Middle Township's Bridget Ruskey is South Jersey's senior girls' athlete of the year
Middle Township senior Bridget Ruskey never gave it a second thought. In this era of specialization, the possibility of concentrating on one sport was never an option.
Middle Township senior Bridget Ruskey never gave it a second thought. In this era of specialization, the possibility of concentrating on one sport was never an option.
The reasoning was sound: Why give up having so much fun playing three sports for just one?
"I thought playing three sports was very special," she said. "I didn't know any different, growing up doing the same thing every year."
She also excelled at all three, which has earned her the honor of being the Inquirer's South Jersey senior female athlete of the year.
In soccer, she played every position except goalie. She mainly patrolled the midfield, scoring nine goals and adding three assists to earn first-team all-Cape-Atlantic League National Division honors.
"Generally, the hardest workers aren't your best kids," soccer coach Bob Wishart said. "She was our best kid and hardest worker."
In basketball, she was the point guard on a 25-4 team that advanced to the league final before losing to Ocean City and advanced to the South Jersey Group 2 final before losing on a buzzer-beater to Manasquan. The 5-foot-10 Ruskey averaged 13 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.
"She really is a natural leader," basketball coach John Leahy said. "She was always wanting to do better and always wanting to help the team."
Yet it was in lacrosse where Ruskey truly shone.
"She is a phenomenal athlete and besides that a really good person," said lacrosse coach Jacqueline Scuderi.
Never mind all the all-star accolades she accumulated. What Ruskey is most proud of is ending her career as a South Jersey champion this past season. That should not be a surprise from such a selfless performer.
"There was such a euphoria to winning the South Jersey title," she said.
The title came in a 17-8 win over Camden Catholic in the South Jersey Group 1 lacrosse final. In that game Ruskey had six goals and four assists.
The Panthers then beat Mount St. Mary in the state semifinal. It took eventual Tournament of Champions finalist Oak Knoll to end Middle Township's season and Ruskey's career.
She ended with 485 goals, but she deflected a lot of the credit.
"It is a large number, but I know that it was my teammates who put me in the position to score that many," she said.
That is true, but she also knew how to respond. Ruskey has been playing lacrosse since about the second grade. Over the years, scoring goals and winning have gone hand in hand.
Lacrosse is the sport she will continue to play in college, having earned a scholarship to La Salle. A member of the National Honor Society, she is considering a double major in international business and communications.
During her four years, she spent just as much time in the library as on the athletic fields, and the goal was always the same - get the most out of every activity, every class, and every day.
She earned 12 varsity letters and she could count only 12 bad days - the final day of each athletic season. Seeing a season end was a sad occasion.
"I loved being in each sport, and at the time I never really wanted to let it go," she said.
The sadness of seeing one season end, however, was trumped by the excitement of a new one. And it was more than just the wins that guaranteed her life-long memories.
"Just being around different teammates was so great," she said. "The bus rides, the dumb things we do, will always be ingrained in my memory, and playing with best friends was truly special."
It was just as special for her teammates to play with such a team-oriented person, one who considered each sport the most important one while she was competing in it, and it showed in her work.
Here are five other seniors who stood out among the crowd this school year:
Bria Mack, Williamstown
Mack was the fastest girl in the state as a junior and as a senior. And she was the fastest in Group 4 during all four years of her high school career. She won the Group 4 state title in the 100-meter dash four years in a row, running a personal-best time of 11.58 seconds this season. She also won the 100 meters at the Meet of Champions as a junior and senior. In indoor track, she won the 55-meter dash at the Meet of Champions. She is a Florida recruit for track.
Quinn Nicolai, Moorestown
Nicolai was a top athlete in soccer and lacrosse. She scored a team-high 13 goals for the Moorestown soccer team, which went 14-5-1 and reached the Central Jersey Group 3 semifinals. She scored a team-high 60 goals with 28 assists for the Moorestown girls' lacrosse team, which went 20-3 and reached the Group 3 state finals. She is a Penn State recruit for lacrosse.
Alexis Paone, Ocean City
Paone powered Ocean City to state prominance in field hockey and basketball. In field hockey, she was a top defender for a team that went 22-4 and won the Group 3 state championship. In basketball, she averaged 10.8 points for a team that went 30-2 and won the South Jersey Group 3 title. In six state tournament games, she improved her scoring average to 15.1 points. She is a Liberty University recruit for field hockey.
Isabella Therien, Cherokee
Therien was a dominant athlete in both soccer and basketball. She was a first-team all-South Jersey selection in soccer as a defender. In basketball, she led Cherokee to one of the best seasons in the history of the program. She averaged 20.1 points as the Chief went 27-3 and won the South Jersey Group 4 title. She scored 28 points in a huge victory over Gloucester Catholic in the title game of the SJIBT and hit the buzzer-beater in a victory over Toms River North in the sectional finals. She is a Loyola (Md.) recruit in basketball.
Katie Pileggi, Haddonfield
Pileggi was a standout in lacrosse and tennis. She led Haddonfield to the first South Jersey title in program history in lacrosse, scoring a team-high 53 goals for the South Jersey Group 2 champions. She also won 24 matches as a singles player for the Haddonfield tennis team, which also won the South Jersey Group 2 title. Pillegi, who plans to play lacrosse at Kean University, also was a member of Haddonfield's swim team.