a torn ACL, from the starting lineup.

Many people posted on social media on Monday in support of Catania.







 

 

 

 

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