Julia Rappa was introduced to golf through her Dad. As a young child, Julia was introduced to many sports, but golf was the one that Julia says “she picked up on quickly.” As Julia got older she began taking lessons and competing in the Pioneer Junior Golf Tour which was a Bergen County based program for young people getting into golf. According to Julia it was a great place to meet other kids that played golf and a good place to sharpen her skills. Julia also competed in many junior tours such as the NJSGA, IJGT and AJGA tournaments that gave her a great deal of exposure to competitive golf. Having played golf since she was about ten years of age, Julia was very excited about the opportunity to join the Ridgewood High School golf team as a freshman. Initially joining the boys’ team, Julia said playing competitive golf against the boys was a great experience that sharpened her competitive drive and proved to her how strong her game had become and how strong it could be. The NJSIAA recognized girls’ golf as an individual sport from boys’ golf in 2004. In 2005 Dave Vanderbush organized the first girls’ golf team at Ridgewood. There was no league and the girls played an independent schedule. There was a state tournament that year for girls’ golf sponsored by the NJSIAA. Golfers had to shoot forty five or better over nine holes during the state qualifier to qualify to play in the state tournament.While Dave Vanderbush built the RHS girls golf program, Julia and her teammate Eunae Jo were excited to support the new girls joining the team. From that point on Julia would be an integral part of putting Ridgewood girls’ golf on to the top of the list for all of the girls’ golf programs in New Jersey. Julia and her teammate Eunae Jo both qualified. Not only did they qualify, but they won the tournament with freshman Julia Rappa shooting a 90 and freshman Eunae Jo shooting an 89 for a 15 stroke victory over JP Stevens. The pair of Rappa and Jo would qualify for the tournament again for the next three years 2006, 2007 and 2008.Ridgewood would win the state championship in 2006 by one stroke in a one hole playoff with Red Bank Catholic with Rappa making a par 4 on the playoff hole. The pair would win again in 2008 with a two stroke victory over Haddonfield. It was sweet revenge as Haddonfield had defeated Ridgewood by 3 strokes for the championship in 2007. Winning many individual honors through her interscholastic days, Julia went on to play golf for four years at Long Island University Brooklyn. Julia states that golf was a big part of her decision to go to LIU. She wanted an education in New York City and her ability in golf afforded her the opportunity to do so. Julia recounts the incredible teammates she had from different parts of the world. She was the only American on the team. Julia states “when you are competing and traveling for tournaments each weekend, your teammates become family. It was an incredible experience to study in NYC during the week and play on beautiful golf courses all along the East coast during the weekends.” Julia placed in many tournaments during her collegiate career at LIU, but her high school coach Dave Vanderbush summed it up by saying, “Julia was an excellent, steady golfer who always played team golf.” Julia Rappa , welcome to the Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall Of Fame.

When Joe Pedone finished his high school basketball career in 1992 his coach, Jim Stoker, was quoted at the year end team banquet as saying, “if there is ever a Ridgewood High School Hall of Fame, Joe Pedone will be in it.” It has taken some time for that statement to come true but with his inclusion in the Class of 2022, Joe Pedone is now a member for the Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Joe Pedone joins other Ridgewood High School Basketball greats: Pete Campbell, Doug Cook, Tom Hopper, Tim Mullen, and Jim Dee. Joe was a two year varsity starter and a four year player for the Maroons. A slick, ball handing guard, he could get to the rim and score, but he was most feared as a deadly accurate outside shooter. In 1990-91, his junior year, Pedone averaged 15.1 points per game while shooting 54% from the field, 35% from the 3-point arch, and 84% from the foul line. As a result of those marks Joe was awarded 1st Team All-NNJIL, 1st Team All-Suburban, and 3rd Team All-Bergen County. As noteworthy as that season was it only set the stage for his senior year where he really put himself on the North Jersey Basketball map. The 1991-92 basketball season saw Pedone put himself not just among the elite of All-Time Ridgewood High School basketball players but on the list of outstanding players in Bergen County and North Jersey history. He averaged 24.5 points a game, second in the county by .4 points a game. He shot 39% from three point range, 78% from the foul stripe, and 49% from the field against defenses designed and focused on stopping him. Joe finished his career with 973 points a number that would have exceeded 1,000 if not for three games lost late in the season to an ankle injury. Career highlights included nine 30+ point games, 17 games of 20 points or more, 78 total points (38 & 40 respectively) against New Jersey state power Eastside High School, and an 18 win season for the 91-92 Maroons in the always tough NNJIL where every game was a challenge. As much as the focus on Pedone was his offensive skills and scoring prowess, Coach Stroker lauded him for his hard work in becoming an outstanding defensive player. Everyone who knows Coach Stroker, understands he is a “team first” guy and he speaks very highly of Joe’s work ethic, his quiet leadership, and steady team play. There were many coaches who felt Joe was the best player in Bergen County his senior year. As a result of his great play his senior year Pedone was voted 1st Team All-NNJIL, 1st Team All-Suburban, 1st Team-All Bergen County, chosen for the Bergen/Passaic All Star Game, and recognized nationally when nominated for the 1992 McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Team. He accepted a full four year basketball scholarship to Stonehill College in Massachusetts where he had an outstanding career leading the Chieftains to the Northeast 10 Conference semi-finals his sophomore year. He earned numerous Northeast 10 weekly honor roll acknowledgments before missing his senior season due to a fractured femur. Ridgewood High School is steeped in tradition of outstanding athletic teams, coaches, and athletes. With records of accomplishments in a wide variety of sports going back decades. There are thousands of athletes who have worn the Maroon and White and excelled during their high school and some later in their collegiate careers. Only the best are recognized with induction in the Athletic Hall of Fame. Joe Pedone is truly one of the best and now joins the Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments in the sport of basketball.

Clair Nowakowski had played soccer in the Ridgewood youth leagues, but her family was on vacation during 9th grade soccer tryouts, so she showed up and started running with the Cross-Country team which had no tryouts. She trained easily up to the first meet making no impression on teammates, coaches, or herself. Then came the first race a Garret Mountain. She won easily and a star was born. Clair has a positive and upbeat demeanor and she brought this to her life at Ridgewood High School. A hard worker, she brought her best every day to her classmates, teachers, and teammates. She is one of those people that make the “Tradition of Excellence” sign on the Ridgewood High School wall have meaning. Clair’s statistics are remarkable. At Ridgewood she ran three sports: Cross Country, Winter Track and Spring Track, earning 12 varsity letters. In Cross Country she was 1st team All Bergen 3 times and won the Bergen Individual Championship as a senior. Statewide she was State Group 4 Champion and named 1st Team All-State as a senior. In her sophomore year she led the Ridgewood team to the New Jersey State Championship. During Clair’s 4-year career the Ridgewood cross country team never lost a meet in northern New Jersey. In winter track Clair won All Bergen Country honors in the distance events and was an integral part of one of the best winter programs in the county. In spring track, her range from the 400 to the 3200 enabled her to lead the team to numerous championships. She frequently won 3 events at the league and country level. She was even on the Bergen Championship 4×400 team! She ended her Bergen career with 9 straight All Country selections from sophomore to senior year. In both her junior and senior year she competed in the National Scholastic Outdoor Championship in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her 1600-meter personal record of 5:04.28 is still on the Ridgewood All-Time list. At the University of Georgia Clair continued to improve her running. She was an important part of improving the Georgia cross country program and ran in the NCAA regional championship several times. In Track she continued her distance running exploits adding the steeple chase to her repertoire. Her pinnacle moment at Georgia was scoring in the SEC Championship steeplechase and standing on the podium with other great college runners. After college Clair remained in the Atlanta area working a career in human resources. She met the love of her life, Chris Looney, married and had their child, Maddie, (the cutest child ever). She still runs most days and would do just fine on the Ridgewood team today! Clair has always exhibited an innocent enthusiasm for life in whatever she is doing. The qualities that made her a great teammate at Ridgewood High School now inform her life as a career professional, wife, and mother. The Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame is proud to have her as a member!

The Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame proudly inducts Karla Mixon into the 2022 Class for her accomplishments as Head Coach for the Ridgewood High School Girls Lacrosse program. At the helm of the program from 2001 to 2018, an eighteen-season run, Karla lifted the program to a nationally ranked elite status, with perennial national rankings in the top 20. Her career won – loss record stands at 337 – 59, for a winning percentage of 85.1%, the winningest program in RHS history. Under Karla’s leadership, RHS Girls Lacrosse, in its history, has never lost to a Bergen County opponent and garnered 14 consecutive Bergen County Girls Lacrosse Tournament championships. At the New Jersey State level, Karla’s teams amassed 6 Group 4 Championship titles and two Tournament of Champions banners – consecutively in 2010 and 2011. She was feted as Bergen County Coach of the Year multiple times, and for the success of her 2011 team, she was honored by the New Jersey Star Ledger as the New Jersey Girls Lacrosse Coach of the Year. The 2011 team was honored by the “Star Ledger” as the girl’s lacrosse team of the year, additionally “The Record” named Ridgewood Girl’s lacrosse the Team of the Decade ( 2000 to 2010) and Karla the Coach of the Decade. Karla developed many female scholar athletes during her tenure who would achieve success at the collegiate level at nationally prominent programs – Duke, Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame, JMU, USC, Elon, Lehigh, Boston College, numerous Ivy League schools, to name a few. Karla was a fearless promotor of the Ridgewood Girls LaCrosse program, and supportive of Ridgewood Lacrosse Association’s youth program, which was the feeder system to the High School level. Upon her retirement, in looking back at her coaching success, Karla’s balanced approach to coaching is summed up in this quote – “Extremely dedicated, athletic, hardworking; the girls work outside of the sport, and they have to work hard in the classroom too. I think, you know, though, that it mostly comes from their internal drive, but I think they push themselves, and I think their parents also want them to do well, and help them become better people. Everyone that’s in your life, your family, your teachers, and your coaches all push you to be the best you can be.”

The Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall Of Fame proudly welcomes Peter McGinley to the 2022 induction class for his accomplishments in boy’s ice hockey. He is the first inductee for this sport at RHS. Peter, a class of 2012 graduate, was a standout for the two times Gold Cup Champion Maroons. During this period, the team enjoyed a remarkable 40-10-5 record. Upon his departure from the program, Peter left behind numerous season and career records. For his career Peter played a total of 102 games recording 79 goals and 78 assists for a total of 157 points averaging 1.54 points a game. His 79 career goals and 157 career points stand today as program records, and his 78 career assists are second. The single standout season for the center skater was his senior campaign, where he totaled 39 goals, and 72 points, season highs that still rank first today. These statistics support the recognition of Peter’s unselfish play. At 5’ 8” and 160 lbs. Peter made up for size with knowledge, skill and love of the game. Like all great players, Peter had the gift of seeing plays develop before they would happen. Adept at both finishing and feeding his teammates his ice presence and vision were incredible. His knowledge of where to be on the ice without the puck led to his uncanny ability to get lost enabling him to get free of opponents defenses to effectively add to the Maroons offensive capabilities. His versatile and tenacious play led to his selection to numerous all league and county recognitions. In 2012 Peter was named “The Records” North Jersey Player Of The Year. Peter was just one of 400 players that took part in the famous Boston Showcase Hockey Night in Haverhill, Massachusetts. It has been a showcase for many players who go on to professional careers in the sport. Hockey players from over 20 US states and many Canadian provinces were selected to participate. Peter was selected to play for the Mid-Atlantic squad based on his stellar performance for the North Jersey Avalanche team where he scored 25 goals and 23 assists. After another successful season with Ridgewood High School, Peter went on to continue his education and hockey career post graduate at Avon Old Farm Prep School. At Avon, Peter was led by legendary coach John Gardner. Coach Gardner commented on how difficult it is to play as a 5th year walk on player. Peter earned his stripes starting out as a third line player. He began to earn the coaches trust with each shift he skated. As he learned and became confident employing Coach Gardner’s system, he began logging many minuets as a penalty killer. His discipline and positioning were highly valued and other players on the team thrived off of his work ethic. Peter quickly became an integral part of the team, helping to lead Old Avon to a winning season of 16-9-4 while tallying 5 goals and 5 assists. Peter continued his education and hockey career at Providence College where his team competed in the American College Hockey Association Division 2 (ACHA II). At Providence, Peter competed in 75 total games at center while tallying 17 goals and 26 assists in his four years of collegiate competition. He captained the team for three seasons 2014 through 2017. In 2020 Peter came back to Ridgewood High School, to take a position on the Maroons ice hockey coaching staff.

According to retired girls' golf head coach Dave Vanderbush, “Eunae Jo is the best female golfer ever to play at Ridgewood High School.” Eunae Jo began playing golf at the age of five. Her father was a teaching pro and he served as her coach all throughout her golf career. Not only did her father coach her in the mechanics and tactics of the game, he always continued to motivate her. Eunae will tell you it was her father that always encouraged her to “work hard and dream big.” Going through the many layers of development and competition as a teenager, Eunae eventually came onto the golf scene at Ridgewood High School. Eunae recounts how she always considered golf a lonely sport spending many hours on the range and golf course, alone, perfecting her game. However, when she joined the golf team at RHS, she quickly learned how special it was to be a part of a team working towards a single goal together. Eunae remembers how playing rounds without her teammates, but knowing everyone was working to achieve one goal, was motivating and comforting. Eunae recalls “it was such an exciting time for us, especially as Julia (Rappa), our other teammates and I started to look forward to team practices, matches and tournaments.” She goes on to say she will always remember “the special bond we had as teammates.” Bond they did and brought RHS girls golf right to the top of the list of girls golf programs in the state. The NJSIAA recognized girls’ golf as an individual sport from boys golf in 2004. In 2005 Dave Vanderbush organized the first girls’ golf team at Ridgewood. There was no league and the girls played an independent schedule. There was a state tournament that year for girls’ golf sponsored by the NJSIAA. Golfers had to shoot forty five or better over nine holes during the state qualifier to qualify to play in the state tournament. Eunae and her teammate Julia both qualified. Not only did they qualify, but they won the tournament with freshman Eunae Jo shooting an 89 and freshman Julia Rappa shooting a 90 for a 15 stroke victory over JP Stevens. The pair of Jo and Rappa would qualify for the tournament again for the next three years 2006, 2007 and 2008 winning the State Championship in 2006 by one stroke in a one hole playoff with Red Bank Catholic and then again in 2008 with a two stroke victory over Haddonfield. It was sweet revenge as Haddonfield had defeated Ridgewood by 3 strokes for the championship in 2007. Eunae was named to many individual honors including first team all state twice and went on to play golf for four years at Georgetown University. During her time at Georgetown Eunae was named team captain for both her junior and senior years. She qualified and played in every tournament for her collegiate team over her entire four years as a Hoya. The learning experience and opportunities presented to her by her devotion to the game ring true her father’s words from many years before, “work hard and dream big.” That she did and it has paid off competitively as well in life lessons learned with many valuable relationships made. Eunae Jo, welcome to the Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall Of Fame.

Ridgewood High School has a long and storied past in athletics, fielding teams as far back as the early 1900’s. The sport of lacrosse does not go back that far at Ridgewood but since its inception in 1985 Ridgewood Lacrosse, both boys and girls, quickly became recognized on the local, state, and national levels as a premier program. The boy’s program had a combined record of 20-34 in it first four years of competition. In 1989 the tide turned. Ridgewood finished 16-1, undefeated in the regular season and then went 16-1 and 19-0 in 1990 and 1991 respectively. It is no coincidence that those three seasons correspond with Eric Benedict’s time competing for the Maroons. Eric was a 4-year letter winner for Ridgewood in lacrosse and part of the “Streak of 44” teams which established the Tradition of Excellence for Ridgewood Lacrosse and were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014. He was selected 2nd Team All-Gibbs Conference in 1989, and 1st Team in 1990 and 1991. He was 1st Team All-State in 1990, an All-American and was awarded the Governor’s Cup as the Outstanding Athlete in lacrosse at the Garden State Games. In 1991, Eric was again 1st Team All-State, All-American, the NJ Co-Player of the Year and finished his high school career playing in the United States National All-Star game. At the completion of his Ridgewood HS lacrosse career Eric ranked #3 in career goals, #3 in career assists and #3 in total career points. His 1990 19-0 team remains the best record in school history and the 1991 team set the school record for fewest points allowed in a season (51) and fewest goals per game given up, 2.68. The 1990 team gave up 53, and 3.12 respectively to take second in both categories. Eric also played football at Ridgewood, and he played it very well. As a Senior Captain he rushed for 605 yards on 103 carries and had 10 catches for 115 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, he roamed the secondary where he was the team’s third leading tackler and punted compiling a 33 yards per kick average. At the end of the season, he earned 1st Team All NNJIL as a running bank and All-Suburban as the Most Versatile Player. To cap off his HS football career, Eric was honored with the coveted Stroker Award given to a Ridgewood HS senior football player who distinguished himself at RHS and participated in meaningful way in the Ridgewood Junior Football Association. Upon graduation from RHS, Benedict moved on to Brown University to play Division I lacrosse. He was elected Captain his senior year despite missing much of his junior year with an injury. His senior year Brown finished as Ivy League Champions with a 5-1 league record and was awarded the #7 seed in the NCAA tournament where they lost to #2 Virginia in the quarterfinals. Eric finished the season with 5 goals, 10 assists in 16 games while also taking 80% of Brown’s face-offs and winning 60% of them. In his career at Brown, he played in 45 games, scored 10 goals, with 11 assists and garnered two Ivy League Championships. As a member of the 2022 Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame, Eric Benedict joins a long line of successful student athletes who not only excelled in their chosen sports at RHS but continued to compete and have success at the college level. His success on the lacrosse field was instrumental in laying the foundation for what has become one of Ridgewood’s premier sports programs. Events like “Lax Day,” and continued success in league, county, and state competitions can be traced directly back to Eric and his teammates success in the late 80’s and he now takes his place amongst the “Best of the Best” at RHS

The Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame proudly welcomes Patti Auger as a class of 2022 inductee for her dual accomplishments in the sport of Softball at RHS both as a player and a coach – a first for the Hall of Fame. Patti was a multi-sport athlete, competing in Tennis and Bowling, but it was on the Softball field where she stood out. The 1979 graduate was a 3 year starting outfielder for fellow HOF inductee coach Debbie Paul and in her senior year, captaining the team, led the Maroons to garner the New Jersey State Championship. In her senior year, Patti was named First Team All League, First Team All Bergen County and Second Team All State. These accolades followed on her junior year recognition of First Team All League and Second Team All County. After her high school career, Patti continued her softball career at East Stroudsburg as starting centerfielder all four college years, and being named team captain her junior and senior seasons. Patti continued play after her college career, participating on numerous teams competing at a national level. Notably were her affiliation with the Montclair 81’s and the Bergen Blue Jays, both of which won national titles. Several years after college graduation, Patti joined Coach Debbie Paul’s staff as an assistant coach. In 2007, Patti succeeded the legendary Coach Paul and led the Maroons to a career W/L record over 15 seasons of 246 – 101, a 71% winning record. Patti summarizes her 33-year softball coaching association with the Maroons best in her own words – “Mainly to help carry on the amazing tradition that Debbie Paul had created. I can’t begin to express the amount of life lessons that I learned from Debbie in high school and as her assistant. I loved working with so many amazing female athletes and perhaps having a positive influence on some of their lives. Nothing made me prouder than watching these athletes develop into confident and successful women on and off the field.” Congratulations and welcome to Patti Auger as a member of the Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall Of Fame Class of 2022

BOY'S CROSS COUNTRY 1969-1997, INDOOR - OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD 1969-79 He might have achieved coaching and teaching greatness at Brandeis High School in New York City, or at the American school in Alexandria Egypt or in Taiwan. But a potential teachers strike and a coaching opening led Larry Coyle to Ridgewood in 1968 and when he left coaching 29 years later, both parties were very happy that their paths had crossed. Coyle, who passed away in August, 2015, retired after the 1997 cross-country season, and even two decades later, his influence and success have been hard to approach. In his 29 years as the Maroons' cross-country coach, Ridgewood won 15 league and divisional titles in the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League, 12 Bergen Group 4 titles, 10 sectional Group 4 titles, and seven Bergen Meet of Champions titles. Ridgewood won the 1991 and 1992 State Group 4 championships, the only time a Bergen County team has gone back-to-back in the 70-year history of the group. Ridgewood also finished in the top five of the State Meet of Champions five times. The soft-spoken (most of the time) Coyle ran track at Mount St. Michael's High School in the Bronx and at Iona before coming to Ridgewood to teach English. The next year, the Ridgewood principal remembered that Coyle had talked about track in his initial interview and Larry quickly was hired as the school's cross-country, indoor and outdoor track coach. He coached all three seasons for 11 years, starting the indoor program. While the Maroons didn't win any major team titles in indoor and outdoor track, Coyle coached 1972 Group 4 indoor two mile champ Bruce Mason and 1975 Group 4 outdoor 330 yard intermediate hurdles champ Parke Muth. Dropping from the head coaching ranks in indoor and outdoor track and field, Larry stayed on as the boy's cross-country coach with extraordinary success. "In some ways, cross-country is the most enjoyable season, which is why I kept doing it after I gave up track. In some ways it's the simplest and the easiest because everyone's running the same event but it's also the purest high school sport,'' Coyle said in a 1997 interview upon his retirement from coaching. Consistency was the hallmark of Coyle teams. They qualified for 24 of the 25 Bergen Meet of Champions races and finished in the top four the last 19 times they qualified, winning in 1978, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1995 and 1996. The Maroons also qualified for 24 out of the last 25 state group 4 championships during Coyle's reign, with 10 runners-up finishes and three third place finishes in addition to the 10 titles. And his contributions went beyond simply coaching track and cross-country. Along with fellow Ridgewood Hall of Fame inductee Jacob Brown and Mike Glynn, he started and co-directed the Ridgewood Winter Games, a pioneering indoor track meet at Rockland Community College, which began in the 1970s and the season opening Ridgewood Relays, now known as the Pawlowski Relays, in the spring. These two events, still going strong today, are important stops on the area's Indoor and Outdoor Track schedule. Coyle is one of the great championship coaches in Ridgewood and Bergen County history, and even better than that, he was one of the finest gentlemen and teachers you'd ever hope to meet.

1971 Football, Basketball, Track and Field Competing for a high school known for athletic excellence and in an era of multi-sport athletes, John Marshall's accomplishments on the gridiron, hardwood and field events for Ridgewood High School makes him a worthy inductee into the Ridgewood H.S. Athletic Hall of Fame. A 1971 graduate of RHS, John excelled on the football field for 2012 Hall of Fame inductee Roger Sweeney. During the winter months John toiled for fellow 2014 Hall of Fame inductee Coach Jim Bruni and during the spring John displayed his talents out on the field competing in the shot put and discus for the RHS thin clads where he set school records that stood for decades. John earned two varsity letters in football as a quarterback and running back. Coach Sweeney remembered John as, "A quarterback with good skills, but he would mean more to the team as a running back. John's speed, toughness and strong arm were assets for an outstanding tailback. He worked hard at his new-given task. His talent, work ethic and personality would lead him to be the best running back in the county." John was outstanding for a 7-2 Maroons squad that lost both games by a combined 5 points. John handled the punting, punt return, and kick return duties in his senior year and his 40+ yards per punt average was one of the best of his era. John was named first team All-Bergen County by the Bergen Record back when only 11 players were selected on each side of the ball. In basketball he was an outstanding "2" guard with a picture perfect and a deadly jump shot, a great man to man defender and one of the best foul shooters in North Jersey. He made second team all-NNJIL his senior year with a 16.1 points per game scoring average and was a leader of a team that was rebuilding following the outstanding 1969-1970 season. During the spring track season, John was "a field guy", and what a field guy he was. Despite having the ability to compete on the track, he chose to concentrate on the shot and discus where he set school records in both events. His 51 foot shot put record stood until 1980 and his 157'11" discus record stood for 39 years until broken in 2010 with a 163'1" toss by Jack Simmons. John also jumped over 21' in the long jump showing his versatility. He helped lead his 1971 Maroons track team to a Co NNJIL Championship and a state group 4 sectional title. The true three sport athletes seem fewer and fewer today. John Marshall was a true three sport athlete. Never weighing more than 185lbs, he excelled on the football field in the legendary NNJIL of the 1970's. He competed on the basketball court for the Maroons in what some call the glory days of basketball in northern New Jersey, and even though he had the speed and quickness to compete on the track for Ridgewood, he chose to concentrate on events usually dominated by athletes much larger than him. His attention to detail and proper form allowed him to excel at three very different sports, and set records that stood for a very long time. Because of the uniqueness of his accomplishments in three sports and the demands for training and organization that that kind of involvement in sport demands, today's athletes and students can look to John's example of a life well lived through dedication to an ideal of excellence in multiple facets of his life. We are happy to bring John Marshall into the Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame with the Class of 2014 to serve as an example, to all, of diversified excellence in a world narrowed by specialization. John is a resident of Ewing ,N.J. today and works professionally as an Actuary in the insurance industry. But, sure to the diversified approach he took in his athletic life, he also is diversified in his later years by bringing hope through prison ministries throughout the state. One friend describes John as "a quiet guy who needs to be recognized". It is our pleasure to recognize John's accomplishments with his induction into the Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Seven Hundred and sixty five days. That's how long the Ridgewood High School Boys Lacrosse team went without a loss between 1990 and 1992. And in that span, a group of student-athletes, coaches and administrators made history and helped to change the athletic landscape in Ridgewood. If people in Ridgewood were asked about the sport of lacrosse during the late 1980's, besides a host of blank stares, the best response might have been "Oh, is it that thing where kids run around throwing with butterfly nets?" But that was about to change. In only its fifth year as a program, Ridgewood High School's lacrosse team showed signs of improvement. In 1989 the team was undefeated in the regular season and made the state playoffs for the first time. However, that was just the beginning of a rise to state and national recognition that would carry the reputation of Ridgewood High School lacrosse forward to the present day. The 1990 team had high expectations for their season and going in to an early season match up with perennial state powerhouse Mountain Lakes, they would be tested. That afternoon Ridgewood was given a lacrosse lesson they would use as a means of inspiration, through humiliation, losing to Mountain Lakes 14-4. It was the last time Ridgewood would taste defeat for more than two years. Over the next 25 months, the team would dominate the entire state, winning two league championships, two state championships and setting the record for most consecutive wins in the history of New Jersey lacrosse with a run of 44 victories in a row thereby creating what will ever be referred to in Ridgewood High School lacrosse history as the "The Streak of 44". Head Coach Steve Jacobson and Assistant Coaches Bob Turco, Craig Chiesa and Bob Blakely built a powerhouse that won games over the course of the streak by an average score nearing 11 to 3.During "The Streak", the team scored 470 goals while only allowing 120. The team only trailed at half time once while never giving up double digit goals in any game. During "The Streak", Ridgewood produced 21 all-league players, 20 all-state players, 7 All-Americans and 2 New Jersey State players-of-the-year. On May 3, 1992, when the streak finally came to an end, it wasn't just town or state news...it was national news with the USA Today reporting that the Ridgewood Boy's Lacrosse team had finally lost a game. But by that point, everyone in Ridgewood knew what lacrosse was and the rest of the state and the country knew what they would face whenever a Ridgewood lacrosse team stood across from them on a field in competition, a fierce desire to succeed and a burning desire for victory. The 1990, 91 and 92 Teams would like to thank former Athletic Director Dave Vanderbush, past Ridgewood Junior Lacrosse Presidents Dave Fuhs, Mark Jackson, James Sullivan and former District Director of Health, Physical Education and Athletics Dave Marsh for their hard work and constant support. The 1990-19992 RHS lacrosse teams embody what we recognize today as the Ridgewood High School "Tradition of Excellence" and rightly deserve their place as one of the great beacons of inspiration in the Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Tricia Pappalardo is regarded by her Ridgewood High School Coach Jeff Yearing as one of the best all around soccer players ever to come through the Maroons program. In his 26 year tenure as head coach of the program he noted it was rare to see a high school player with the technical ability and tactical knowledge to play with such expertise at any position needed during competition. He also noted her desire to succeed as a player and as a team was contagious. She truly was a leader by example! Succeed she did along with her RHS teammates for four varsity seasons contributing to varsity teams 1991 through 1994 that accumulated a total record of 80 wins 8 losses and 1 tie. Her career included 4 NNJIL league championships while remaining undefeated in league play for all 4 of her varsity seasons. While playing for the Maroon and White, Tricia was a part of 2 Bergen County tournament titles. In 1993 RHS defeated arch rival Ramapo High School 3-2 on the same field and on the same day that the Ridgewood boys won their county championship match, giving the two soccer programs their only county double title in school history. Tricia's 1994 squad tied Ramapo 0-0 in the county final giving Ridgewood its second consecutive Bergen County title which was shared with Ramapo's Green Raiders as co champions and allowed Ridgewood to claim its only triple crown (league, county and state titles) in program history. Tricia's 1991 squad also made it to the Bergen County finals losing a heart breaking 2-1 decision in the final 20 seconds of regulation to Northern Highlands. Tricia's 1992 and 1994 squads won NJSIAA North 1 Group 4 state sectional championships while the 1993 team made it to the Sec 1 Group 4 final losing a heart breaking match to Vernon in a major upset that gave the Maroons their only loss for the season and a finishing mark of 20-1. In the 1994 state sectional final which was decided on penalty kicks, Pappalardo took the winning strike as the 5th and final shooter before sudden death. From 1991 to 1994 The Ridgewood Teams that Tricia was a part of never finished out of the top 10 rankings for the state of New Jersey and made it up to the NSCAA national ranking of #7 in 1993 while also achieving NSCAA national rankings of #17 in 92 and #13 in 94.In 1993 the team finished as the #1 team in Bergen county. Coach Yearing commented "that depending on the competition for the day he would decide to use Tricia as a striker, central or outside midfielder or defensively as a central back or an outside marking back. At times she may have played 2 or 3 different positions in a match if it was required. On many occasions we would discuss the situation and decide together what was required of her play that day. In the 1994 county semi final against a stubborn Midland Park squad, Tricia and her team mates asked to move her forward releasing her from her defensive duties of holding a great Midland Park striker in check.Yearing recounts "At halftime I asked the team if that is what they wanted .They agreed, and Tricia responded by scoring two goals .The team backed her up by holding the Panthers scoreless in the second half and Ridgewood was on its way to another title. I believe she also would have gone in the goal if she thought it was needed to win a match that day!" Having been an important part of the Maroons varsity basketball program lettering her last three seasons as part of Coach Rebecca Knucks-Gattoni's championship hoop squads, there is no doubt that Tricia would have carried out that assignment with all star ability. In her four varsity seasons at RHS Tricia scored 35 goals and added 15 assists for a total of 85 points that places her 19th on Ridgewood's all time list for points. Her 35 goals is 17th all time, an amazing mark for a player that spent half of her career in defensive roles. In 1992, her sophomore season, Tricia was selected 2nd team all NNJIL which was significant since selection was made from a 12 team field at that time in the leagues alignment. In 1993 Tricia achieved recognition as a 1st team All NNJIL Back,2nd team All Bergen County Back,2nd team All Suburban Back and All State for the North 1 region by the New Jersey Girls Soccer Coaches Association (NJGSCA). In 1994 Tricia played out of the shadow of some of her former and now "RHS Hall of Fame" team mates Wendy Hartwig and Aimee McGuire, and really amazed the New Jersey soccer world with her ambition and desire to play, lead and achieve. She was named a team Co Capt. with Univ. of Delaware bound Erika Bauer. That season it all came together for Tricia scoring 10 goals and adding 3 assists, she was named: 1st team All NNJIL Back,1st team All Bergen County Back,1st team All suburban Back,1st Team All Area Back by the Paterson Herald News,1st team All State All Regions by the New Jersey Girls Soccer Coaches Association(NJGSCA) making her one of the top 20 players in the state,1st team All Groups as a back by the Newark Star Ledger, All East and a member of the NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America) All American team as a back. Further she was recognized by the NJGSCA and the NSCAA as the New Jersey Player of the Year. She was selected for and participated in the NJGSCA senior showcase match that year for the North 1 team. Tricia was recruited by the University of Alabama and played for the Crimson Tide for four varsity seasons primarily as a marking back. She notes that she played in all 20 of Alabama's matches as a freshman while lettering in all four of her varsity campaigns. While playing in the SEC for four seasons Tricia had the responsibility of marking (defending) some of the best women's soccer talent to walk on the collegiate pitch during that era of the American women's game. In her final season at Alabama the Tide made it to the NCAA tournament representing the University as the first Alabama soccer team to do so. In 2000 the Bergen Record named Tricia to its All Century Team for the 1900's.

Growing up in the town of Ewing, New Jersey, Roger Sweeney attended and graduated from Trenton Central High School with the class of 1948. An outstanding athlete, Roger played both varsity football and baseball for the Red and Black. A two way player in high school football, Roger was a down lineman playing a guard position on the offensive side of the ball and an inside linebacker on defense. A steady infielder playing third base and shortstop on the baseball team, Roger hit for an average over .300 in each of his high school seasons. Before moving on to college Roger did a year of post graduate work at Pennington Preparatory School in Pennington, New Jersey in 1948-49 where he was also a member of their varsity football and baseball teams. He was a center linebacker on the football team and starting shortstop on the baseball team, again having a .300 plus batting average at the end of his prep playing experience. Roger enrolled at Trenton State College (Now The College of New Jersey) in the fall of 1949.After his sophomore year in 1951 Roger was called to active duty for two years as a member of the United States Air Force National Guard. In 1949 through 1951 Roger started on both the varsity football and baseball teams at Trenten State.In football he was playing at the onset of the new thinking towards platooning players.On some occasions he would play on both sides of the ball as a down offensive lineman and interior linebacker, but when platooning was in effect he stayed on the defensive side specializing as a defensive interior linebacker. In baseball Roger was the starting right fielder on his college team and stayed in that position for the duration of his collegiate career. Upon returning from the service Roger also returned to Trenton State to continue his education and varsity athletic career playing both football and baseball again. Roger was a lifetime .300 hitter at the collegiate level hitting .320 his junior year and .345 his senior season.He recalls one outstanding 6 for 6 day at East Stoudsburg University adding "days like that can do wonders for your batting average". Roger was the winner of the prestigious "Emonds Award" from Trenton State in 1954 designating him as the outstanding athlete for his class. Upon graduation from Trenton State in the spring of that same year, Roger took a position for the fall as an elementary school physical education teacher in Wanaque,New Jersey. It was a job he would hold until his arrival at Ridgewood High school in the fall of 1957.Upon arriving at RHS, Roger began his teaching career in the health and physical education department as well as becoming an asst. varsity football coach under the tutelage of legendary Head Football Coach Frank Mozeleski (RHS HOF inductee class of 2006).Roger remained in his assistants position until the fall of 1959 when he was appointed the new Head Football Coach at Ridgewood High School "So many memories," Roger Sweeney said mentally recapping his 17- year career (1959 to 1975) as a winning football coach, the hand-picked successor to the late legendary Frank Mozeleski. Among his fondest are of his first sophomore team (6-0) led by Eddy Collins and Butch Heatherington, and in 1966, snapping highly regarded Fair Lawn's 19-game winning streak sparked by the passing of Cliff Hendry to George Lewis on a memorable Thanksgiving Day. It was one of four instances when Sweeney's Maroons stunned highly favored opponents, ending long winning streaks. Quarterback Jeff Lockhart succinctly summed up Sweeney's philosophy while accepting the Jack Stroker Award from the Junior Football Association a couple of decades ago. "It's been great playing football here because Mr. Sweeney makes playing football fun," Lockhart said. It should still be fun at the high school level. Roger, who taught at Ridgewood High School for 34 years, truly cared for his kids. Caring was his inspiration to his football players. But he refused to take credit for motivating them. "The players psyched themselves," he would say. "It boils down to being able to execute what you have to do." He told them "they had to do on the practice field what they were going to do on Saturday." Lockhart, who became a doctor, shared quarterback duties on the 1972 squad that lost only to Hackensack in eight outings, 14-13, and captured the school's first NNJIL title. The 1960 team featured All-County guard, Tom Dusel, and end Mike Henderson and earned Ridgewood's first Group 4 state crown. In 1969 in its first foray into rugged Hudson County football, Ridgewood snipped North Bergen's 21-game skein. A cerebral coach, Roger at first walked in Mozeleski's shadow. Then he carved his own niche in the annals of Bergen County football compiling a 91-56-4 record, including a 39-14 stretch 1970-75.He eschewed going for the nine wins he needed for membership in Bergen County's prestigious Century Club. His son Peter was coming up and Roger didn't think the boy needed his father for a coach. Roger taught him to placekick and Peter entered the school's record book in that specialty under Dave Vanderbush.

George Monro, a 1939 graduate, is one of the all-time great three-sport athletes in the history of Ridgewood High School. Monro capped his stellar sports career at RHS by receiving the Ridgewood High School Trophy for excellence in athletics, established in 1914 and awarded annually to the member of the graduating class who compiles the best record in various sports. Occasionally referred to by the nickname "Scotty", Monro excelled in football, basketball and baseball, earning six varsity letters. As a fullback on the gridiron for head coach Jack Broomall, he was the Maroons' leading rusher, playing alongside halfbacks Gus Anton, George Bolding, Stew Moore and Eddie Walsh and quarterback Charlie Brown, while running behind a line that featured standout Walt Livingston. One of Monro's top games came on Nov. 5, 1938, when he scored two touchdowns in Ridgewood's 20-6 victory over Leonia. According to the Nov. 6 edition of The Sunday News, the first came when "the husky Scot crashed through the center" of the defense from the 1-yard line. His second trip over the goal line also came from the 1 as he "went through that same hole at center for the touchdown." In the 1938 season, the Ridgewood football team also scored wins against Tenafly (a 26-0 triumph in which Monro ran for one touchdown and threw for another), Park Ridge and Hawthorne, in addition to playing a scoreless tie with Pompton Lakes on Thanksgiving Day. Although the Maroons could not crack the end zone against Pompton Lakes, The Ridgewood Herald noted in its Dec. 1 edition, "Monro was by far the outstanding player on the field, banging out one hard earned gain after another and picking up as much as 5 yards at times, after he had apparently been stopped, with his terrific leg drive." In basketball, Monro played guard and was one of the team's leading scorers. Come spring, he played second and third base and was one of the best hitters for the Maroons. One of Monro's more memorable games came against Pompton Lakes. According to an article in the May 25 edition of The Ridgewood Herald, "George Monro's circuit drive in the final frame drove in the winning tallies and pulled the game out of the fire for Cal Dinkins, as Ridgewood set Pompton Lakes back for the second time in a tight 3 to 2 contest yesterday afternoon at the Lakeside Oval." Monro was popular with his coaches and fellow players, being strictly a "team" player, and was rated highly with the fans throughout his brilliant career. George Monro went on to have a stellar football career at Franklin and Marshall College and was inducted into the F&M sports hall of fame in 2001. He served with the United States Marine Corps in world war two after his graduation from college in 1943.

Amy Lyons, a 1979 graduate, is one of the outstanding softball players in the history of Ridgewood High School, and the shortstop capped her four-year varsity career by playing an instrumental role in the Maroons winning the Group 4 state championship her senior year. In the June 14, 1979 edition of The Ridgewood News, Lyons was tabbed the Maroons Star Athlete of the Week after her team won the state title, and, in his story, Ron Phillips wrote for a lead paragraph: "A quarter century ago, Ray Bolger was the star of Broadway in the musical, "Where's Charlie?" with his refrain, "Once in love with Amy, always in love with Amy..." Those are the sentiments, Phillips wrote, of Ridgewood High School sports followers about Amy Lyons, the senior shortstop who excelled at bat and in the field as the Maroon softball team won the state title Saturday. In the 4-2 win over Woodbridge in the state-championship game, Lyons tripled in the fourth inning and scored Ridgewood's first run, then hit a liner to left in the fifth that enabled Jean Simmons to score the go-ahead tally. Besides her 2-for-3 day at the plate, Lyons made several sparkling fielding plays, including a running catch of a soft line drive in the sixth with two runners on base. Ridgewood finished with a 26-2 record, also winning the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) title and reaching the championship game of the Bergen County tournament before falling to Demarest. For the season, Lyons batted .480, smacking eight home runs, five triples and six doubles, and drove in 47 runs, tops in Bergen County. She attempted 22 stolen bases and was only thrown out once. Wrote Phillips, "Lyons was hailed as Bergen County's premier scholastic softball player this season." Her junior year, Lyons hit .481, slugging nine home runs and collecting eight other extra-base hits, and drove in 27 runs. She compiled an incredible 1.216 slugging percentage. In 1978, Fair Lawn head softball coach Tim Cullen was evaluating to Ridgewood News sportswriter Ron Fox the softball talent he saw that year when his voice suddenly raised, in octave and decibel: "That Amy Lyons is beyond belief!" he exclaimed. Her sophomore year, Lyons was a starting outfielder. One of Lyons' classmates and teammates was Ridgewood's current head softball coach, Patti Auger, the Maroons' centerfielder, who batted .342 her senior year and .410 her junior season. Both Lyons and Auger were named first team All-County in 1979. Lyons continued her softball career at the University of South Carolina. She returned to RHS, where she was an assistant softball coach for several years. In 1979, Lyons' head softball coach was Dave Vanderbush, who was filling in that season for Debbie Paul, who was pursuing her master's degree at Purdue University. Paul was Lyons' head coach in 1977 and 1978, and she will join her former star player in this year's Hall of Fame class. Lyons also excelled in tennis for coach Paul at RHS, playing first doubles her senior year, when the Maroons captured the NNJIL and Bergen County championships. Lyons works for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is based at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. On July 21, 2009, she was named assistant director of the FBI Inspection Division by Director Robert S. Mueller, III. "In her new role, Amy will be responsible for oversight of internal investigations and the evaluation of FBI programs to ensure their effectiveness and compliance with FBI objectives, governing laws, rules, regulations and policies," said Director Mueller. "Her previous experience in the Inspection Division, coupled with her years of operational work in the field, makes her an excellent fit for this position." Lyons entered on duty as an FBI special agent in January 1990. Upon completion of training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va., she was assigned to the New Haven Division. While there, she investigated international drug money laundering cases and led a Safe Streets Task Force focused on the Almighty Latin Kings Nation. After six years, she was promoted to the International Training and Assistance Program at the FBI Academy. She was later assigned to the Latin American Unit in the Criminal Investigative Division's Organized Crime/Drug Section at FBI Headquarters. In February 1999, Lyons transferred to the New York Division, where she managed an Italian Organized Crime Squad focused on the Columbo Organized Crime Family. She served in this position until July 2001, when she was appointed to assistant special agent in charge (ASAC) of the Special Operations Branch. Shortly thereafter, she served as the on-scene commander in the New York Division's Joint Operations Center in response to the 9/11 attacks. She was subsequently assigned to FBI Headquarters to work on the investigation of Zacharias Moussaoui. Upon her return to New York, Lyons spent three years as the ASAC of the International Terrorism Branch, supervising the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force. In August 2006, Lyons was promoted to an inspector in the Inspection Division at FBI Headquarters. In this role, she led teams responsible for sensitive investigations and the assessment of FBI operations and performance throughout the country. She was designated as the chief inspector in the Inspection Division in January 2008. She was named special agent in charge of the FBI's Baltimore Division in April 2008. Lyons received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a master's degree in psychology from Ball State University. Prior to her employment with the FBI, she was a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration in Newark.