Cermack Leaves a Lasting Legacy

It's always bittersweet when another year passes and a crop off graduates move on to life's next phase. On one hand it's the celebration of a job well done and on the other there seems to be a feeling of loss and emptiness... in this case, especially for the Athletic Department.

Among the 2010 graduates for Ridgewood is perhaps one of the greatest athletes in school history, Samantha Cermack. Her accomplishments alone could fill this entire article. Just to name a few, Cermack was voted a two time All-American in lacrosse—where she led the Maroons to the school's first ever state championship this past season—and was this year named New Jersey's player of the year. 

In her downtime she also managed to be a four-year starter on the soccer field, where she became one of the most prolific goal scorers in the Maroon's history. This past season she helped lead the Maroon's to a tri-county championship while being named all-state as well as all-east.

Ridgewood's loss is now Johns Hopkins University's gain, as Cermack will head to Maryland to play lacrosse for the Blue Jays. So one is left to wonder, how did Cermack manage to take her almost miniscule 5'4'' frame and turn herself in to one of the most decorated athletes in Ridgewood High School history?

"Hard work," she said proudly. "In everything I do, I try and make sure I do it with 100 percent effort and enthusiasm, so that there's never a feeling of regret or would've, could've, should've, so to speak, in the back of my mind."

It was that exact approach that enabled her to score the winning goal during Ridgewood's 7-6 victory over Mendham to capture the 2010 girls lacrosse state championship.

"That has to be my proudest moment playing sports for Ridgewood High School," said Cermack nostalgically. "It's something I'll be telling my kids about years from now."

Cermack's the definition of a true playmaker on both the soccer and lacrosse fields as she routinely displayed a combination of skill, creativity and athleticism to produce highlight reel plays game after game.

For a lot of athletes, talent of this magnitude might go to their heads, but not Cermack's. "Sammy," as she's called by her friends and teammates, always managed to give credit to others both on and off the field, evidence of her team-high 69 assists as well as her courteous postgame interviews where she always managed to have kind words for seemingly everyone but herself.

"Team chemistry is something that is often overlooked in sports, but to me it's one of the most important factors in determining the winner from the loser," Cermack said. "I believe that's the exact reason we were able to win the state championship. We all got along so well, and we were willing to do anything for the good of the team."

Not surprisingly, team unity is one of Cermack's favorite things about athletics, and it's something she advises the incoming freshmen to embrace.

"[Don't] be intimated or afraid to get involved with high school sports. I met some of my best friends and got the chance to experience some very cool things through lacrosse and soccer, so to those thinking about joining a team I say go ahead and give it your best effort."

Cermack's work ethic has not only translated on the sport's fields, but in the classroom as well, where she achieved a gaudy 3.7 grade point average. As of now she is undecided of what she wants to study at Johns Hopkins, but Cermack is leaning toward working for a Master's degree—for anyone who knows her, that should come as little surprise.