Dennis Sullivan (2012)

1992 Lacrosse, Football Dennis Sullivan is one of the rare student athletes who has excelled not only on the field of play but also has excelled as a leader, a teacher and a coach. Sullivan graduated from Ridgewood High School in the spring of 1992 as one of the few true three sport athletes of his era. A fierce and intelligent competitor it would not be fair or accurate to put the "pound for pound best athlete" label on him as his size was irrelevant to his success and ability to compete. He was a great student athlete and a great leader for the Maroons, period. Starring on the gridiron for Chuck Johnson, the hardwood for Jim Stroker and the lacrosse field for Steve Jacobsen, Sullivan competed and succeeded against athletes of all sizes. Maybe the biggest testament to how special a person Sullivan is was the fact that he Captained the football, basketball and lacrosse teams his senior year before heading off to Brown University to play lacrosse for the Bears. Sullivan played lacrosse in the "Glory Days" of the Ridgewood Lax Program. Lettering in three Varsity seasons he starred as the only player to start in all 44 games of the legendary 44 consecutive game win streak the Maroons put together between 1990 and 1992. Those 44 wins included State Championships in 1990 and 1991 before a runner-up plaque in 1992 ended the streak. He was voted Honorable Mention All-State in 1990, 2nd Team All-League and 2nd Team All-State in 1991, and 1st Team All-League, 1st Team All-State, and All-American in 1992. He was selected as a defenseman for the 1992 New Jersey North South All-Star Game where he was voted the team Captain of the North Squad by his teammates. His success was just as significant on the gridiron for Ridgewood High School. A two year Varsity letter winner at halfback and defensive back Sullivan was described by Coach Johnson as; "an amazing leader, an amazing presence, and an amazing person. I really wish I had a better word than 'amazing' as he was more than amazing for us." Johnson went on to add; "he played the three biggest sports at RHS at 5' 7" and 145 lbs. Anytime someone tells me that they are too small to play football I tell them about Dennis Sullivan. In all my years of coaching I have never had a young man with more of a dynamic presence than Dennis Sullivan." That dynamic presence and outstanding athletic talent combined to create great things on the football field for RHS. In the fall of 1991 Dennis Sullivan and Co-Captain Dan Burns led the Maroons to the Group IV Sectional State Championship with a win over North Bergen. In recognition of his outstanding senior season Sullivan was named 1st Team All-NNJIL and 1st Team All-Bergen County as a defensive back while earning his second Varsity letter in football. He was selected as a starter for the North Squad in the annual North South All-Star Game played in Giants Stadium. Between the football and lacrosse seasons Sullivan excelled on the basketball court winning two Varsity letters while using his speed, quickness and guile as a prototypical "pass first" point guard who was a fearless defender on the other end of the floor. Dennis was recognized in the spring of 1992 by the coaching staff of Ridgewood High School as the most outstanding athlete in the class of 1992 by being awarded the prestigious "Ridgewood High School Award For Excellence In Athletics". It is the highest honor an athlete can receive at the school and represents all four years of athletic endeavor for that individual at RHS. Once called the Rutgers Cup,today the award is named the "Dave Vanderbush Award For Athletic Excellence" in honor of one of Ridgewood's long time athletic directors. After graduating from Ridgewood Sullivan moved on to Brown University where he played lacrosse four years for the Bears alongside his former Ridgewood teammates Eric Benedict and Brett Sowers. During his time at Brown the Bears won the Ivy League Championship in both 1994 and 1995 and advanced to the NCAA Semi-Finals in '94 and the NCAA Quarter-Finals in'95. Sullivan completed his collegiate lacrosse career in 1996 as the Captain of the Bears and was named 1st Team All-Ivy League and Honorable Mention All-American. He was awarded the Cliff Stevenson Award as the Most Valuable Player and chosen to play in the USILA North South All-Star Game and the New England East West All-Star Game where he was chosen to Captain each of his respective squads. After graduating from Brown he played one season professionally for the NJ Pride in the MLL. As have some other members of the Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame, Sullivan chose teaching and coaching as a career path. He returned to his alma mater and assisted both the football and boys lacrosse programs. He coached the 2001 Freshman Football Team to the first ever undefeated season in program history which was an indication of things to come as that group went on to win back to back Group IV State Sectional Championships in Giants Stadium during their varsity years. Sullivan also became the head coach of the Boys Lacrosse Team for the 2002 season and led them to the State Championship game where they fell to Delbarton. He left Ridgewood and took his teaching and coaching skills to Oregon where he is a teacher and coach at the Oregon Episcopal School. During his tenure coaching the Aardvarks he has led the team to numerous Lacrosse State Championships and has been instrumental in promoting the sport of lacrosse in the northwest. A lifelong competitor, teacher and leader, Sullivan has not only the credentials as an athlete and a coach to enter the Hall of Fame, he also possesses the intangibles that separate the good from the great. A great player, a great leader, a great teacher, and a great coach, Dennis Sullivan rightfully takes his place alongside the other members of the Ridgewood High School Hall of Fame as one of the best all-around athletes to ever compete for the Maroons.

CLASS YEAR

1992

share this

Related Stories

Julia Rappa (2022)

February 28, 2025
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.

Joe Pedone (2022)

February 27, 2025
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.

Ajay J. Kirtane, MD, SM - '90

February 27, 2025
Ajay J. Kirtane, MD, SM, is Professor of Medicine at the Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) and Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories at NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) Hospital/CUMC. Dr. Kirtane is an internationally renowned leader in Interventional Cardiology, specializing in the care of patients with complex coronary and peripheral vascular disease. In addition to his clinical commitments, Dr. Kirtane has a strong interest in clinical education and research, serving as Chief Academic Officer of Columbia Interventional Cardiovascular Care, and as director of several international, national, and regional educational conferences in Interventional Cardiovascular Medicine. Dr. Kirtane's research interests are in clinical trials and outcomes of device-based and pharmacologic interventions in Interventional Cardiology. He is/has been Principal Investigator and serves on the steering committees of numerous clinical trials in interventional cardiovascular medicine. Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Bergen County, New Jersey, Dr. Kirtane is a graduate of Ridgewood High School, Princeton University, and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and completed his residency/chief residency in Internal Medicine at the University of California — San Francisco. He then completed fellowships in Cardiovascular Disease and Coronary and Peripheral Vascular Intervention at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center / Harvard Medical School and additionally obtained a Masters of Science in Clinical Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health prior to moving back to Columbia. In his free time, Dr. Kirtane has avid interests in sports and music, and lives in New Jersey with his family. Inducted 2022
ALL ALUMNUS