Grace Cannon is shown during her career at Ithaca College in New York,
GLEN RIDGE/BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Grace Cannon has been named as the new Glen Ridge High School girls basketball head coach. Cannon was approved by the Board of Education on Sept. 9.
Cannon replaced Kristina Danella, who, in her only season at the helm, guided the Ridgers to winning their first New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s state sectional championship and a runner-up finish in Group 1 last season. Danella announced her decision to step down this summer, but she expressed her joy in coaching the team and sent her best wishes.
Cannon is a 2017 Bloomfield High School graduate, where she was a standout player for the Bengals. As a four-year letterwinner, she finished with 1,520 career points, ranked No. 3 all-time on the BHS scoring list.
Cannon continued her career at Ithaca College, where she enjoyed more success. She improved her scoring average each year and averaged 15.5 points a game in her senior season in the 2020-21 campaign. Cannon finished her career at Ithaca with 1,242 points, ranking her ninth all-time at Ithaca. Her 449 points in her senior season were the eighth most scored in a single season. Cannon received numerous collegiate honors, including being an Academic All-American.
The top-seeded Ridgers last season defeated No. 2 seed University of Newark, 50-44 in the NJSIAA’s North Jersey, North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 state tournament. It was the third straight meeting between the teams in the North 2, Group 1 sectional final, with University winning in the 2022-23 and 2023-34 seasons.
After defeating University, the Ridgers defeated Section 1 champion Mountain Lakes 46-31 in the Group 1 state semifinal at Bloomfield High School. GRHS then lost to New Providence 42-36 in the Group 1 state championship at Rutgers University in the ultimate game to finish with a 23-9 record.
Photo Courtesy of Ithaca College
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