RHS Athletic Hall of Fame
Members of the Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame are those that have made a lasting impact on the school’s sports program as either student players, coaches, or supporters. Often the student players have continued to influence their chosen sports after high school by ongoing participation in athletics.
Karla Mixon, 2022 Inductee
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.”
Download: 2022 Banquet Book!
2022
Patti Auger, Eric Benedict, Eunae Jo, Peter McGinley, Karla Mixon, Clair Nowakowski, 1983 Softball Team, Joe Pedone, Julia Rappa
2020
Carlos Peay, Louis Edward “Eddie” Peay, Kelly Conheeney, Samantha Cermack, Chris Rae, Chelsea Steinberg, Mark Strittmatter, Andrew Clarke, Jim Dee, Phil Ross Sr.
2018
2016
Maureen Greico, Larry Coyle, Jacob Brown, Richard Bennett, Toshiko D’Elia
2014
John Marshall, Jim Bruni, Mark Romeo, Jean Hughes, Chris Van Note, Nancy Hogan, RHS Football Team 1913, Don Taylor, Rachel Grygiel, John Cerf, Paul Tornatore, Michele Marangi, RHS Boys’ Lacrosse 1990-92
2012
Craig Halyard, Tom Flatt, Tricia Pappalardo, Mike Henderson, Kandie Latham, Leigh Jester, Tom Dusel, Roger Sweeney, Linda Zabielski, Patty Capasso, Dennis Sullivan, Nick & Dottie Capasso, Track and Field (Bain-Daley-Oliver Era)
2010
Primo “Duke” DeRochi, Debbie Paul, George Monro, Bill Dunne, Amy Lyons, James Sullivan, Michael Culver, Keith O’Connor, Josh Kauke, Patti Mileski, Mary Ellen Mileski
2008
Kitty Batterson, Henry Blauvelt, Frank L. Bradley, Jr., Lucia Cancelmo, Chris DuFlocq, Renee DuFlon, RHS Girls’ Basketball 1922-1923, Harry Grundy, Jim Jones, Joe LeMay, Jen McDermott, Shannon McGarrigle, Tony Napier, Margaret Niemann, Vince Robertiello (Jamie Roberts), Damian Ross, Mike Springer
2006
Mario Ferraro, Paul Ferraro, Don Haldane, Wendy Hartwig, Tom Hopper, Bob Keino, Frank Mozeleski, Tim Mullen, Jenna Rogers, Donna O’Connell, Carin Cone, Charles Yennie
2004
Paul Arrigoni, Pete Campbell, Doug Cook, Becky Deetz, Otis Grendler, Jodi Hartwig, Gene Links, Debbie O’Connell, Aimee McGuire, Walt Perdue, Tom Simos, Kazbek Tambi, Jack Van Yperen, Bob Whitaker, Margaret Scutro