Sally Cavallaro Kalksma (Class of 1980) - As a four-year veteran of Glen Ridge High School varsity cross country, indoor track and outdoor track teams, Sally Cavallaro Kalksma earned 12 varsity letters. By graduation in 1980, she had helped to put Glen Ridge girls' teams on the map by winning 18 individual medals in state, county and conference championship events. She was a two-time participant in the New Jersey Meet of Champions in the 1977 mile run (15th) and the 1980 mile (10th). In State Group I Championship Meets, she took 2nd place in the 1977 indoor mile run, 3rd place in the 1977 outdoor mile run, and 4th place 1978 outdoor mile run. In Essex County meets, Sally place 4th in 1976 cross country, 2nd place in the mile run and 3rd place for the two-mile run in 1979. In State Group I Sectional Meets, she placed second in two-mile in 1979 and 4th in mile. In 1980 she came in 3rd in 800- and 6th in the mile, as the team won championships in both years. In Colonial Hills Conference meets, she came in 2nd in the 1977 mile, 2nd in the 1978 mile and 2nd in the 1978 two-mile runs. As captain of the 1980 Ridgers girls outdoor track team, she led the squad to a 12-0 dual meet record. She became the school record holder in the mile and two-mile runs and was part of setting four relay team records.
Maria DiCondina (Coach 1991-2010) - For just under 20 years, Maria DiCondina was the girls varsity basketball coach at Glen Ridge High, where her teams won 272 games and consistently were ranked among the top teams in Essex County. In addition, Maria was many times the Conference Coach of the Year as her teams won five Colonial Hills Conference Championships. During her tenure she had three 1,000-points career scorers. She also was the Glen Ridge field hockey coach for three seasons. Maria was named Retired Coach of the Year in 2011 by the Essex County Athletic Directors Association. Her long-time assistant coach, Mike Sammon, perhaps offered the greatest praise of Maria when he said, "I wish my own daughters were coached by her. She loved every player she ever coached, and she was an advocate for learning every fundamental of the game of basketball. Most importantly, she treated her players with respect and dignity." Maria came to Glen Ridge from Paramus Catholic, where she coached girls soccer for eight seasons, highlighted by a 1990 State Championship. In 11 years as girls basketball coach there, her teams won three State Championships, five North Jersey Sectional Titles and three Bergen County crowns. She was inducted into the Paramus Catholic Hall of Fame in 1996. Maria retired from Glen Ridge High School in 2017.
Don Henningsen (Class of 1951) - The oldest of three Henningsen brothers to compete in football and track at Glen Ridge, Don's high school athletic career got off to a fast start, when he lettered in track his freshman year, finishing fifth in the low hurdles in the 1948 Group I State Championship. In Don's senior season the team was undefeated in dual meet Suburban Conference competition, and had a signature non-conference win beating Montclair, Bloomfield and Weequahic in a four-way meet. The Ridgers capped the 1951 season by winning the Group I State Championship. Being fast and versatile, Don often would compete in six events during the regular season, but was limited by conference rules to only three events in championships. In a dual meet against North Arlington during his senior season Don scored 24 points, winning the 100- and 220-yard dashes and the javelin, while finishing second in the high hurdles, low hurdles and broad jump. As a sophomore he had the memorable experience of running the lead-off leg on the Penn Relays division-winning GRHS mile relay team. While he cherished all three of his varsity football seasons, none compared to the 1949 team that won the Suburban Conference Championship. Playing wing back and defensive halfback, Don dislocated his shoulder in the opening game against Clifford Scott. Not content to write off his season, he continued to attend every practice, until he was able to return for the next to last game against Caldwell. With the game tied 0-0 in the fourth quarter, Don threw the winning touchdown pass. Following the final game victory against Madison, Don was elected captain for the 1950 season. Don went on to attend the University of New Hampshire, where he took-up lacrosse. He became a starting midfielder on the UNH 1955 team that went 14-1, and won the Class C National Championship. A member of the Air Force ROTC program at UNH, Don later spent 25 years as a fighter pilot. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel, having flown 163 combat missions during the war in Vietnam.
Marc Houser (Class of 1995) - Baseball was Marc's best sport, as evidenced by the fact that he was the cleanup hitter and rock-solid third baseman on the Glen Ridge High 1993 Group I State Championship club, and the 1994 Ridgers squad which was ranked No. 13 in New Jersey. In addition to the fact that he was a three-year starting pitcher who recorded 20 wins, Houser was a significant hitter on three teams which accumulated an 80-16 mark during that period. His career batting average was .419. After being undefeated as a pitcher in his sophomore (6-0) and junior (7-0) seasons, he went 7-3 with five saves for his senior year team which won 13 games. A one-sport star, Marc was not. He was on the Glen Ridge wrestling team for two seasons, having been named to the All-Colonial Hills Conference team in 1992 and 1993. In boys' soccer he was All-Conference in 1994 and 1995, being named third team all-county as a senior. "As a Glen Ridge High School athlete, I took great pride in being a 'team player.' It was an honor to wear Red and White and to represent all the athletes who paved the way for my individual and team success," Marc said of his Glen Ridge career. Marc matriculated to Montclair State where he posted a four-year baseball batting average of .342. In the process, he became one of three Glen Ridge athletes to play on a State Championship high school team and a National Championship college team.
Alex Lopes (Class of 2005) - Alex Lopes was a stand-out three sport athlete who earned ten varsity letters: four in lacrosse, three in football and three in basketball. He was a captain in each sport in his senior season and was selected as Glen Ridge’s Outstanding Male Athlete. At the time of his induction, he was the all-time Glen Ridge boys lacrosse scoring leader with 310 points (93 goals and 217 assists). His 217 career assists is the current all-time record for the State of New Jersey and the 94 assists he produced in his junior season is a state single-season record. His 310 overall points are 15th most in New Jersey history. In his junior season, he led all NJ scorers with 126 points. He led NJ in assists both his sophomore and junior seasons and was 9th in the state in his senior campaign. He was All-Conference his sophomore, junior and senior seasons and was the Conference Player of the Year his junior season. He was all state in his junior and senior seasons. Most importantly, he was a leading contributor to a team that won two Conference Championships and made three appearances in the state playoffs. On the football field, he was a vital contributor to the team that returned the Ridgers to the winning ways of the past. He was the starting QB for three seasons. During his tenure, the Ridgers progressed from one win to seven wins. As a senior he threw for 1,500 yards and had ten touchdown passes. He was voted to All-Conference all three years, 1st-Team as a senior. After his senior campaign he was named 3rd-Team All-Group 1st- and 2nd-Team All-Essex County. On the basketball court he was relied on to do the 'dirty work'. He was a three-year starter who was known for his tenacious defense and excellent passing and rebounding skills. He led the team in assists and steals his junior and senior seasons. Alex went on to a successful Division 1 Lacrosse career at St. Joseph’s University. At the time of his induction, he is first in games played and 9th in assists for the Hawks. He led the team in assists in both his sophomore and junior seasons. Alex has coached lacrosse at the collegiate level for seven years and is currently a Division 1 Offensive Coordinator at Jacksonville University.
Rachael Miscia Hogan (Class of 1996) - The most-decorated softball player in Glen Ridge High School history, Rachael Miscia Hogan is the owner of numerous Ridger records. She drove in 39 runs and batted .511 in the 1996 season, which made her an All-Area and All-Colonial Hills Conference selection for a 3rd-consecutive year during which she served as the team's captain. She also was selected as 1st-team All-Essex, marking the 3rd-successive season in which she was named All-Essex (3rd team in 1994 and 2nd team in 1995). Rachael's career totals of 202 at-bats, 83 runs, 89 walks, 56 RBIs 101 hits and a .410 batting average are what made her Glen Ridge's leader in those categories. She also played field hockey and girls basketball, earning 12 varsity letters. In 1995, Rachael earned All-Conference Honorable Mention in field hockey. She was a member of the Glen Ridge team which won the Colonial Hills Conference girls basketball championship in 1995, and was honorable mention All-Conference during the 1996 girls' basketball season in which she served as team captain. After graduating from Rowan University, Rachael returned to the Glen Ridge public schools system as a physical education teacher. She has been a physical education teacher at Glen Ridge high school since 2002, and served as Glen Ridge High School Interim-Athletic Director during a portion of the 2015-16 school year.