Steve Bennett, Class of 1976, was a mainstay on some of the finest wrestling teams in the school’s history. As a senior in 1976, Bennett got to the 170-pound final, losing by just one point  to finish a tremendous 26-2-1 for the year. As a junior on the 1975 team that finished #1 in New Jersey, Bennett was a standout in the lineup and finished 17-3 in the 170 slot. Bennett was also a terrific two-way  player for Jim Fiorello’s football squads in the mid-1970s, and twice earned third-team All-County honors on the baseball diamond as a catcher. He went onto have a winning record in the rugged Big Ten wrestling circuit at Michigan, where he lettered three times.

Tom Sloand, Class of 1977, is one of only nine Roxbury wrestlers to have captured an individual state championship in the program’s storied history. Sloand captured the feat as a junior in 1976, when he captured the 101-pound crown to finish off a dominant, undefeated 29-0 season. Thirteen of those 29 victories were pins. As a sophomore, Sloand went 27-1-1 on New Jersey’s top-ranked wrestling squad. As a senior, Sloand won his first 26 matches to run up his streak to a school record best 55 straight matches, before seeing his repeat bid come up just short in the final. Finishing his career with a sparkling 82-2-1 record with three district and three region titles at Roxbury to go with the state title, Sloand went onto wrestle on the Division I level at Lehigh University.

Kevin Sheary, Class of 1982, is one of the greatest baseball players to come out of Roxbury in the program’s 113 year history. An All-State selection as a senior in 1982, Sheary helped pilot the Gaels to the Iron Hills Conference-Iron Division title that year under coach Bill Buro. So outstanding was Sheary’s career at RHS that he was drafted in the 7th round by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1982, but elected to play college baseball at powerhouse Miami instead. His career with the Hurricanes was equally legendary, as Sheary dominated the 1985 College World Series with three wins, including the title-clincher. He would get drafted again in 1986 by the Mariners, getting as far as High-A ball, and later stayed in baseball by serving as a scout for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Kelly McSkimming, Class of 1994, was an outstanding three-sport athlete in the 1990s, and is one of only five girls to be in the 1,000 point club at RHS. McSkimming was also a standout on the softball field, having well over 100 hits and playing a starring role on the 1992 squad that won the Group 4 title as a freshman. In basketball, McSkimming averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds a game, as she racked up 1,241 points in her varsity career. She was also a multi-time All-County selection in girls soccer as a goalie. McSkimming went onto letter in both basketball and softball at Columbia on the collegiate level.

Jennifer Dexter, Class of 2005, is one of the most prolific strikers in the girl’s soccer program’s history. As a key piece on the program’s golden wave from 2003-2005, Dexter scored 55 goals and helped the Gaels win a remarkable eight team championships in that span. For her efforts, she was a third-team All-County selection as a sophomore, second team her junior year, and garnered first team All-County and All-State marks as a senior. She went onto play on the college level first at Rutgers, before finishing up at Centenary University.

Donald Panciello, Class of 2013, is third on the all-time rushing yards list at Roxbury with 3,128 racked up in a terrific three year varsity career with the Gaels. A durable yet explosive running back, Panciello ran for 1,697 yards and scored 24 touchdowns while helping Roxbury run out to an 11-1 record and the program’s sixth and most recent state championship. Also a standout linebacker, Panciello went onto play DIvision I football in the Ivy League at Penn, where he was a four-year letterwinner that recorded 129 career tackles. Panciello was a part of a championship squad at the college level as well, helping the Quakers take the 2015 Ivy League title.

Sam Rossi, Class of 1962, earned 4 letters in wrestling. He went on to become a Captain of the team and a District Champion his Senior year, while compiling a career record of 49 wins, and 8 losses. After Roxbury High School, Sam wrestled for Seton Hall University, where he compiled a 39 and 3 record and was the first wrestler to represent Seton Hall University in the NCAA DIVISION I National Championships (1966 Ames, Iowa).  After graduating from Seton Hall University, Sam returned home to teach and coach at Roxbury High School.  He coached the wrestling team for 11 years; 5 years as an Assistant Coach, and 6 years as the Head Coach. During his years as Head Coach, his record was 59-19-3.  Rossi’s Gaels finished the 1975 season undefeated, and were selected as the number 1 team in New Jersey. Rossi coached 3 Individual State Champs, 3 State Runner Ups, 12 Regional Champions, and 18 District Champions. 

The Girls Soccer Teams of 2003, 2004, and 2005 have a great case to be Roxbury’s greatest dynasty in any sport. Over the span of those three years, the Gaels – under the direction of Justin Renna – went a staggering 58-9-6 overall.  The Gaels completed an incredible trifecta of Iron Hills Conference-Iron Division, and Section 1, Group 4 crowns. In addition, the Gaels took home the Morris County titles in 2003 and 2004. No other Gaels program in any sport has amassed eight championships in a three year run. Multiple players from those squads – including 2025 inductee Jen Dexter and previous Hall of Fame inductees Audrey Nonemaker and Erica Peschken – went onto play on the collegiate level.

Coach Cosmo Lorusso enters the Roxbury Athletic Hall of Fame as the winningest coach in Gaels football history. Over the course of 20 seasons, Coach Lorusso went 116-87 and captured two State titles to complement four conference championship winning seasons. His 2009 and 2012 teams each went 11-1 and captured Group 4 titles. Coming from a legendary run at Pequannock – where he was named NJ Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2000 – before arriving at Roxbury, Lorusso had 15 winning seasons, qualified for the state playoffs 13 times, and sent dozens upon dozens of players up to the college level while piloting the Gaels. An English teacher at RHS, Coach Lorusso retired from the district in 2022.

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